Real Estate Appraisal Technician

This position is responsible for administrative and technical support work related to the assessment of real estate.

Under general supervision of the Director, performs a variety of administrative and technical functions in support of day-to-day operations including lead customer service, research, and analysis, and initiating and updating assessment records.

This job/class works under general supervision according to set procedures and is subject to review by the Real Estate Assessment Director.Answers/routes incoming telephone calls, emails, and walk-in inquiries; serves as primary contact for public inquiries concerning assessments and assessment records. 

Collects and enters information regarding sales and deeds and ensures owner records are current and accurate.  Reads and interprets deeds for accuracy and validity.

Manages accounts payable and accounts receivables for the department, orders supply’s, reviews and submits payroll, and maintains department budget.

Enters applicable building and trade permits and changes to parcels that will affect assessments.  Communicates changes through monthly reports to appraisal staff. 

Serves as secretary to the Board of Equalization which includes all communication, scheduling and training, preparation of documents, mailings, attendance, minutes, and documentation of hearings.

Prepares, prints, coordinates with mailroom staff, and mails the annual assessment notices to all parcels in the City of Fairfax.

Prepares, prints, and mails the annual income and expense reports submitted by commercial parcels as required to fill out for accurate assessment purposes.

Enters and balances annual supplemental reports.

Creates, enters, and maintains abatements to assessments.

Assists in reviews all site plans for the Community Development and Planning department including special exceptions, site plan revisions and new subdivisions, read plats to assure all information is correct, review deeds of dedications to assure all legal terminology is correct and accurate before final approval is given to the developers.

Create all new subdivisions, assign tax map numbers and create new parcels in computer.

Responsible for deed research needed in the City, for the Real Estate department and occasionally as needed for other departments in the City.

Responsible for all deed transfers (sales, quit claims, deeds of trust, deeds of gift, wills). Enters sales into CAMA system.

Enters and updates owner information and address changes.

Receives and records inquiries and complaints from taxpayers regarding valuation for tax purposes and refers to appropriate appraiser.

Attends Board of Equalization (BOE) meetings and hearings which are held at night or during the day; acts in the capacity of secretary to the Board which includes taking minutes, typing minutes, notifying property owners of meetings, preparing meeting agendas and packages, and assisting in the preparation of other information for the meetings; takes follow-up actions based on board decisions including processing abatements, notifying the property owner of the Board's decision, and maintaining records of the Board's actions. Sends annual reports to the State of Virginia about all hearings and results.

Intake and tracking of all Administrative and BOE appeals in CAMA system and by excel.  Provides Director and Appraisers copies, correspondence and periodic reports; meeting as needed to review outstanding appeal responses with regard to the assessment cycle.  Maintains records, replies and decisions issued by the Director and Appraisers.

Creates and maintains Income and Expense Statement Surveys for all commercial properties located in the City of Fairfax.

Responsible for reconciliation of recordation taxes owed to the City by Fairfax County. Tracking is through Excel comparing information from reports received in the City 
Treasurer’s Office to those reports generated from the CAMA system.  Assists the Director with revenue projections prior to and during the annual budget process.

Monitors and manages the department’s budget and pays departmental bills.  Assists the Director with expense projections prior to and during the annual budget process.

Prepares new and completed timesheets for approval by the Director.

Enters abatements, supplemental abatements and assessment changes into database. Prepares associated reports and assists in the cyclical balancing of assessed values and taxes.

Assists Appraisers with field inspections of properties as needed.   This includes new construction and measurements of existing properties.

Assists other City departments with use of real estate database and property questions such as right-of-ways, easements and ownership.

Greets the public; assists the public and other City employees in acquiring available information from real estate records; and answers inquiries in person, by email and by phone.

Maintains office records, both computerized and manual; assists in the preparation of annual reports the land book, and reports for other departments.

Enters data concerning tax parcels into computer and makes changes as necessary; maintains the list of new parcels and deleted parcels for the tax parcel record count; and organizes and enters all supplemental assessments into the computer.

Performs a variety of administrative tasks including monthly owner updates, quarterly sales reports, managing and updating the department’s web pages, generating purchase orders, check disbursement requests, abatements, and related reports; answering inquiries in writing, in person, and by telephone; filing documents and correspondence; maintaining office records; and maintaining information on building permits.

The duties listed above are intended only as an illustration of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.Requires High School graduation or GED equivalent.

Requires one year of experience in general office work or closely related experience.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of the principles of real estate, tax assessment and appraisal.

Knowledge of standard office practices, procedures, equipment, and techniques.

Knowledge of business writing, grammar, punctuation, arithmetic, and basic algebra.

General knowledge of MSOffice and other computer hardware and software.

Familiarity with state tax codes and ordinances involving real estate assessment or the capacity to learn them.

Ability to read and understand legal documents pertaining to real property transactions.

Ability to read maps and search for and locate tax records.

Ability to type accurately and to take minutes, if required, at a reasonable rate of speed.

Ability to make rapid and accurate data entries.

Ability to make arithmetic and algebraic calculations.

Ability to file numerically, alphabetically, and chronologically.

Ability to research legal records through established court record systems.

Ability to read plats, house location surveys and blueprints.

Ability to use ancillary archiving software and other departmental software.

Ability to proofread, logically organize information, maintain files and records, and create organized schedules of appeals for Board hearings or property inspections.

Ability to learn city streets, neighborhoods, and comparable areas or individual properties within the city for assessment purposes.

Ability to communicate effectively and to understand and follow verbal and written instructions.

Ability to receive and effectively advise a wide variety of phone requests for information, to give explanations of office functions, and to inform individuals of procedures and particular state tax code and city ordinances relative to real estate assessment, the Board of Equalization, and real estate taxes.

Ability to learn new procedures.

Ability to maintain effective working relationships with other employees, the public, and Fairfax County employees.