VALBRIDGE BLOG
Valbridge Office Spotlight: South Louisiana
October 21, 2019
Valbridge Property Advisors | South Louisiana proudly serves the state of Louisiana. In addition to having a strong regional footprint, our office has access to data and expertise on a national scale as a part of the largest appraisal firm in the United States. This is just one of the many aspects that sets Valbridge Property Advisors apart from other appraisal firms.
Our team of appraisers and consultants provides independent property valuation and consulting services of all property types. These services are employed for lending, development, litigation, planning, fractional interest valuation, assessment appeals, and other intended uses. We also provide market analysis and consulting services for a wide variety of markets and property types. It is our goal to provide the best service to our clients by utilizing our knowledge and experience in real estate within the context of the local, regional, and national markets.
In addition to serving the Louisiana market, the appraisers of the South Louisiana office have developed a reputation for being the go-to firm for special purpose properties on a local and national scale, consisting of shipyards along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, hospitals and specialized healthcare properties from California to Virginia (and numerous locations in between), amphitheaters in California, live performance theaters, charter schools, water/amusement parks, golf courses, marinas, and water/wastewater systems across the south.
Interesting Assignments
We have appraised or advised on countless properties and property types, with some of the more interesting being a privately-owned, navigable waterway, with no attached uplands for an inverse condemnation proceeding; a former power plant with permits along the Mississippi River for a through-put cooling system; a proposed 500-acre, deep-water port facility in Southwest Louisiana; and a working movie and television production studio. In addition, our office was asked to assist the Valbridge offices in California to appraise three hospitals for local counties.
Meet the team:
Arthur L. “Art” Schwertz, MAI, Senior Managing Director
Art is a member of the Board of Directors of Valbridge Property Advisors and Senior Managing Director of the South Louisiana office. A native New Orleanian and an appraiser since 1992, he holds the MAI designation of the Appraisal Institute, and has served the Louisiana Chapter of the Appraisal Institute as President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Art has been qualified as an expert witness in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, United States Court of Federal Claims, Louisiana Tax Commission, Dallas County, Texas District Court, and District Courts serving St. Tammany, Jefferson, and Orleans Parishes. He has also taught real estate appraisal seminars for both the Appraisal Institute and private companies. In addition, Art has presented a seminar at the Appraisal Institute’s national meeting on “Appraising Unique Properties”, written an article for the Appraisal Institute’s Valuation Magazine, as well as having been cited in the magazine as an expert in marina appraisals. With over a quarter century of appraisal and consulting experience, he engages in all types of valuation and evaluation assignments, emphasizing special purpose and unique property valuations, along with all types of industrial, commercial, multi-family, healthcare, and hospitality projects. Art is a Certified General Appraiser in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, California, Texas, Kentucky, and Arizona.
D. Parker Moring, Jr., Senior Appraiser
Parker is a native of New Orleans and has been appraising properties with Valbridge Property Advisors since 2013. He specializes in the valuation of retail, commercial and industrial properties, and is in the process of completing the MAI designation requirements. Some of his more intricate assignments have included the appraisal of a former power plant with permits, along the Mississippi River for a through-put cooling system; an appraisal of a movie studio; and feasibility studies for assisted living facilities across South Louisiana. Parker is a Certified General Appraiser in Louisiana.
Martha Russell Bennett, Senior Appraiser
Martha is a native of Seattle, Washington, and a graduate of the University of New Orleans. She has been appraising properties with Valbridge Property Advisors since 2012. Martha specializes in the valuation of retail, commercial, and multi-family properties, and is in the process of completing the requirements for the MAI designation. Some of her more intricate assignments have included the appraisal of the corporate headquarters of the Freeport-McMoRan Corporation, and Entergy Corporation. Martha is a Certified General Appraiser in Louisiana.
Andrew Miles, Senior Appraiser
Andrew is a native of Metairie and has been appraising properties since 1995. Andrew joined Valbridge Property Advisors in 2019. He specializes in the valuation of retail, commercial, and industrial properties, and is in the process of completing the requirements for the MAI designation. Some of his more intricate assignments have included appraisals related to cellular towers, and wireless infrastructure. Andrew is a Certified General Appraiser in Louisiana.
Stephen Schiff, Appraiser
Stephen is a native of New Orleans and has been appraising properties with Valbridge Property Advisors since 2012. He specializes in the valuation of retail, commercial, and industrial properties. Some of his more intricate assignments have included the appraisal of shipyards and a coal terminal on the Mississippi River.
The balance of our staff includes focused and knowledgeable research analysts with the experience to enable our office to tackle the most complex assignments.