Commercial

Our commercial appraisers are based out of the Battlefords and Kindersley, SK. We specialize in valuing commercial, industrial, multi-family properties in northwest Saskatchewan from Kindersley to Meadow Lake.

NOTE we do NOT complete commercial appraisals in the Cities of Lloydminster, Saskatoon, or Prince Albert.

David A. Fortier, AACI, P.App, Bcomm (Dist.)

David A. Fortier is a licensed professional appraiser holding the AACI, P.App designation through the Appraisal Institute of Canada.  He began working with Mattila Appraisals Ltd. in May 2008, working with Howard Mattila, AACI, P.App, P.Ag up to 2013 when he purchased the company from Howard and Jack Mattila. David has diplomas in Appraisal and Assessment and Advanced Business Administration (both with Honors) from Lakeland College, a Certificate in Real Property Assessment from the University of British Columbia, and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (with Distinction) from Athabasca University. David has completed commercial assignments across Saskatchewan for various financial institutions, government authorities, and has successfully testified in Court of King’s Bench (formerly Court of Queen’s Bench) on multiple occasions as an expert witness.  David has a background in residential construction, economics, and investment properties and has personal experience with building, leasing, managing of various types of real estate including, single family, multi-family, commercial office and industrial real estate. David owns and manages the company, working at the head office in Battleford, SK. David Fortier-CV

Alex Scheidt, CRA, P.App, Bcomm 

Alex Scheidt is a licensed professional appraiser holding the CRA, P.App designation through the Appraisal Institute of Canada.  Alex joined Mattila Appraisals Ltd. in 2012 and works alongside David Fortier in completing commercial property appraisals across Saskatchewan. Alex draws on a strong understanding of business, economics and real estate through her University training. Alex has a diploma in Appraisal and Assessment from Lakeland College, Certificate in Real Property Assessment from the University of British Columbia, and a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Athabasca University. Alex has completed various commercial and industrial assignments and is the process of working toward the AACI, P.App designation. Alex Scheidt-CV

Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) – Founded in 1938, the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC) is Canada’s leading real property valuation association with over 5,600 members across the country and around the world. For the last 80 years, AIC has worked collaboratively with its 10 affiliated provincial associations to grant the distinguished Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute (AACI™) and Canadian Residential Appraiser (CRA™) designations.

*AACI, P.App (Accredited Appraiser Canadian Institute, Professional Appraiser)

The AACI, P.App designation is the highest designation achievable through the Appraisal Institute of Canada. AACI members are qualified to offer valuation and consulting services and expertise for all types of real property including agricultural and commercial property.  The AACI designation requires an undergraduate degree, 15 real estate courses through the University of British Columbia, completion of a guided commercial or agricultural case study, two years in the Applied Experience Program and completion of both a written examination and oral interview. Individuals must also complete AIC’s mandatory Professional Practice Seminar and the introductory We Value Canada workshop. For more information see: AACI, P.App – Steps to Designation

We take pride in providing the highest quality commercial appraisals we can. In order for us to provide a report that adheres to the Appraisal Institute of Canada (AIC), Canadian Uniform Standards of Appraisal Practice (CUSPAP), and our own corporate standards we undertake the following steps:

1- Preliminary Consult – Our valuation team will consult with the client to ensure a thorough understanding of the project, scope, timelines and property.  It’s important for us to know which properties, where they are located, what are the physical details, who needs the report, for what purpose, what is the deadline, who is paying for the report. With mortgage financing, each lender has specific appraisal requirements and we try to present the most cost effective solution to meet those requirements.  We offer all inclusive pricing which includes travel, inspection, mileage and report writing with the cost of the project is based on the total projected amount of work involved. After the preliminary consult a contract will be drafted and once the signed contract is received a site visit is scheduled.

2- Site visit –The appraiser complete a site visit generally accompanied by the occupant, owner, or a site contact. The appraiser will generally send a list of questions for the occupant or owner to answer so that the appraiser has all the necessary information to complete the appraisal. The appraiser will be taking photos, measurements and notes regarding the location, land, improvements.  A site visit may take between 50 and 130 minutes depending on the property type, size, number of outbuildings, etc. We do not complete soil testing.

3- Area and Economic Analysis – After completing the inspection the appraiser will analyze and compile economic and area information to present a thorough understanding of the various micro and macro economic forces at play as of the effective date of the appraisal. This includes interest rates, the Canadian Dollar, inflation, commodity prices, construction costs, etc.

4- Subject Analysis and documentation – The appraiser will reconcile the information gathered from the site inspection, available land titles, assessment, soil maps, topographic maps, aerial maps, and MLS information into a summary of the subject property. The appraiser will also be reviewing any available lease information, construction cost estimates that pertain to the subject property.

5- Highest and best use analysis – The appraiser will review “The reasonably probable use of Real Property, that is physically possible, legally permissible, financially feasible, and maximally productive, and that results in the highest value.” A separate highest and best use ‘as if vacant’ and ‘as improved’ will be determined.

6- Valuation of Site ‘as if vacant’ – The first step in valuing the subject property will be to value the site ‘as if vacant.’ Recent sales, active listings of bare land are analyzed and compared to the subject property. As commercial/industrial/investment properties often sell privately without being listed on the MLS, appraisers need to closely monitor markets for transactions and maintain detailed databases of land sales and listings. A market derived value per square foot or value per acre is then applied to the subject to arrive at a value ‘as if vacant’

7- Valuation of Subject ‘as improved’ – In valuing the improvements the direct comparison, cost and income approaches will be considered:

• Direct Comparison Approach – In this approach, recent sales of similar properties are analyzed. As commercial/industrial/investment properties often sell privately without being listed on the MLS, appraisers need to closely monitor markets for transactions and maintain detailed databases of improved sales, listings, lease rates. Location, age/condition, building size are of particular importance when selecting comparable sales. For improved properties a price per square foot of building area and a building residual value per square foot are often used. The appraiser will rank the subject versus each of the sales to arrive at a value ‘as improved.’ Depending on the comparable sales and the property type the appraiser may also complete a paired sales analysis adjustment grid to which sales are then compared to the subject property and adjusted for differences. The adjustment reflects the likely market reaction to the difference between the subject and each of the sales. After adjusting each of the indicators a final estimate of value is determined.
• Cost Approach – The estimated cost to construct the building(s) is then determined through analysis of current construction costs and sales of new construction. The contributory value of the extra features is then estimated though a comparison of cost and market indications. An appropriate depreciation rate is developed and applied to arrive at a final estimate. The depreciated value is then added to the value of the raw land that was estimated using the Direct Comparison Approach.
• Income Approach – In this approach, the actual and market rental revenue streams of a property are analyzed. Vacancy, bad debt and typical expenses are subtracted to estimate net operating income. Comparable sales are identified to which the relationship between sale price and income is analyzed. A market derived capitalization rate or income multiplier is applied to the subject to estimate market value.

8- Reconciliation – A final estimated value of the raw land is determined, and a final estimated value of the property ‘as improved’ is determined. A final conclusion is determined and the report and addendum are compiled.

9-Report Compilation and Submission- A Commercial Appraisal is typically completed in a narrative format. The finished report including addenda may range in size from 30 to 80 pages or more depending on complexity of the file. A typical commercial report will include:

• Cover Page, letter of transmittal, executive summary
• Overview of current National, Provincial and Local Economies
• Overview of construction costs, inflation, interest rates
• Analysis and description of the neighborhood and site
• Analysis and description of the building(s) and site improvements
• Highest and best use analysis of land “as if vacant” and subject property “as improved”
• Value of Site as if Vacant – based on sales/listings of raw land
• Direct Comparison Approach to Value – based on sales/listings of similar properties
• Income Approach to Value* – based on market rents and capitalization rates
• Cost Approach to Value* – Raw Land Value + Cost of Improvements LESS Depreciation
• Exposure time estimate (based on recent sales activity)
• Final estimated market value conclusion (signed by Professional Appraiser – AACI, P.App)
• Addenda items typically include:

*May or may not be included based on availability of data and relevance to report

Once the appraisal is finalized and signed, a digital copy of the appraisal and paid invoice are sent (both in pdf format).

Click here a summary: Commercial Appraisals – What we Provide

Our commercial reports are commonly used for:

– Financing (purchase, refinancing) by banks, credit unions, mortgage brokers

– New Construction (click for Financing of New Construction)

– Replacement Costing (based on a combination of inhouse research and current costing software for insurance and business planning)

– Insurance claims (Actual cash value, replacement cost) in the event of an insurance claim

– Resale (Vendor pre-marketing, purchase negotiations) by sellers and buyers

– Estate (Preparation, Settlement) by owners, executors, family members

– Litigation (Divorce, Foreclosure, Arbitration, Expropriation) by lawyers and legal representatives.

– Tax Assistance (Capital gains including retrospective valuation) by owners and family owners

Our office has designated commercial appraisers approved by national financial institutions and regional and local credit unions. Our accredited and approved appraisers complete work for various municipal, provincial and federal government organizations including Saskatchewan Department of Highways, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Public Works and Government Services Canada. We also complete litigation assignments and expert witness testimony for various local, regional and national law firms. David Fortier, AACI, P.App has been qualified as an expert witness by the Court of King’s Bench (Former Court of Queen’s Bench) and successfully testified in open court on multiple occasions.

Replacement cost estimates are often required for insurance or corporate planning.  In the event of a claim, having appropriate replacement cost insurance can insure you are adequately covered. After a loss replacement cost estimates are often required to determine the cost to rebuild, or to determine if adequate coverage existed.

We complete replacement cost estimates on private sector commercial retail and office buildings, industrial workshop type buildings, as well as apartment buildings. We use a combination of:

• Replacement costs derived from our own internal database gathered by reviewing new builds across western Saskatchewan and their corresponding costs adjusting for cost increases
• SAMA Assessment occupancy codes and up to date costing software for western Saskatchewan
• Contractor estimates

We can provide replacement cost estimates for the above mentioned buildings under $3,000,000 EXCLUDING hotels, churches,  public buildings such as school, hospitals, arenas, nursing homes, swimming pools, etc.

We have been completing commercial appraisals since 1971 for various types of clients including: business owners, investors, speculators,  financial institutions, lawyers, government agencies to name a few. Why should you consider a commercial appraisal?

Increased Market Values. With increasing values over the last decade very small differences in value add up very fast. A 1% difference in value on a $500,000 property is $5,000, 2% is $10,000, 5% is $25,000 – you get the picture. With bigger dollar values there is obviously more at stake.

The trouble with ‘Rules of Thumb’ You wouldn’t sell your house based on the average price of homes in your City would you? Same goes for price per square foot for buildings, capitalization rates for income producing properties. Properties are worth different prices per square foot based on a variety of factors including design, age, size, location, amenities, etc.  Properties have different capitalization rates based on a variety of factors including design, age, location, tenant type, etc. It can be difficult to determine commercial values particularly in smaller cities as the sales are few and far between, many sell privately and the values may range considerably – that is where the expertise of an experienced appraiser comes in.

Due Diligence. The most important part of decision making when it comes to real estate, financial planning, retirement planning, estate planning is due diligence. Having a professional appraisal completed by our AACI, P.App designated appraisers provides peace of mind that you did your due diligence and consulted with the experts beforehand. As we have appraisers who have been qualified as expert witnesses in Court of Queens Bench, and regularly have our appraisals used in legal proceedings – we know the importance of having a thorough, fair, unbiased appraisal reports.

It’s important to know exactly what is reasonable and realistic in today’s market. Rely on an appraisal to ensure you are accepting a reasonable amount when selling, making a fair offer when purchasing, or assigning appropriate values when completing retirement or estate planning.  Our appraisal team consist of licensed Appraisal Institute of Canada members, who only complete real estate appraisals – we do not sell commercial properties, nor are we actively purchasing commercial property  – as such we are only concerned with providing a fair, unbiased professional report so that our clients can make the best possible decisions.  Call us at 1-306-937-5073 or order an appraisal online at www.fmappraisals.com/request to see how we can help.

A commercial appraisal is about more than just arriving at the final estimated value ‘as improved.’ There are a number of variables involved in commercial real estate and the market is everchanging. The techniques and approaches we use provide the client with more information that can assist in making more decisions than simply financing. What makes our reports different?

1. Data – Having an office that has served Saskatchewan for over 50 years results in a terrific amount of data on properties. We have extensive databases and information on properties throughout northwest Saskatchewan. We are tracking commercial real estate across northwest Saskatchewan both MLS and private transactions – noting that many commercial properties sell privately.

2. Land value ‘as if vacant’ – We determine the estimated market value of the land value ‘as if vacant’ based on sales/listings of raw land. This value can assist with income tax planning as land cannot be depreciated.

3. Separate Building Valuation – We estimate the contributory value of the building based on sales/listings of similar improved properties. By allocating the land and building values for each of the comparable sales we can arrive at the contributory value of the subject building. This value can assist with both income tax planning and insurance planning. Note that the building can be depreciated, and with insurance you can opt for actual cash value or replacement cost insurance.

4. Multiple direct comparison approach techniques – Depending on the availability of comparable data and the dataset the appraiser will typically value the subject property using a) building residual value, b) gross price per square foot, c) Paired sales analysis with adjustments. Our goal is to arrive at a value that is easily understood by the reader and well supported by market data.

5. Market rent estimate – By analyzing leases of similar properties we can estimate the reasonable market rent for your property. This can assist in lease negotiations and planning.

6. Replacement Cost – We can estimate the current replacement cost for the building using online costing estimators. This can provide assist with insurance planning.  Note that a replacement cost estimate is typically completed on a building under 10 years old and is not generally included on buildings older than that. We can include a replacement cost estimate on older properties should the client request one.

7. Real world experience – David Fortier has a background in residential construction, economics, and investment properties. He has personal experience in building commercial buildings, overseeing insurance claims on commercial properties, leasing commercial properties, and owning both commercial and multi-family income properties.

Our office has served western Saskatchewan as a full service real estate appraisal firm since 1971 (52 years). Why do people choose us?

1. We listen –Each situation is unique, as is each client. We listen to our clients to understand how we can best assist them.  When we provide a quote we are careful to ensure we understand the client, the appraisal problem, the property, the deadline, the intended user/users, potential conflicts of interest, points of contention. In that way we can ensure that we are able to provide the best possible solution.

2. We Are Fair –We work hard to ensure we arrive at fair and well reasoned conclusions. Regardless of the client, the scope of work, the purpose – we just want to be fair.  We don’t sell or list properties for sale, in that sense we have no interest in the property – it doesn’t matter to us what the property value is – as long as it’s fair.

3. We Pride Ourselves on Quality – We take pride in providing the highest quality appraisals we can and always striving to improve our work. We are constantly monitoring the commercial and industrial real estate market and work hard to make sure that the value conclusions are well supported by market evidence.  We listen to feedback from lenders, lawyers, business owners, investors to improve our work and take pride in walking the reader through each step of the process so that they have a thorough understanding of the local market, the comparable sales, why we choose them, how we came up with our value conclusions and why. We work hard to provide maps, visuals, charts to better aid the reader as well as clearly indicating calculations and rationale for those calculations.  We have been fortunate enough to have been nominated/awarded for various accolades over the years including: BBEX Heritage Award, KBEX New business Award, BBEX Young Entrepreneur Award, BBEX Customer Service Award, NAS Customer Service Award, BBB A+ rating and various positive reviews online and in social media.

4. We put our name on it – Howard Mattila, AACI, P.App, PAg (retired) started appraising in the Battlefords in 1971. David Fortier, AACI, P.App, Bcomm (Dist.) (15 years experience) and Alex Scheidt, CRA, P.App, Bcomm (11 years experience) both mentored under Howard Mattila.  When a report is signed at Fortier Mattila Appraisals Inc. we put both the Fortier and Mattila family name on the line, every time – that is something we take seriously.  Perhaps using a family name in your company name is outdated, or a thing of the past – but we feel you are only as good as your name.  We are proud of our company history, the work we provide for our clients and we’re also confident enough to stake our names and reputations on it.

Recent Projects

• Kindersley highway commercial for resale
• North Battleford office for refinancing
• Kerrobert commercial/ industrial for purchase financing
• North Battleford Industrial workshop for purchase financing
• Meadow Lake industrial workshop for refinancing
• North Battleford multi-tenant commercial for purchase financing
• Unity commercial building for resale
• Meadow Lake commercial retail for purchase financing
• North Battleford commercial retail for purchase financing
• Kindersley area workshop for purchase financing
• Rural 12 unit apartment for re-financing
• Rosetown area commercial workshop for construction financing
• Meadow Lake commercial retail for purchase financing
• Rural self storage facility for purchase financing
• Battleford industrial land for purchase financing
• Battleford commercial land for purchase financing
• Downtown Battleford commercial building for purchase financing
• Downtown Meadow Lake commercial for purchase financing
• Rural workshop for construction financing
• Battleford industrial workshop for construction financing
• North Battleford Replacement Cost / Actual Cash value for Insurance Claim
• Kindersley office for refinancing
• Meadow Lake apartment buildings for purchase financing
• Rosetown commercial for refinancing
• Kindersley highway fronted commercial for purchase financing
• Spiritwood new commercial for construction financing