What is NOT a legitimate reason for a reviewer to pay attention to the sales history section of an appraisal report?

Understanding the sales history section of an appraisal report involves recognizing its relevance to various aspects of property valuation. The reason related to assessing a county's property value against past sales is not considered a legitimate focus for a reviewer in the context of appraisals.

Typically, the sales history is analyzed to ascertain the recent transaction patterns that could impact the current property value. This includes looking out for potential flipping, which may indicate volatility in the market or inflated pricing. Recognizing patterns in recent sales can also provide opportunities for applying paired sales analysis, where two similar properties are compared to refine value estimates through observed transaction outcomes. Additionally, reviewers evaluate pending sale contract prices to ensure that they align well with the appraised value, ensuring that the appraisal reflects current market conditions.

In contrast, examining whether the county's assessed value is reasonably based on a previous sale does not directly contribute to understanding the present market dynamics or the validity of the appraisal being reviewed. Such analysis is typically outside the scope of evaluating an appraisal's sales history and does not inform the effectiveness of the appraisal itself in reflecting current market conditions. Thus, itemizing past assessed values in this manner lacks relevance and is why this option is not a legitimate reason for paying attention to the sales history section of the report