By Michael V. Tankersley, MAI, SRA, AI-RRS

My appraisal practice started in a small town in southern middle Tennessee. Like many people from small towns in rural America, I dreamed of doing big things. From an appraisal perspective, that meant complex assignments that were interesting and challenging. So I appraised local properties and looked forward to the day I could expand my practice into the Nashville metropolitan area.

A few years went by, and I pursued the SRA and the MAI designations because I saw that I needed stronger skills to compete in the Nashville metro market. As my career progressed, I realized that I had been missing a big opportunity. The greatest opportunity for growth was not in the highly competitive metropolitan areas, but in the rural markets where I was already located.

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