Watch recorded webinars and access training materials.
Reappraisal Reality | March 14, 2023
This webinar provides an overview of the current reappraisal circumstance. A full reappraisal class will be offered at a later date. In this session, we will discuss market trends, effects on the common level of appraisal (CLA), pending legislation and how these changes may affect your CLA, coefficient of dispersion (COD) and overall assessment work.
- Course Material - Reappraisal Reality (pdf)
- Course Material - Reappraisal Reality - Impact of CLA on Property Taxes (pdf)
- Course Material - Reappraisal Reality - State CLA Statistics (pdf)
Processing Homestead Declarations in VTPIE | Recorded on February 20, 2024
This webinar guides listers and assessors through the process of reviewing homesteads filed by taxpayers, updating town records to reflect the filings received, and responding to Taxpayer Services with errors, updates, or additional information about a filing. The training demonstrates how the process is completed in the Vermont Property Information Exchange (VTPIE), the new software program the Department of Taxes is transitioning to.
Equalization Study - How to Read and Understand the Results | Recorded on February 14, 2023
This webinar demonstrates how to read sales reports and final computation sheet and what it means for your town. See also Understanding Your Equalization Study Results (pdf).
Reappraisal Process Webinar | Recorded on May 10, 2022
This course guides you through the reappraisal process from start to finish; from the planning stages to the appeals process, to testing of your reappraisal results. If you are planning a reappraisal in the future, beginning the process, or if you just want to understand and feel confident explaining the process to taxpayers, this course is for you. See also Reappraisal Training (pdf).
New and Seasoned Lister Training
This course provides an in-depth overview of the job duties of a lister. You will learn about the various responsibilities of the office including lodging a grand list and downloading homestead declarations. Special attention is given to schedules, exemptions, current use calculation, and office administration. You will also learn about the New England Municipal Resource Center (NEMRC) grand list program, covering the basics and providing helpful tips for new and seasoned listers. See also New Lister Training pdf).
Session 1 | Recorded on March 16, 2022
Session 2 | Recorded on March 18, 2022
Session 3 | Recorded on March 23, 2022
Session 4 | Recorded on March 25, 2022
Current Use Training
This training covers how listers should calculate excluded land for allocation, calculate the Fair Market Value for Land Use Change Tax (LUCT) purposes, and review your duties as a lister. This course is a must for both new and seasoned lister and assessors. This course incorporates all functions performed in myVTax, eCuse, as well as those implemented in VTPIE, and clarifies the differences. See also Current Use Training (pdf).
Session 1 | Recorded on February 16, 2022
Session 2 | Recorded on February 17, 2022
Equalization and Sales Validation Training
This webinar provides an opportunity to learn how to validate your sales accurately and in a thorough manner. The proper research and validation of sales are paramount to accurate results since this directly affects a municipality’s tax rate, Common Level of Appraisal (CLA), and reappraisal status. See also Sales Validation and Equalization Training Slides (pdf).
Recorded on February 9, 2022
Vermont State Statutes and Real Estate Law
Explore the sources of the law that regulate the process of establishing value and assessing property taxes. In this webinar, we will look at the major sources of laws, the constitution, statutes, cases and regulations. The sessions will provide you with the tools to find statutes, cases and regulations from various online resources and in the published materials. The class will focus on the laws applicable the tasks that municipal assessing officials perform.
Session 1 | Recorded on July 14, 2021
Session 2 | Recorded on July 15, 2021
Land Schedule Training
Learn how to gather and quantify your land sales data, determine influencing factors and deal with sales outside your community. The first session covers the theory of land valuation and data gathering. The second session focuses on developing the sales grid. Issues more specific to neighborhoods and lakefront properties will be discussed as well. This course is useful for developing a new land schedule or understanding the existing process.
Session 1 | Recorded on May 26, 2021
Session 2 | Recorded on May 19, 2021
Grand List Clean Up | Recorded on April 28, 2021
Learn how to identify and correct errors in your grand list. Administrative clean-up will be very important in the next year to ensure an easy data transition to the new grand list program. Now is the time to learn and employ easy tips to check your data.
Deed Reading and Exemptions Training | Recorded on April 21, 2021
Learn the importance of reading deeds, how to understand the elements of a deed, and how it affects your work in the lister’s office. This course also delves into types of exemptions and the statutes that are applicable. See also Deed Reading Basics for Listers and Assessors (pdf).
Current Use Training
This training covers how listers should calculate excluded land for allocation, calculate the Fair Market Value for Land Use Change Tax (LUCT) purposes, and review your duties as a lister. This course is a must for both new and seasoned lister and assessors. This course incorporates all functions performed in myVTax, eCuse, as well as those implemented in VTPIE, and clarifies the differences.
Session 1 | Recorded on March 22, 2021
Session 2 | Recorded March 24, 2021
New and Seasoned Lister Training
This course provides a thorough overview of the job of a lister. It covers the various responsibilities of the office including lodging a Grand List and downloading Homestead Declarations. Attention is given to schedules, exemptions, current use calculation, and office administration. The second day delves into the VTPIE grand list program and covers the basics, as well as presenting some useful hints for new and seasoned listers.
Session 1 | Recorded on March 10, 2021
Session 2 | Recorded on March 12, 2021
Session 3 | Recorded on March 17, 2021
Session 4 | Recorded on March 19, 2021
Sales Validation in myVTax | Recorded on January 21, 2021
This webinar provides an opportunity to learn how to validate your sales accurately and in a thorough manner. The proper research and validation of sales are paramount to accurate results since this directly effects a municipality’s tax rate, Common Level of Appraisal (CLA) and reappraisal status.
Your Equalization Study | How to Read and Understand the Results | Recorded on January 14, 2021
This webinar demonstrates how to read sales reports and final computation sheet and what it means for your town.
Advanced Data Collection
This one-day course for Advanced Listers taught by Property Valuation and Review assessment expert, Cy Bailey and Chris Landin, takes a deeper dive into complex or unique properties related to maintaining your grand list. When presented live, the four-day PVR Data Collection course is a prerequisite to this one.
Advanced Lister Training
This one-day course is designed for listers who have had three or more years of experience in their office and have completed New Lister Training. It covers the equalization study and a brief introduction to the various statistics within the study; tracking the market, reappraisal requirements and utility valuation.
Current Use Training
This training covers how listers should calculate excluded land for allocation, calculate the Fair Market Value for Land Use Change Tax (LUCT) purposes, and review the one's duties as a lister. This is a must for both new and seasoned lister and assessors. This course incorporates all functions performed in myVTax, eCuse, as well as those implemented in VTPIE, and clarifies the differences.
Data Collection
This four-day course is designed to train listers and others interested in the fine art of data collection and property inspection. It also covers the type of information a data collector needs to generate a value using MicroSolve CAMA program, as well as providing background for other systems. Topics include grading factors, determining quality and condition, and the data collector’s role in reappraisal. This course will be of interest to listers / assessors, appraisers and mass appraisal firms.
Equalization and Certified Sales Training
Would you like to understand how sales in your town impact your Common Level of Appraisal? If so, this is a course you won’t want to miss. This one-day session will cover the sales verification process, how ratios are calculated and how your Common Level of Appraisal is calculated as well as the Coefficient of Dispersion. We will discuss what towns can do when they see the numbers changing to track and consider addressing problem areas.
Land Schedule
This one-day session will show you how to gather and quantify your sales data, determine influencing factors and deal with sales outside your community. The morning session will cover the theory of land valuation and data gathering, while the afternoon session will focus on developing the sales grid. Issues more specific to neighborhoods and lakefront properties will be discussed in the afternoon session. This course is required for VPA III and is useful for developing a new land schedule or understanding the existing process.
myVTax and Sales Study For Equalization Training
This one-day session will cover how listers will process sales for the Equalization Study beginning this year and going forward through the myVTax system. During this training we will demonstrate all aspects of this process, highlighting how the new system works and how it can benefit you, your lister’s office and ultimately your town.
Solar and Cell Towers Training
This one-day session will cover how to identify where and whether solar arrays and cell towers in your town are taxable. At this class you will learn how to value these properties based on the income they produce. Topics will also include land valuation and lease income valuation.
State Statutes and Rules of Property Assessment
Learn from former Director of PVR, Jim Knapp about the state statutes and rules regarding property assessment. Join with your colleagues to explore the sources of the law that regulate the process of establishing value and assessing property taxes. We will look at the major sources of laws, the constitution, statutes, cases and regulations. The sessions will provide you with the tools to find statutes, cases and regulations from various online resources and in the published materials. The class will focus on the laws applicable the tasks that municipal assessing officials perform. The discussions will include:
- The sources of law
- How laws are created and changed
- How to find the law in the books and how to use online resources
- How the judicial system operates and how cases are tried
- Reading court decisions and how judges apply the law to factual situations
- Scenarios involving exempt properties
There will also be plenty of time for questions and discussion of topic of interest to the audience.
Tips and Tricks for Office Organization
This one-day session will show you some excellent ideas to organize your files and your office. District Advisors Christie Wright, Teri Gildersleeve and Chris Landin have compiled some great ideas from various lister’s offices and are excited to share them with you.