RealtyRates.com Featured In Appraisal Institute Magazine

RealtyRates.com Featured In Appraisal Institute Magazine. Commercial Real Estate Information Service Provider Garners Five-Star Rating

BRADENTON, FLORIDA AND CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - April 1, 2002

Internet-based commercial real estate information service provider RealtyRates.com has been selected for feature review in the current edition of "Valuation Insights & Perspectives," a quarterly magazine published by the Appraisal Institute, the largest professional real estate appraisal organization in the United States.

In an in-depth 'Cool Tools' review and analysis of the RealtyRates.com Web site and its flagship quarterly Investor Survey, by R. Wayne Pugh, SRPA, CRE, RealtyRates.com garnered a five-star rating out of a possible five stars. 'Cool Tools' is a regular series of "Valuation Insights & Perspectives" articles covering valuable Web sites that are of benefit to the real estate professional.

"Valuation Insights & Perspectives" is a quarterly four-color magazine offering appraisers and other real estate professionals timely, practical articles, up-to-date industry and institute news, and economic indicators. It is provided free to the 18,000 members of the Appraisal Institute itself, as well as by subscription to an additional 62,000 state-licensed appraisers nationwide.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the Appraisal Institute is the acknowledged leader in residential and commercial appraisal education, research, publishing, and professional membership designation programs. Appraisal Institute members are identified by their experience and knowledge of real estate valuation, and adhere to a strictly enforced Code of Professional Ethics and Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. The Appraisal Institute has more than 19,000 members and 112 chapters across the country.

Bradenton, Florida-based RealtyRates.com (http://www.RealtyRates.com) publishes the quarterly "Investor Survey" of mortgage and equity requirements and capitalization and discount rates for 32 income-producing property types, and the quarterly "Developer Survey" of national and regional sell-out property types such as subdivisions and condominiums. Essential to the valuation, acquisition, marketing, and disposition of income-producing and sell-out property, the two surveys are widely utilized by appraisers, assessors, brokers, developers, government agencies, investors, and lenders. In addition, the "Investor Survey" is also utilized as a collateral teaching resource at eight colleges and universities, including two overseas., as well by the CCIM Institute of the National Association of Realtors. The RealtyRates.com Web site also serves as a largely free online news, research and reference center for commercial appraisers, brokers, lenders, investors, educators, and government agencies.