Staff Profiles
The following are the Professional Appraisal Associates (PAA) Team Members, who have over 70 years of combined, banking, computer, business, and quality assurance experience to serve you:
Susan Kraushaar has over 25 years of experience in the banking industry, including work as an Operations Officer, Loan Officer, and Staff Appraiser for a major US bank. With this wealth of knowledge, Susan truly understands the banking industry backwards and forwards. She has over 20 years of direct appraisal experience, and is a California OREA State Certified Real Estate Appraiser and also FHA Approved.
Susan has been working in the insurance and banking industry since 1978, appraising high-end properties since 1990, is a graduate of Chico State University, has her California State Teaching Credentials, and is a recognized expert in the field of appraising.
Susan is an expert at the high-end Santa Barbara County properties, including complex multi-family units, large-scale ranchettes, and has performed reviews and appraisals on large estate properties of over 25-Million Dollars.
In addition, Susan also specializes in Desktop / Field Reviews, complex Retrospective Reviews, REO Bank Owned Foreclosure Properties, and difficult FHA Appraisals.
Wade Kraushaar is a California OREA State Certified Real Estate Appraiser, and helped launch the company back in 1991. Wade has remained involved in the business since its inception. Wade has over 5 Years of direct appraisal experience. Wade is a Certified FHA Approved HUD Roster Appraiser, and an REO specialist as well. In addition, Wade has also worked in the military/aerospace industry for over 25 years as a Logistics Engineer and Program Manager for General Motors and later General Dynamics. Through this extensive business experience, Wade has gained knowledge of Subcontract Management, and performs reviews of all appraisal sales contracts prior to submission. In addition, Wade also has a strong background in computer technology, and has developed specialized automation tools, Internet enhancements/interfaces, and automated quality assurance verifications for all the PAA appraisal reports developed. Wade brings a wealth of business knowledge, and is now focusing primarily on the appraisal industry since his retirement from Program Management.
In addition, Wade is also a Commercial/Instrument/Multi-Engine Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, with hundreds of hours of professional flying time.
Teri Valdes has been the PAA Office Manager for over 5-Years. Teri's previous background and education was in Industrial Engineering, and she was a former Quality Assurance Engineer for General Motors. Teri leverages her strong technical/analytical skills, quality background, and attention to detail, to ensure the utmost quality in every appraisal report submitted. Teri has developed the company processes, and maintains a strong workflow organization, structure, scheduling, and oversees the ultimate quality of all appraisal reports.
Joshua Kraushaar works as a summer intern, and leverages his computer experience towards the many new PAA automated tools being developed to help improve the appraisal process efficiency, and the new automated quality verifications. Josh is working towards his California OREA State Trainee License.
Brenton Kraushaar is attending the University of Southern California (USC), and also works as a summer intern at PAA. Brent is a member of the USC Marching Band, and is finishing his Engineering Degree. Brent has great attention to detail, and assists in the comprehensive Quality Assurance Review of completed Appraisal Reports. In addition, Brent is using his strong GIS and Engineering background to assist in developing new specialized computer utilities to speed the direct and automatic entry of Public Records Data to improve the accuracy and efficiency of appraisal report entry. He is testing new GPS mapping tools, and also specialized GIS imagery for inclusion into our high-end Appraisal Reports.
