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For the past decade I’ve specialized in the valuation of funeral homes throughout the Midwest. I’m fascinated by their history and business model. A funeral home with a trusted name in the community should be a recession-proof business that could continue indefinitely — if it adapts to changing burial trends

When Aaron Wright first entered the commercial real estate appraisal business 18 years ago, he found himself often assigned “oddball” parcels where the properties served as the place of business but did not directly generate the core income.

That presents a challenge to those trying to assess the value of the property in support of a real estate loan, the sale of a business or a challenge to a property tax bill. “We appraise all commercial real estate types: offices, retail, apartments, and industrial,” says Wright, owner and president of Specialty Valuation Group based in Dublin. “But 65 percent of what we do is ‘other,’ the ones that don’t fit into any of those groups.”

Property evaluation is critical in the commercial real-estate industry, as it allows lenders to assess and manage risk when considering whether to lend money for the purchase or renovation of a property. Valuation also becomes important to investors in income-producing properties when a county auditor proposes raising the value, potentially increasing the tax bill of a property.

Cairo, IL is a small city in a unique location at the extreme southern portion of Illinois, at the confluence of the Ohio River to the east and the Mississippi River to the west. Its location along both major rivers makes it a desirable location for barge docking and or boat shipping transfers, with numerous large docks along the eastern edge of the community along the west bank of the Ohio River. Generally, the location along two major rivers has played a significant role in the history and the economic conditions of Cairo.