Appraisals in the Settling of an Estate or Managing a Trust

In the last edition of our newsletter, we discussed the correlation between commodity prices and construction costs and that during periods of escalating commodity prices property owners can find themselves underinsured as the cost to replace certain types of assets escalate. In periods such as these many property owners question why they should be ensuring their buildings or equipment for a higher value when they are aware that the market value of their property may not have appreciated to the same degree or in some cases may have even declined.

While this is counter intuitive, property owners need to be cognizant of the difference between market value and replacement or insurable value. Market value, as determined by an accredited appraiser, repre-sents the probable price that would be realized for a specified property at a specific point in time, if offered for sale on the open market Generally speaking, market value is arrived at through an analysis and recon-ciliation of the market environment, the investment characteristics of the property, and its depreciated replacement value of the improvements. Reconstruction costs are the basis for determining replacement or insurable values and include an analysis of the labor, materials, equipment and other costs required to reproduce a property (or piece of equipment) of like kind and quality in the same location.

While there has been little research on the relationship between market and replacement values, the graph below produced by Robert Shiller of Yale University charts U.S. home prices against construction costs, population growth and interest rates since 1880. What is evident from this research is that there is little relationship between building costs and housing prices and there have even been periods where the two are negatively correlated. In fact, despite the steep decline in U.S. housing prices over the past couple of years there continues to be a general escalation in building construction costs across the country.

Senior Software Developer IT-AB-18-02

Senior Software Developer, IT-AB-18-02

Headquartered in Saskatoon, Suncorp Valuations is a dynamic, growth-oriented leader in the global valuation industry. Through offices in Canada and the U.S.A., we offer a full range of valuation, consulting and costing services for land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and for intangible assets such as patents, copyrights and franchises.

Utilizing robust research methodologies, valuation consultants develop reports that provide an opinion of value for assessed property and other assets. Clients utilize reports for a variety of requirements including regulatory compliance, financing, litigation support, mergers and acquisitions, purchase price allocation, insurance placement and claims settlement. Risk Management Services assist clients by identifying and mitigating risks such as the potential for accidents, property damage and theft. For further details please refer to our website at www.suncorpvaluations.com. Suncorp provides employee benefits, transit allowance, along with incentive and RRSP programs.

The Role

The position can be located in our Edmonton office and will be reporting to the Director of IT Services. The Senior Software Developer is pivotal to our software development team. As a technical leader, the Senior Software Developer will work with a small team of developers in our Saskatoon office, to enhance, maintain, and develop software that is critical to sustaining and streamlining business operations.

In this role you will participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle including determining requirements, design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, and support. The Senior Software Developer will work closely with stakeholders to identify requirements and set priorities and deadlines. Along with software development, the incumbent will be responsible for the maintenance and expansion of our reporting systems including client-facing and internal management reports. Supporting the existing and new software post deployment is also a key part of this role.

The Ideal Candidate

Along with the required credentials and impressive technical skills, you are excited about joining a dedicated, passionate team that creates innovative software solutions. You are an accomplished software developer with a deep understanding of developing software in a multi-tiered environment. Although you are able to work independently, you thrive in a team environment and are able to appropriately leverage the knowledge of coworkers to overcome difficult challenges. You enjoy working in an office environment, while collaborating with stakeholders in other offices. You easily manage multiple projects and are naturally focussed on providing internal stakeholders with high quality service. You are forward thinking and resilient when faced with setbacks. On a personal note, you are interested in developing your career through on-going professional development.

The Requirements

  • Post-secondary Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Five to eight years professional software development experience.
  • One year of experience in a related position demonstrating technical leadership.
  • Project management experience in some aspects of the software development lifecycle.
  • Experience designing and developing multi-tiered software applications.
  • Expertise in .NET programming (VB or C#), and TSQL
  • Expertise with ADO.NET in a stateful mode.
  • Experience with Winforms development in Visual Studio
  • Knowledge of MS SQL Server.
  • Experience with source control tools.
  • Knowledge of Crystal Reports or similar report writer.
  • Strong Database skills with understanding of SQL, relational databases, and SQL optimization.
  • Experience in the creation of stored procedures/functions, triggers and other database objects.
  • Understanding of networking protocols and technologies.
  • Proficiency with Windows operating systems and domain environments.
  • This position is restricted to those legally entitled to work in Canada.

The Competencies 

  • A genuine desire to go above and beyond to provide excellence in client service.
  • Proactive, with a desire to drive results and exceed goals.
  • Strong planning, organizational and time management skills.
  • Ability to balance competing priorities between project and non-project work.
  • Strong problem solving skills with ability to analyze and understand data.
  • Detail oriented and organized with robust analytical skills.
  • Self-motivated with solid oral and written communication skills.
  • A strong team player that demonstrates integrity and ownership.
  • Proven experience working in a cross-functional team environment.
  • Capable of writing clear and complete technical and functional specifications.

The Application Process 

Please send an email to address below providing the following information:

In the Subject Line place the competition number, followed by your first and last name.

Email: HR@suncorpvaluations.com
Subject: IT-AB-18-02 First Name Last Name
Deadline: March 5, 2018 (position may be filled prior to deadline date)

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

 

Apply Now

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