Which option is not typically considered secondary data?

• A. Appraiser's notes
• B. Government statistics
• C. Published market reports
• D. National surveys

Answer: (A)

In appraisal practice, data are grouped as primary versus secondary. Secondary data are information compiled by someone else for broader purposes and then used to analyze a property, such as government statistics, published market reports, and national surveys. These sources are not created for the specific assignment but are publicly available or widely distributed, making them secondhand to the appraiser’s process.

The appraiser’s notes, on the other hand, are original observations and data collected directly by the appraiser during inspections and research for the assignment. They originate from the investigator and are not published or compiled for general use, so they are considered primary data.

Therefore, the data not typically considered secondary are the appraiser’s notes. The other sources fit the secondary category because they are produced by others and published for broader use.