FAIRHOPE, Ala. — A forum titled “The Oil Spill and Real Estate Values” forum will be hosted by USA Baldwin County on July 23, at 6 p.m., at the USABC Performance Center, 111 St. James Ave. in Fairhope.

It is part of a continuing series of forums about the Gulf oil spill hosted by the university’s branch campus. The gathering is free and open to the public, but seating is on a first come, first served basis.

Dr. Don Epley is the featured speaker. Epley is the current director of the Mitchell College of Business Real Estate Studies Center, and has a Ph.D. in regional and urban economics. He is a professor of marketing, and the current holder of the Distinguished Professorship in Real Estate.

“This is a discussion that anyone who feels their property has declined in value due to the oil spill should attend. It will provide information on what to expect in the real estate market in the future,” Epley said.

One of the concerns with a disaster in the environment is whether the property value has been stigmatized, Epley said. Property that suffers with a perceived psychological decline in value is the job of the real estate appraiser, and those public officials who are concerned with property taxes coming from real estate values are concerned with the appropriate proof of stigma, he said.

According to Epley, this forum will discuss the concept, the cases that have existed and the methodology for determining the proof.

For more information, www.myusabc.com, e-mail usabc@usouthal.edu, or call USABC at (251) 928-8133.

The Mitchell College of Business Real Estate Studies also has a website where people can obtain information about neighborhood property values, home sales, depreciation rates and commercial properties, Epley said. For more information on that, visit http://cres.southalabama.edu.