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Appraisers Provide a Wide Variety of Services, Appraisal Institute Says

Hiring a Designated Member of the Appraisal Institute can provide a broad range of benefits to commercial and residential clients, the president of the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers said today.

“When hiring a valuation professional, clients should first understand the role of an appraiser,” said Appraisal Institute President Stephen S. Wagner, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS. “The appraiser’s role is to provide objective, impartial and unbiased opinions about the value of real property — helping those who own, manage, sell, invest in and lend money on the security of real estate.”

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Wide Range of Big-Box Values Raises Concerns: The Appraisal Journal

Courts, market participants and valuation professionals have expressed widespread concern about the broad range in real estate values presented by opposing litigation experts regarding single-tenant, big-box properties, according to an article published this week in The Appraisal Journal.

The Appraisal Journal is the quarterly technical and academic publication of the Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers. The materials presented in the publication represent the opinions and views of the authors and not necessarily those of the Appraisal Institute.

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Industrial Sector’s Big Box Segment Sees Strong First Half, Colliers Data Reveals

By Barbra Murray

The first half of 2019 proved to be yet another strong period in the big-box segment of the industrial sector, and despite certain challenges, more of the same is the likely scenario for the remainder of the year, according to Colliers’ 2019 midyear big-box market report.

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Rise in Co-working Spaces May Make Next Recession Worse, Boston Fed Reports

By Ann Saphir

The rise in co-working spaces, like those offered by WeWork, may be a source of financial instability that could make the next U.S. recession worse by sparking a run on commercial real estate, Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said.

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New Passwords Required for ‘My Account’ Section of Appraisal Institute Website

The Appraisal Institute launched a new online association management system, or AMS, on Oct. 1. AI professionals and customers must change their passwords in order to access the My Account section of the AI website.
 
A short training video on AI’s YouTube channel shows users how to change their My Account passwords.
 
The new AMS online membership database and customer relationship management software platform is the foundation for almost every service and product that AI offers. It provides an intuitive, much-improved online experience with a more modern look and feel, allowing AI professionals, customers and staff to more easily access information.
 
Users will enjoy benefits such as:
  • Increased user accessibility to data;
  • Improved business processes and efficiencies;
  • Integrated web experience; and
  • Self-service capabilities that will make interactions with AI simpler and more convenient.
The My Account area of the AI website is completely new, including improvements to education search and registration, the online store, membership profiles, and Find An Appraiser profiles. AI professionals also will find improvements to self-service functions such as printing a transcript, paying dues and fees, candidate checklists, and volunteer information.

Banking Committee Leaders Seek Answers on Appraisal Waiver

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on Sept. 24 submitted a letter to the Appraisal Subcommittee seeking answers about its July decision to grant a waiver of appraiser certification and licensing to the state of North Dakota. The letter expressed “surprise and concern” about the “unprecedented” waiver.

Waters chairs the House Financial Services Committee and Brown is ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

“It is so concerning that the ASC, the primary federal organization with oversight over appraisal and appraiser standards, has acted to waive appraiser certification requirements with minimal justification,” the letter stated, noting that appraisals are essential to safety and soundness and consumer protection. The letter explains that the move is unprecedented because the ASC has not granted any waivers since the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council first fully implemented appraisal rules. In granting this one, the ASC ignored the objections of the North Dakota Real Estate Commission.

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58 Members Received Designations from the Appraisal Institute in August & September

The Appraisal Institute designated 26 members in August, including one who received his MAI and SRA designations. Additionally, 17 received their MAI designation, four received their SRA designation and four received their AI-GRS designation. The Appraisal Institute designated 58 members in September, including; and 39 who received MAI designations; 6 who received SRA designations; 10 who received AI-GRS designations; 3 who received AI-RRS designations.

Special congratulations to NCAI members William M. Best, MAI; Stephen M. Worthy, AI-GRS; and John C. Palmer, MAI.

View the list here.

Appraisers Can Help Clients Navigate Natural Disasters, Appraisal Institute Says

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, appraisers can help their clients by providing expert market analysis, according to the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers.

The Appraisal Institute’s “Guide Note 10: Development of an Opinion of Market Value in the Aftermath of a Disaster” addresses how real property markets in affected areas often exhibit instability, even chaos, and how analyzing data in such markets presents an array of challenges. The Guide Note, revised last year, also discusses how valuation professionals can develop credible opinions of market value in the aftermath of a disaster.

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Residential Real Estate Prices Up; Homeownership Tenure Reaches New Peak: Data

 ATTOM Data Solutions, curator of the nation’s premier property database and first property data provider of Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), today released its Q2 2019 U.S. Home Sales Report, which shows that U.S. single family homes and condos sold for a median price of $266,000 in the second quarter, up 10.8 percent from the previous quarter and up 6.4 percent from a year ago — reaching a new median home price peak.

Meanwhile, the report also shows that homeowners who sold in the second quarter had owned an average of 8.09 years, reaching a new peak, up 3 percent from last quarter and up 4 percent from Q2 2018. Homeownership tenure averaged 4.21 years nationwide between Q1 2000 and Q3 2007, prior to the Great Recession.

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HUD Indefinitely Suspends Rule Change to FHA Down Payment Assistance Guidelines

By Jessica Guerin

The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a notice to lenders announcing the formal suspension of its rule change to down payment assistance guidelines.

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'iBuyer' Service Alters Selling Process, Cuts Some Requirements

By Alina Ptaszynski

Opendoor and Redfin, two of the nation’s largest technology-powered real estate companies, today announced home sellers in Phoenix and Atlanta can now request an Opendoor offer through Redfin’s site and mobile apps. By coming together, we are giving homeowners more options for selling their home in a simple and convenient way. Redfin will also continue to expand RedfinNow, its own instant offer service.

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International Valuation Standards Council Updates Standards, Effective January 2020

The International Valuation Standards Council on July 31 announced that the latest edition of the International Valuation Standards is available. The new standards, which take effect Jan. 31, 2020, include updates to development property, limitations, and valuation models; numerous technical revisions; and a revised glossary with new terms and clarifications. 

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ASB Mulls Evaluations Standards; Paper Expected Soon

The Appraisal Standards Board of The Appraisal Foundation on Aug. 1 announced its intention to explore the creation of uniform standards for evaluations. The ASB said that since no standards exist for conducting evaluations, there is greater risk to the safety and soundness of real estate transactions and diminished protections for consumers. A concept paper is expected near Labor Day. 

Read more here.

Court Grants Stay of Motion in FTC Case Against LREAB

A Louisiana court on July 29 granted a motion to stay in the Federal Trade Commission's case against the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board in which it alleged the LREAB illegally determined a floor for appraiser prices. The court ruled that, among other things, continuing the case would hamper the state's ability to make and enforce policies.

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30 Members Received Designations from the Appraisal Institute in July

The Appraisal Institute designated 30 members in July, including eight who received their MAI designations, six who received their SRA designations, 12 who received their AI-GRS designations and four who received their AI-RRS designations. A special congratulations to NCAI members Kyle Saylors, MAI, SRA; Lynn Carmichael, MAI, AI-GRS; and Terri Patton, MAI,  AI-GRS for being recognized.

In Memoriam

The Appraisal Institute regrets the passing of the following Designated Member, as reported to Appraiser News Online in July:
  • Ray E. Crawford, MAI, Charlotte, N.C.
This information is reported monthly in Appraiser News Online.

New AI Video: AI Media Coverage Seen by Nearly 1 Billion

The Appraisal Institute works to represent the valuation profession in media coverage across the country. From January-June 2019, the Appraisal Institute and its professionals were included in more than 1,200 stories in 430 unique media outlets, with a potential audience of nearly 1 billion and a publicity value of more than $1.2 million.

The Appraisal Institute’s latest video shows some of the highlights in media coverage over the past six months, including stories in National Mortgage News, U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone.

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Appraisal Institute Board of Directors Approves 2020 Budget at Q3 Meeting in Denver

The Appraisal Institute Board of Directors at its July 25-26 meeting in Denver approved the organization’s 2020 budget and directed to 45-Day Notice proposed amendments to Regulations No. 7 and 8 regarding creation of state Government Relations Subcommittees under the current national Government Relations Committee.
 
In other business, the Board of Directors:
  • Approved the creation of a Women’s Initiative Committee.
  • Revised the organization’s policies for AI education instructors regarding waivers, conduct and evaluations;
  • Amended AI’s Statement of Investment Policy; and
  • Adopted the dues and fees schedule for 2020:
    • Deadline on dues/fees invoice payment: Jan. 1
    • Late fees assessed at 15%: April 1
    • Suspensions issued: June 1
    • Terminations issued: Sept. 1.
The Board also elected to two-year terms beginning Jan. 1:
  • Matthew S. Myers, MAI, of Leeds, England, as the international member on the AI Board of Directors;
  • Scott Robinson, MAI, SRA, AI-RRS, AI-GRS, as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee;
  • Claire M. Aufrance, MAI, SRA, to the Strategic Planning Committee; and
  • Michael J. Mignona, MAI, AI-GRS, and Craig Steinley, SRA, AI-RRS, to the Audit Committee.
Additionally, the Board elected Peter A. Vimini, MAI, to the Professional Liability Insurance Program Committee for a three-year term. He also was elected to fill a vacancy on PLIPC for a term ending Dec. 31.  
 
The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 14-15 in Chicago.

Jody Bishop Elected 2020 Appraisal Institute Vice President

Pledger M. (Jody) Bishop III, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was elected 2020 vice president of the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers Thursday by its Board of Directors in Denver.

Bishop’s one-year term at the Appraisal Institute will begin Jan. 1, followed by one year each as president-elect, president and immediate past president. He will serve on AI’s Executive Committee and the policy-making Board of Directors all four years. He also will chair the Finance Committee in 2020 and the National Nominating Committee in 2023.

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Demand Grows for Midsize Industrial Space: Avison Young

By Sebastian Obando

E-commerce and last mile logistics tenants are fueling additional demand for industrial space expansion in the U.S., spurring midsize space users to dominate the industrial market.

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