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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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.

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.

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.

Read more here.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

More than 525 real estate professionals from around the world attended the opening session of the valuation profession’s most important annual event, hosted by the Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers.

The 2019 Appraisal Institute Annual Conference, held at the downtown Hyatt Regency Denver, featured world-renowned keynote speakers, 30 breakout sessions on trend-setting valuation topics, networking opportunities for industry professionals, an exhibit hall featuring cutting-edge products and services and an awards ceremony honoring the valuation profession’s best and brightest.

By Pete Schroeder and Richard Leong

The Trump administration’s hotly anticipated blueprint for overhauling mortgage guarantors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may not be published until September as the U.S. Treasury juggles several other pressing issues, the housing regulator told Reuters.

The nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers vigorously condemned today’s action by the National Credit Union Administration, calling the NCUA’s decision to effectively reduce the number of appraisals required for commercial real estate loans irresponsible, radical and dangerous.

“This is an outlandish scenario for anyone who cares about the safety and soundness of the nation’s commercial real estate lending system, and it could recreate conditions that led to the financial crisis of the late 2000s,” said Appraisal Institute President Stephen S. Wagner, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS. “The NCUA’s ill-conceived, damaging decision shows overwhelmingly the need for immediate, rigorous congressional oversight.”

Two Appraisal Institute Designated Members share why they think someone should consider being an appraiser in AI’s latest video.

The Appraisal Institute designated 58 members in June, including; 1 who received MAI AND SRA designations; and 40 who received MAI designations; 3 who received SRA designations; 12 who received AI-GRS designations; 2 who received AI-RRS designations.

View the list.

Read the latest issue of Valuation magazine. 

The president of the Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers, encouraged Congress to act on valuation topics during today’s hearing on Capitol Hill.

Stephen S. Wagner, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, told the House Financial Services Committee’s Housing, Community Development and Insurance Subcommittee that the Appraisal Institute supports passage of H.R. 2852, which would allow licensed appraisers to perform appraisals for Federal Housing Administration loans.

The Appraisal Institute announced June 26 that its elected officers and others represented the organization at major industry events during the past month.

President Stephen S. Wagner, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS; Vice President Rodman Schley, MAI, SRA; Immediate Past President James L. Murrett, MAI, SRA; and CEO Jim Amorin, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, attended the Appraisal Institute of Canada Annual Conference, June 5-8, in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Wagner and Amorin also attended the Institute for Professionals in Taxation Annual Conference, June 23-26, in San Antonio.

President-Elect Jefferson L. Sherman, MAI, AI-GRS, represented AI at the International Right of Way Association Education Conference, June 9-12, in Portland, Oregon, where he sat on the panel for “Corridor Valuation: An Overview and New Alternatives.” AI also exhibited at the event.

AI’s 2016 President, Scott Robinson, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, AI-RRS, participated in the International Valuation Standards Council/World Association of Valuation Organizations Global Valuation Conference, June 13-14, in Frankfurt, Germany, where he presented on “Impact and Opportunity of Technology-Based Valuation.” AI’s 2010 President, Leslie P. Sellers, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, represented the Appraisal Institute at a June 18 meeting of the International Valuation Standards Council’s Advisory Forum Working Group in London, England.

The president of the Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers, encouraged Congress to act on valuation topics during yesterday’s hearing on Capitol Hill.

Stephen S. Wagner, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, told the House Financial Services Committee’s Housing, Community Development and Insurance Subcommittee that the Appraisal Institute supports passage of H.R. 2852, which would allow licensed appraisers to perform appraisals for Federal Housing Administration loans.