MA/RI Chapter of Appraisal Institute president’s January message - by George Demopulos

The Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter of the Appraisal Institute had a very productive and successful 2019 under the leadership of Gregory Curtis, MAI! A very special thank you to Greg and our executive director, Lianne Andreucci! As always, our chapter continued to provide the best in appraisal education for our member professionals, fellow industry colleagues and new individuals entering the appraisal profession. We look forward to doing the same in 2020!

Our first event, Economic Outlook and Real Estate Trends, is taking place on Monday, January 20^th at the Federal Reserve in Downtown Boston. This 2-hour seminar will include a distinguished group of panelists who will review the 2019 economic and real estate market conditions and provide a 2020 national, regional and New England area economic outlook, a look at the downtown Boston office market as well as a look at the Boston area residential markets and regulatory environment. For this and all chapter educational offerings please visit our website at www.massri-appraisalinstitute.org. You can also follow our chapter on Facebook!

As the incoming president of the chapter, I am honored to lead over 350 AI professionals in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Our chapter is made of the very best commercial and residential appraisers providing real estate solutions for clients throughout New England and beyond. Our chapter designated professionals specialize in all aspects of real estate appraisal and consulting and are ready to provide these services to all of our clients, current and future. A complete list of our members and their appraisal concentrations can also be found on our website. 

Our chapter will be busy again this year, providing classes for the new 2020-2021 updates to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). This update class will be offered several times in 2020 and 2021 and is vital for all appraisers and users of appraisal services in order to keep up with important changes to the standards which guide our profession. 

We will also be working with our national office to implement one of the most sweeping changes in the organizations history; The Chapter Financial and Administrative Policy (CFAP). Approved by our national board in 2016, CFAP will allow for greater accountability for our chapter finances and ease of use in chapter finances and operations. As always, our government relations committee will be keeping busy locally to make sure our voices issues are heard on issues that affect the real estate appraisal profession. 

We also look forward to our exciting social events that will be occurring this year! Past events included visits to local breweries, and new hotels and our annual charitable fund-raising events to help those less fortunate than us in the local area. 

We will also make a big push to recruit new members throughout Mass. and R.I.; especially residential appraisers. Many of the regulatory changes occurring on the local and national level affect residential appraisers and with more residential members in our chapter, we can make a difference; all to protect the trust the public has in this important real estate profession.

Many of our chapter professionals will also be attending our annual national conference being held in Orlando, FL in August this year. This is a great time to gain continuing education credit attending informative seminars, meeting new appraisal colleagues from other state chapters and also being able have some fun in the Florida sun!

2020 looks to be an exciting year for the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter of the Appraisal Institute! While providing the best appraisal education for our members and other industry professionals, pushing our profession forward politically and socially, now is the time to become involved! We look forward to serving our chapter professionals and more importantly, armed with the education and experience which comes from such a valuable local and national organization, we look forward to serving our clients throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

George Demopulos, MRICS, RA, SRA, AI-RRS is the 2020 president of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter of the Appraisal Institute and president and chief valuations officer at Lincoln Appraisal & Settlement Services (LASS) and Lincoln Abstract & Settlement Services, Providence, RI.