The first month of Spring on the Celtic calendar. One trip to the Emerald Isle and you will understand how February 1st is an inflection point in our relationship with our surroundings. Yes there may be snow on the ground on this side of the Atlantic, but the sun is higher on the horizon, enabling accelerated rates of melting, replenishing the stores of water in our watersheds. February is also a great time to plan for the year ahead to fortify your existing skill set or developing new skills. The Massachussetts and Rhode Island Chapter of the Appraisal Institute has a full schedule of Qualifying Education (QE), Continuing Education (CE) and USPAP classed for 2015, offering quality choices to learn new skills and meet ever increasing demand on technical skills. The following is a summary of offerings this Celtic Spring. February: General Income Capitalization Part 1 (30 Hours QE) the first course in a series of Income Capitalization Courses required for licensing/certification and designation; Supervisor Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course new for 2015, this is a new offering of a mandatory 4 hour offering for all trainees and supervisory appraisers that meets AQB standards and fulfills local Boards of Registration Requirements to be held in Massachusetts for February; The Discounted Cash Flow Model: Concepts, Issues and Applications, is a 7 hour CE offering that will both develop and refresh required skills for you as a professional.
March brings a full slate including two 7 hour offerings of the 2014-2015 USPAP; General Income Approach Part 2 (30 hours QE); Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours QE); and a second offering of the Supervisor Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course this time in Rhode Island.
April offerings include: the 15-hour USPAP course (USPAP/QE) and Case Studies in Appraising Green Residential Buildings (CE). A word about the importance of the specialized skill set associated with "Green", or sustainable residential property valuation - In a recent study released by the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with contributions from two notable Appraisal Institute members, the landmark study found that home buyers consistently have been willing to pay more for homes with host-owned solar photovoltaic energy systems. Coupled with the recent Fannie Mae Selling Guide release pertaining to eligibility of owned solar panels as part of collateral, it is a call to action for Appraisal Institute Members and Affiliates and all valuation professionals to gain the skills to properly address this emerging component of the local marketplace.
Whether you are looking for qualifying education seeking licensure, certification and/or designation or continuing education to meet the new requirements for supervisory/trainee education for the ever important opportunities to develop and cultivate new talent in the field, or looking to build a new skill set with specialized coursework, the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter of the Appraisal Institute is on task with the mission to deliver the highest quality education available. Visit our website at www.massri-appraisalinstitute.org for a complete calendar of courses and seminars.
Plant the seeds to grow your garden of skills to deliver the highest quality services to your clients.

Ken Dicks is the 2015 president of the Mass./RI chapter of the Appraisal Institute and director residential real estate appraisal risk at Santander Bank, Dorchester, Mass.