President’s message: Possible merge with the Maine chapter - by George Demopulos

The Massachusetts and Rhode Island Chapter of the Appraisal Institute is hoping all of our friends and clients are continuing to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Appraisal Institute continues to offer timely education for all members. The national organization offers a weekly podcast, AI Answers, which showcases experts from across the country presenting valuable information for your appraisal practice. This week’s AI Answers, Alternative Commercial Valuations, covered the realm of alternative valuation services in the commercial real estate sector, including one approach to confronting the evaluation issue as an appraiser or appraisal firm, as well as a new offering of an automated valuation model by a commercial appraisal firm. This session discussed challenges and opportunities with both concepts, and common legal and liability questions that appraisers might have. The panel included:

• Deb Clark, MAI, co-founder and CEO, Eval.com;

• Peter Christensen, attorney and owner, Christensen Law Firm; and

• Burton Lee, MAI, senior managing director, Valbridge Property Advisor.

To listen to this or any previous podcast, please visit the AI website or the AI You Tube channel!

The MA/RI Chapter has exciting news to announce! We have formed a merger committee and are in conversations to merge the Maine Chapter into our chapter! Our committee is working with fellow AI members of the Maine Chapter to ensure this process goes smoothly and any and all issues are discussed and resolved in advance of requesting approval from the National Board of Directors. We look forward to working closely with the Maine Chapter, headed by Maine Chapter president, Tina O’Connell, MAI and her team in making this merger successful. We will continue to keep all members informed as this process moves forward.

We will be holding our final 2020 Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, November 12^th. This will be a virtual meeting and is open to all chapter members. Please visit the chapter website at http://massri-appraisalinstitute.org for the meeting log-in information. 

The chapter will be hosting our holiday party and installation of officers, directors and regional reps on Thursday, December 3^rd at 5 p.m. This will be a “virtual” event so all members can enjoy staying at home while attending the installation of the 2021 president John Drew, MAI and the 2021 Board of Directors. We also will be welcoming the 2020 National president, Jefferson Sherman, MAI. An email invitation will be sent to all members shortly with the virtual log-in information. We look forward to “seeing” all chapter members on Thursday, December 3^rd. 

The MA/RI Chapter continues to offer the best appraisal education in the area! We have been offering  in–class and on-line education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The following meetings and classes are being offered in the upcoming months:

• Board of Directors Meeting, Thursday, November 12^th, 10 a.m. - Virtual Meeting

• General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use, Wednesday December 2^nd - Saturday, December 5^th - Woburn, MA;

• Holiday Meeting and Installation of Officers, Directors and Regional Reps, Thursday December 3^rd.

Please visit our website to register!

We would like to thank our 2020 sponsors! A very special thank you to our Platinum Sponsors; Boston Appraisal Company, CB Richard Ellis/New England. Our Gold Sponsors, JLL Valuation Advisory and Compstak and our Silver Sponsor Cushman & Wakefield. 

For sponsorship opportunities please reach out to our office. Please visit our website at http://massri-appraisalinstitute.org for more information. 

George Demopulos, 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.