Green is the theme for the 23rd New England Appraisers Expo to take place on October 21st. Co-sponsored by the Mass. Chapter of the Appraisal Institute and the MBREA, the meeting agenda will take you inside green and sustainable buildings. Experts will describe what's green and what's not, the different levels of LEED certification and the valuation issues of green building. Leading off the morning opening general session are two renowned speakers. Steven Elliott, MRA, SRA, will speak on issues affecting the appraisal profession and appraisers nationally from his position as chair of the Appraisal Foundation. Elliott, who is locally well known as an appraiser education instructor, represents the Appraisal Foundation as its 2013 chair at domestic and international meetings and events. Also on the stage in the morning is Karl "Chip" Case, one of the nation's foremost real estate and housing economists. Professor emeritus of economics with Wellesley College, Case continues his involvement in studying housing patterns and pricing. He is co-founder of the S&P Case-Schiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. residential real estate prices. The morning's general session wraps up with a comprehensive overview of appraising green buildings. Moderator by Bruce Wiley, MAI, the program's speakers include Sandra Adomatis, SRA and Dan Winters, senior fellow with the US Green Building Council. After a break for lunch - an outstanding hot buffet - and networking, residential and commercial appraisers split off for specifically tailored presentations. The commercial audience will enjoy two programs. First, a panel led by Steve Kaye will discuss the multi-family market. Following, the green building program will wrap up with a panel of experts discussing commercial construction, green leasing and Boston's new Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance. The afternoon residential program kicks off with Sandra Adomatis presenting the issues specific to appraising green residential buildings. She will review secondary market guidelines, the HERS rating system and go through a mini case study. Changing gears a bit, the final panel presentation, lead by Rich Goulet, MRA, will take on the challenges of appraising in a market where prices are increasing and bidding wars are becoming the norm. Mark the date of October 21st in your calendar and keep watching for announcements that registration is open. I look forward to seeing you at the New England Appraisers Expo. Paula Wolfe is the 2013 president of MBREA, Dedham, Mass.