Successful year for the Mass. chapter of Appraisal Institute

It has been my pleasure to serve as president of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Appraisal Institute for 2011. We have a highly qualified group of officers, directors and committee chairs who have served the chapter well this year. I want to personally thank them for their efforts and dedicated commitment to their positions in the chapter. We were successful in offering a full schedule of continuing education courses and seminars throughout the year. We also ran many joint programs with other professional organizations that deal with current real estate topics. This included meetings with the Commercial Brokers Association (CBA), Councilors of Real Estate (CRE) and the Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers (MBREA). Another accomplishment we achieved during the year was the additions we made to our website. These changes were made to keep our membership abreast of government relation issues, new technology for the appraiser and current market trends. Our Government Relations Committee had a very busy year. One of the major issues that affected many appraisers this year was their renewal process for their Massachusetts Appraisal License. Originally the Board of Registration of Real Estate Appraisers required a licensee's to complete the 7-hour USPAP Update course every 24 months. Through the efforts of many individual appraisers along with efforts from the Government Relations Committee and the Mass Board of Real Estate Appraisers this policy was changed. The Board of Registration will now be enforcing the Appraisal Qualifications Board requirements that licensees take the 7-hour USPAP Update course every two calendar years Our Government Relations Committee continues to work with the Board of Registration on the actions taken against appraisers who have already been disciplined. A Bill is in the State Legislature to seek the removal of this particular offense from appraisers' records. Our Public Relations Committee has also developed a new Sponsorship Program that will be implemented in 2012. We are seeking sponsors for the Chapter from fellow appraisers, members of financial institutions, real estate companies, and any company interested in real estate. These sponsorships will ensure a strong foundation for continued success for our Chapter and allow it to continue its mission of promoting Appraisal Institute members, advocating for issues important to real estate appraisers on a state level, and advancing the professionalism of the appraisal profession through the offering of Appraisal Institute courses, seminars, and programs in Massachusetts. As a Chapter sponsor, you will be acknowledged in our promotional efforts as well as Chapter events. Please refer to our website for a complete list of sponsorship benefits. This year one of the most successful programs we ran was the commercial topics that were presented at the New England Real Estate Expo in October. The Massachusetts Chapter of the Appraisal Institute had the pleasure of Coordinating the Commercial Program at the Expo in Norwood Massachusetts. It was held at the Sheraton Hotel on October 24th. This is the largest real estate appraisal conference in New England with an attendance of well over 200 people. Three of the main topics presented were trends in the Golf Course Industry, Senior Housing Industry Trends and the New England Lodging and Gaming Industry. These were very relative topics and the program was well received by the audience. Please join us at our next meeting at the Federal Reserve Building in Boston on January 24th, 2012. The topic is "Market Outlook and Real Estate Trends for 2012." This is one of our most popular programs and is usually sold out. I look forward to seeing you there. Michael Tarello, MAI, ASA, MRA, is the 2011 president of the Mass. chapter of the Appraisal Institute, and senior appraisal analyst/appeals manager at Vision Appraisal Technology, Northboro, Mass.