They should fire the lobbyists who are worthless in defending appraisers! Ever since TAF and ASB were created as another quasi-governmental agency with lots of power, the Appraisal Institute has had everything stolen from it, including USPAP (which the foundation copyrighted and charges us for copies) and makes us take it every two years! We are reminded in most coursework with the AI and other providers that we are not allowed to consider race or other characteristics of people in our work. I think most of us are not racist. I wrote a letter and published it on this blog immediately after the reporter at the NY Times wrote that false article about a mixed-race couple and their two appraisals, and followed her on TED talks where she did an excellent article about Rwanda, but she must have needed money very badly to create this false narrative. Now that HUD and others have pointed the finger at us for Blacks having less multi-generational wealth, the old white man’s club is reeling from the shock.

Do you think those old white guys want to lose their privilege and lose control of our organization because there is a woman SRA and woman CEO at the helm? Turn this ship around quickly, and reinstate Cindy Chance, PhD or I will send the letter or resignation from my volunteer work encouraging candidates to complete their work for their designation! I am composing it in my head while I finish an appraisal, but I am very upset that I was quiet about discrimination against women in our so-called non-profit who has not yet made the transition from 1990 when the AIREA and the Society merged.

I was against it back in the 1980s when they talked about it and I see that it did not allow the single-family appraisers to develop without an AMC model, which was the death knell for the AI. Why should I encourage new members when they don’t represent me and my peers? I have been an MAI since 1990 and an appraiser for 44 years. What do I have to show for it? One green and fake gold pin from the AIREA, one pyramid logo which is maroon with the AI, and now a charm with the new blue logo which is also a pyramid logo. That is representative of how this organization works: we pay the bills and get cheap pins to show off at meetings…. Some of the best people at Chicago have left or died: I miss the former leaders who actually believed in the Ethics we developed; I knew a guy from the LA AIREA who had his designation 50 years before I got mine and he was an outstanding man; what I have seen since 1990 is the pyramid has us at the bottom and the Board engineered their positions into huge annuities…. by the way, Amorin is not retired – he is pushing the texas model I named the Vulture Culture – they make their own rules and do crappy work using AI when it is still in the beta stage, but hey, they are out their with Fannie and Freddie pushing AVMs. They say it will help our work, but I am very skeptical of anyone who embraces that way when it has not been tested sufficiently! OPEN the POD BAY DOOR HAL! I want Cindy Chance, PhD. back in the CEO position or I will continue to make a stink!

Deborah L. Smith, MAI
Certified General Real Estate Appraiser
State of Oregon
Formerly from California

The termination of Ms. Chance will not change anything within the profession. The profession is a very splinter group without an effective professional voice to represent the appraisal profession.

Amen. Their president’s letter made it clear they want someone who supports THEIR agenda. Well excuse me I thought their agenda was FOR the Appraisers not against. They need to FAIL in order to restore order.

The board is hot air and nothing more. The Appraisal Institute has ALWAYS looked out for the institute, not for actual members. Even in their recent press releases they commit themselves to working in the best interests of the INSTITUTE, never for ACTUAL APPRAISERS. It’s a shame really, a designation used to MEAN SOMETHING! Now it openly stands out as representing the elitist, good-old-boy status quo the vast majority of appraisers HATE. I don’t actually know if the appraisal institute will survive this or not. Only time will tell. One thing is certain though, they need to fire their PR team. The Institute has zero credibility now…. how the board members will keep practicing, I don’t even know. How can clients trust them when the vast majority of their peers do not…. #Shameful

I like it!

“cowardice in the face of the perceived enemy”. No truer words spoken, Craig the prior CEO was a huge coward in front of Congress during that hearing as he sat next to the Black Couple From Marin County who started this whole BIAS accusation mess that everyone believed hook line and sinker. IF AI LOOSES 20 MILLION THINGS WILL CHANGE. EVERYONE NEEDS TO CANCEL THEIR MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

How fortunate I am that you are here to remind me!

You do realize that being an appraiser is not mandatory for the job? Cindy wasn’t an appraiser either.

Amen

Chance agreed in the first sentence of her article written for the “Appraisal Institute should have done better at standing up for them (appraisers) by making the public aware of their skills and professional discipline.” Instead there has just been a lot of noise written by social media with no actual deep thought as to how appraisers actually research market conditions and interpret the listing and sales data.

But there are too many players both in the political arena and social media who demanded her to be removed or silenced as to her accusations if False Narrative of Appraisal Bias.

She tried to make the public aware and was fired 4 months later of the date of article she wrote defending appraisers as professionals looking out for the public good.

Maybe it’s time for a new org to represent (and educate) appraisers (and just appraisers)?