Honoring Jan Bellas, Our Greatest Advocate
Jan Bellas passed away on July 7, 2026, and those of us in the appraisal profession who knew her are grieving someone who was far more than a colleague. Jan wasn’t an appraiser, yet she carried the weight of our struggles as if they were her own. She understood the pressures, the unfair treatment, the isolation, the frustration, and the constant fight to be heard, and she absorbed all of it. She had a way of making appraisers feel lighter the moment they called her. You could pick up the phone in the middle of a crisis, whether it was an AMC pushing too hard or a lender making unreasonable demands, and before you even finished explaining the situation she had already steadied you. She listened with patience, responded with clarity, and fought with conviction. She made appraisers feel protected, and that is something very few people have ever done for us.
Her work at the American Guild of Appraisers was never just administrative. She was the backbone of the organization, the strategist behind the scenes, the person who took on battles most appraisers didn’t even know were unfolding. When an AMC stonewalled, Jan pushed back. When appraisers were mistreated, she documented every detail and made sure the right people heard about it. When someone felt alone, she reminded them that they weren’t. She had an extraordinary ability to take a complicated, stressful situation and turn it into something manageable. Appraisers trusted her because she earned that trust every single day.
What made her so remarkable was the sincerity behind everything she did. She didn’t fight for appraisers because it was her job. She fought for appraisers because she genuinely loved this profession and the people in it. She admired the integrity of the work, respected the expertise required, and understood how essential appraisers are to the housing market. She saw the value in us even when others didn’t, and she made it her mission to ensure that appraisers were treated fairly. Her advocacy wasn’t loud for the sake of being loud. It was precise, informed, and grounded in a deep understanding of the issues appraisers face.
Her funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 11 AM at Gary L Kaufman Funeral Home, 7250 Washington Blvd, Elkridge, MD 21075. Details are available at the link below:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/elkridge-md/janice-bellas-12960596
As we face this loss, we also face the reality that AGA has lost its heart. Jan was the one who kept everything moving, the one who answered the calls, the one who wrote the letters, the one who stood up when others hesitated. Without her, the future of AGA is uncertain. But her legacy is too important to let fade. If there are appraisers who feel compelled to continue the work she devoted her life to, whether by volunteering, advocating, or supporting appraisers the way she did, your involvement would honor her in the most meaningful way possible. Anyone interested can reach out to Mike Ford at 714-366-9404 or email him at mike@mmford.com.
As we mourn her passing, I hope every appraiser takes a moment to pay their respects. Whether by attending her funeral, sending flowers, offering prayers, or simply reflecting on the impact she had on your career or your sense of belonging in this profession, it matters. Jan gave everything she had to us. She deserved to be honored by the very people she spent her life defending.
This loss is heavy. Jan was the best friend an appraiser could have, and her absence will be felt in every challenge we face going forward. But the strength she showed, the compassion she offered, and the courage she carried will stay with us. She reminded us that our profession is worth fighting for, and that appraisers are worth fighting for. She made us feel seen. She made us feel supported. She made us feel like we mattered.
Her legacy is now in our hands, and we will carry it.
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My heart breaks for her family. Jan was such a great person. She was funny, brash, super smart, sincere, warm and an amazing friend that I never met but spoke to often. Mike Ford, your heart must be heavy.