Appraisal Institute, ASA & Farm Managers discuss Merger
The Institute, ASA and American Society of Farm Managers are in merger talks.
I have yet to make up my mind on this issue, but my initial knee jerk reaction (sometimes not a good thing) is that it is less beneficial to the Institute than it is for the other groups. The Institute has time and again missed opportunities to be the voice of the Appraisal profession and promote the value of a designation. I am an SRA and a proud member of the Institute and I know the value of a designation, but sadly few in the lending community or the general public do.
If this merger helps create a stronger voice with more powerful lobbying
then maybe it will be a benefit to designated appraisers. If however it is being done to consolidate office staffs, pool dues revenue, and is a pure business decision then I vote no. I confess I know little if anything about these other organizations and I mean them no disrespect, I promise to get educated on them.
It certainly feels like a move in the wrong direction. Any initiative that further dilutes the brand, decreases awareness of our designations, or worse complicates matters in the eyes of the public by incorporating yet more designations into the fold is not progress.
Those of us around long enough to recall the merger of the Society and the Institute will remember that despite all the designations (SRPA, SREA, RM), the public really only knew and cared about 2, the MAI and the SRA...... however bowing to compromise, we kept them all for time, sort of like "New Coke".
The very same thing occurred when Appraisal reform came into being. Another opportunity for the Institute to take the lead and knock out the lesser players (remember all those Arizona based organizations, the ones that conferred designations by mail??). Instead we got a hodgepodge of associations, each needing their "say" such that we are now left with a tortured document, USPAP, that needs such constant revision, the ink is barely dry on one version, and it is replaced with another.
It seeks to emulate the Standards used by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA's) but it is not a flattering imitation.
(Speaking of which, now there is an organization we should consider merging with or at least emulating. EVERYONE knows the difference between a CPA and someone who is not.
Here's something else, and this will tell you everything you need to know about what’s right with their profession and leadership and what's wrong with ours: CPA's prepare their own tax returns and no one thinks twice abut it, not the government, not the public, not the licensing boards And why? Because they are professionals and can be trusted to do the right thing...if an appraiser appraised his own house, he could possibly end up in jail! (ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration but only a bit)
Appraisers today spend all their time worrying about USPAP and compliance while the Appraisal Boards kinoodle endlessly over what its boilerplate content of a URAR should be.
How is this progress ? A properly trained Appraiser can deliver his results on the back of a napkin!
I would much prefer to see the Institute take the initiative and spend all their efforts promoting the designation, mandate its excellent educational offerings be the standard that anyone else must meet, educating the public as to the value of a properly trained appraiser, demand that this profession be accorded the respect it deserves and create and protect and environment whereby appraisers can work without the fear of silly litigation that hangs over our heads.
To most lenders, an appraisal is just a $300 insurance policy they take out on a loan. It’s a license to sue when the loan goes bad.
Enough with the dumbing down of this profession.
I promise to do more research into this merger and a more thoughtful and detailed opinion will be forthcoming. I am all for real progress in any form, so it remains to be seen if this is real progress or a just trying to plug a leak in a sinking ship.
For more details on the merger, read this interview in AppraisalBuzz.
Appraisal Buzz Interview with Ray Brownfield, AFM, ARA, President, American Society of Farm Managers & Rural Appraisers; Terry R. Dunkin, MAI, SRA, President, Appraisal Institute; and Leslie H. Miles, Jr., ASA, International President, American Society of Appraisers
Thursday, June 14, 2007[/i]
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