NAR - Appraisal Institute

[Doug Trites]

Agreed.
if they are representing the appraisers interest and just not NAR or AI interests. Most times such "interests" turn out to have a hidden agenda.

I thought the reason that they divided in the first place was a conflict of interests issue... That is, Realtors - Appraisers - Bankers - borrowers were supposed to be mutally firewalled against the other...all were to be separate. Obviously, this hasn't worked.

Lobbying by Realtors frequently conflicts with appraisers issues. Further, invites Realtors to express a perference for AI appraisers to the client. It's exclusionary implications are in it for you.

Since AI is allied with ASFMRA...doesn't that draw them into the circle too? One nice cozy little happy family.

I believe I just posted a call to action from NAR for which NAR is backing the lending groups to stop license laws for them. How does this help Appraisers

 

[Francois K. Gregoire]

AI and NAR have a common thread. I wonder sometimes if AI has the best interests of the appraisal industry at heart just as I wonder if the NAR has the best interests of RE agents at heart. My broker nephew has the lowest of low opinions of both the state and nation NAR and their satellite state organizations which he sees as little more than blood suckers.

...and that's what is great about this country. If an individual has no desire to join an organization, if there is disagreement with their policies, methods and operations, no one forces them to join.

In my little corner of the world, the local and state associations provide services from which I benefit. When I see points of disagreement, my involvement provides an opportunity to change their point of view, policies, procedures and operations. It's much more productive to make the case in front of folks with the ability to make the change than chuck spears here.

Although I am not a member of the Appraisal Institute, the three Florida Chapters I have worked with, along with Region X, have been stellar. Their members are active, interested and involved. When asked, they are willing and able to step to the plate with money and talent to tackle the problem. It will be a pleasure to work even more closely with them in the future.

 

[Francois K. Gregoire]

Quite familiar. I was a member of the Institute when it split from NAR and fully approved of it then (though I wasn't able to vote on it when it happened). NAR took its share of membership dues and it was spent on lobbying; lobbying for things often detrimental to the appraisal profession. I also recall that independant lobbying was not permitted for the Institute, which may have been the issue that started things in motion towards the split.

To my knowledge, independent lobbying has been permitted. There was a stipulation, however, that restricted an Institute, Society or Council from taking a public policy position contrary to that of NAR. This restriction was lifted by a change to the NAR Constitution in 1997. Here is the applicable paragraph:

In the event that an Institute, Society or Council adopts a policy on any legislative or regulatory matter that is in conflict with the policy of the National Association , both organizations shall make every reasonable attempt to resolve their differences. If, after all reasonable attempts to resolve such differences have been exhausted and the organizations are unable to resolve the conflict in policy positions, each organization shall be free to take whatever actions it deems necessary to advocate its policy.

Besides my dislike of paying for lobbying which is against my own best interests, there are other problems. I am not some raving anti-Realtor lunatic and I have nothing against NAR representing Realtors, but I think there's something inappropriate about Realtors and Appraisers being represented by the same organization. These groups interests only occasionally coincide.
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Just for kicks, here is the latest appraisal related policy from NAR. The most recent change to it was adopted in May, 2007. What do you think?

http://www.realtor.org/fedistrk.nsf/c2c6e17e27e92119852572f8005cd953/90663c37f2c4bb9e852572d0004d4630?OpenDocument

 

[McMurphy]

It's about money.

It's about influence.

An organization has a big dinner table where Tony sits.

An organization has a booth by the kitchen led by Airder's and Zaiowies.

Guess who wants a seat where?

 

[Joyce Potts]

One of my biggest regrets as a professional was that I didn't earn my MAI in time to vote against the AIREA/NAR split. I thought the split was a mistake then and still think so now.

I'm all for the re-affiliation.

Exactly. Actually, I was a member back then, but had little knowledge of what it was really all about.

It's not just about strength in members/numbers, it's about the dollars and the lobbying power in Washington D.C. that NAR affords that the AI has and can't do alone.

The split was a mistake and I'm in favor of re affiliation, while not the optimum panacea--I see more advantages than disadvantages.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

If an individual has no desire to join an organization, if there is disagreement with their policies, methods and operations, no one forces them to join.

actually it is the power of the MLS that forces both real estate agents and Appraisers to be NAR members. That power is being challenged by some FSBO and if an indendepent listing service could ever get off the ground, the NAR would lose at least as high a percentage of members as the AI did between 1994 and 2000.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

I was a member of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS® when the break away occurred. I thought it was a BIG mistake then. NAR has a very powerful lobby, the AI does not. REALTORS® are not our enemy. Thousands of appraisers are also REALTORS® and it makes good sense for use to work together for the common good of the real estate industry.

 

[Doug Trites]

I was a member of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS® when the break away occurred. I thought it was a BIG mistake then. NAR has a very powerful lobby, the AI does not. REALTORS® are not our enemy. Thousands of appraisers are also REALTORS® and it makes good sense for use to work together for the common good of the real estate industry.

Realtors may not be our enemy, but they are only out for them. I have had many cases were the local Realtors will call me to do the appraisal if they are buying the home because they know I will give them an honest report. Then they turn right around and tell the lenders not to use me when they have sales that are overprice because they known I will not inflate the report.

I also would like a law that required any and all appraisals be presented to the buyers. I have had times when the Realtor and lender would get a second appraisal to get the value they wanted and never show my report to the buyers. My comps were all in the same plat and similar, while the other report had sales a mile away to "make Value":new_2gunsfiring_v1::new_2gunsfiring_v1:

 

[Pat Butler]

Having been a Realtor for the last 25 yrs, I can't remember EVER voting on a national issue. This is one group that does NOT represent the rank and file membership. Only our local board has elections for its members. NAR can automate their 'call for actions' whereby you can easily log onto a site and send multiple letters to politicians. Yet they've never figured out a way to actuall allow their members to have their say on how the organization is run.

If it wasn't for their monopoly on the MLS systems and their requirement to join their 'triad' of local, state and national orgs then they'd have far fewer members. Heck, just right now our local board has switched over to the Realtor version of lockboxes which forces EVERYONE to have to replace their lockboxes at $75 a piece.

The NAR appraisal section is a joke. I don't even know the status of whether the "Section" still technically exists. But at least at one time they had a nice magazine.

Our state board of Realtors here in ILL has consistently fought legislation that was in the best interests of appraisers. Fact is, there are too many areas where our interests differ from that of real estate brokers. No way to reconcile that. Think about it- who else besides appraisers values properties? Realtors. They are our biggest competitors for non-AVM products.

The AI is just looking for a financial bailout and will not give any consideration to Realtor members who have their designation (not me, by the way.)

 

[Howard Klahr]

The AI is just looking for a financial bailout

It is NAR that approached the Appraisal Institute ... how does this indicate financial bailout?