Anyone Going To Valuation Expo ** Las Vegas In August ?

[glenn walker]

Geez you don't go to conventions or trade shows to listen to curmudgeons talk a out functional obsolescence you can do that here. Your going there to recharge your batteries and to get motivated to go back home and build your business model into one that's making money. One good Idea often changes ones life.

 

[RustyTapeMeasure]

I’ll be there, if not only to see what kind of storm I’ll be weathering through as the old guard hangs up their tape measures and clipboards. Fully expecting it to be a bit light, even with the group running it saying spots are filling up.

I’m just hoping they don’t try and bring in another god-awful “motivational” speaker like last year. It was sad to watch that dude crash and burn

LMAO, great screen name, pun, tie in to appraising and your love of a nice steak, etc. A few years ago pulling up to a stop light before heading up a canyon in Bel Air, was behind a nice 70's Porsche, elderly well dressed ( dapper?) gentleman at the wheel....his vanity license was PUNGENT Thought that was so witty and brilliant.

 

[RustyTapeMeasure]

Not going this year, but unlike some - I always enjoyed the time there. Vegas is an experience itself, you get your CE in, rooms are discounted, and (generally) the discussions are engaging. What I don't like about Vegas is that everything (except the rooms) is just so stinking expensive. Wish they still did one on the east coast...

I am going as PAREA person and my room is covered, daily food/drink, Wheel of Fortune slot stipend too.

 

[RustyTapeMeasure]

I'm going under a AKA so nobody knows it's me marketing for Bulls Eye & Speedy AMC LLC. Lol)

When I started appraising way back when I was 19, two friends wanted a 3 way partnership, I decided to just share an office with them but they were called "Bullseye Appraisals" in an office next door city ( Upland ) to you. Was pretty cool to look like a 14 year old, have an office and building a career, others were suprised.

 

[Non Sequitur]

I don't want to discourage anyone form attending. There's an old saying in gambling, "If you NEED to win, go home." Maybe it's a coincidence that AMC Expo is held in the gambling capital of the world, but if you NEED clients stay home and spend the $2-3K on marketing, classes, etc. FWIW, if you do attend take the time to walk the booths, observe, and engage. What I found was a bunch of people who were there not to recruit indie appraisers but to make contacts for their next move whether it's another AMC, GSE, gubmint, or non-profit. Hate to say it, but landing clients in Vegas is a thing of the past for indie appraisers (yeah-yeah I know, Hal claims his brother landed a client or two last AMC Expo).

 

[meatsandbounds]

LMAO, great screen name, pun, tie in to appraising and your love of a nice steak, etc. A few years ago pulling up to a stop light before heading up a canyon in Bel Air, was behind a nice 70's Porsche, elderly well dressed ( dapper?) gentleman at the wheel....his vanity license was PUNGENT Thought that was so witty and brilliant.

Greatly appreciated, and one of the better screen names I’ve come up with over the years, haha

Inspiration hit as I was a trainee the day I signed up here, and had just grabbed some meats from a butcher near my assignment that day. Nice when a good pun just falls into your lap

 

[glenn walker]

I don't want to discourage anyone form attending. There's an old saying in gambling, "If you NEED to win, go home." Maybe it's a coincidence that AMC Expo is held in the gambling capital of the world, but if you NEED clients stay home and spend the $2-3K on marketing, classes, etc. FWIW, if you do attend take the time to walk the booths, observe, and engage. What I found was a bunch of people who were there not to recruit indie appraisers but to make contacts for their next move whether it's another AMC, GSE, gubmint, or non-profit. Hate to say it, but landing clients in Vegas is a thing of the past for indie appraisers (yeah-yeah I know, Hal claims his brother landed a client or two last AMC Expo).

Agree but most appraisers invest zero in their business so better to get battery recharged by having a few fun days and maybe getting out of a funk.

 

[meatsandbounds]

I don't want to discourage anyone form attending. There's an old saying in gambling, "If you NEED to win, go home." Maybe it's a coincidence that AMC Expo is held in the gambling capital of the world, but if you NEED clients stay home and spend the $2-3K on marketing, classes, etc. FWIW, if you do attend take the time to walk the booths, observe, and engage. What I found was a bunch of people who were there not to recruit indie appraisers but to make contacts for their next move whether it's another AMC, GSE, gubmint, or non-profit. Hate to say it, but landing clients in Vegas is a thing of the past for indie appraisers (yeah-yeah I know, Hal claims his brother landed a client or two last AMC Expo).

I go only because I’ve seen it as a consistent place to see what is next, and it’s been clearer year by year that it’s not a place for the independent appraiser who doesn’t already have a good business running. It does seem that it’s more for the tangential edges of the profession and not the boots on the ground guys and gals.

But at 33, I have to hope that the advent of the new form and people retiring for regular reasons like my dad will allow me the amount of runway these next few years to weather the current storm from a more solid position. It isn’t bad so far, but when construction supervisors are also grousing about interest rates killing construction profits, ya gotta think something will break at some point.

 

[Salty]

Its like DoorDash having a convention for its Dashers. The cost of attending might actually be more than I made as a residential appraiser YTD.

 

[meatsandbounds]

Its like DoorDash having a convention for its Dashers. The cost of attending might actually be more than I made as a residential appraiser YTD.

I’ll have made back my cost by the end of this week, but that’s only because I have been the go to new construction guy for a direct lender for a few years, and thankfully people from outside Arizona keep moving to the metro area and taking advantage of nuilders buying down interest rates.

If I didn’t have that and a few other good partners, I can agree that the financial hardship would have been too great. I, like others, wish they would move it somewhere else, but I guess Vegas is easy to expense for the corporate types that have a larger business behind them.