Appraisal Institute

[Anthem]

Well my NAREA dues are up and I just don't see this membership being worth $195.00 .

IMHO the designation is worthless and although they do provide some decent mailings they aren't worth $195.

I am considering joining the Institute. I already attend many of there courses and conferences,I would like to pursue the SRA if I can ever find the time.

Any thoughts ? ?

 

[Oregon Doug]

Preston - If you don't think NAREA is worth $195/year, you're really going to be in for a shock when you discover that the AI dues run between $750 & $1,000 per year (depending on which chapter) and you have to take their CE classes to maintain. That's really the high rent district for what I see as little or no support for a residential appraiser.

I have(had) a 15+ year old, low milage RM/SRA designation - that I allowed to expire a few years ago - that I'd be willing to sell at a reasonable price. It cost me well over $10,000 over the years and it's worth - nothing.

Oh, the price of an education.
Oregon Doug, ex SRA

 

[Anthem]

Preston - If you don't think NAREA is worth $195/year, you're really going to be in for a shock when you discover that the AI dues run between $750 & $1,000 per year (depending on which chapter) and you have to take their CE classes to maintain. That's really the high rent district for what I see as little or no support for a residential appraiser.

I have(had) a 15+ year old, low milage RM/SRA designation - that I allowed to expire a few years ago - that I'd be willing to sell at a reasonable price. It cost me well over $10,000 over the years and it's worth - nothing.

Oh, the price of an education.
Oregon Doug, ex SRA

The fee on the website says $253.75 for the remainder of this year.

I plan to move to North Carolina in the next couple of months, how would that work out with local chapter dues ?

 

[The Warrior Monk]

The fees depend on your level of membership. Fees are less if you are not designated. Also, only designated members have to worry about the CE requirements as it relates to AI.

 

[Don Clark]

Professional Organizations, in general

If money is the deciding factor, then none of us here would be a member of any organization. And, just by coincedence, most of us here probably are not a member of any organization. You have to decide for yourself whether or not it is worth it to you to be a member of any organization. I decided some time ago that it is not worth it to me personally. I have been a member in the past of the NAREA, NAMA, and NAIFA. None satisfied my purpose in joining, and NAREA and NAMA were joined just so I could do some teaching for them. I think I have done well enough without any of them.

However, if I were early in my career, I would likely join the AI. But at this point in my life I don't need any of them.

 

[Paul Ness MAI]

Preston, if you are serious about your profession, I suggest you align yourself with some reputable organization, whether or not it is the AI. There are many on this site who don't think the AI is worth the expense, many who dropped their designation. I think it depends on your market. There are some, including myself, who think the SRA designation will grow in value. I know that is 180 degrees opposite what many on this forum think. But as I have stated elsewhere, I think AVM's are here to stay and are growing in their use. The designation is a way out of competing with AVM's for financing work and gives you an opportunity to do more non-bank work such as estates, relos, divorces, tax appeals, valuations for listings, etc. I was a bank review officer for the past nine years until I recently started my own business. As a review appraiser (and I can only speak to what I have seen in my market working with SRA's and non-SRA's) the SRA's have been consistently busier with a more steady work load due to that non-bank work they get. Now it may be completely different in your market. I have also previously referred to a comprehensive nation-wide study done in 1997 done by a university out west (forgive me for not remembering the name) that showed that SRA's earned a higher average income than non-designated appraisers. I can't remember the percentage difference, but I think it was in the 15%-20% range. If anyone wants more info on this, I can see if I can find it. Otherwise you can surf the net to search for it.

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

I strongly recommend joing a professional organization. I believe in professional organizations so strongly I belong to two! And at one time a third! Working toward the designations was very well worth the effort.

 

[TC]

I'll agree with the 2 previous posters. I have the IFA designation that runs $475 per year that provides 14 hours free education and other perks. I think education and designation are important in this biz, but that view is not shared by many on this board.

At the very least attend a few meetings of the IFA, AI, or the ASA in your area, then decide.

Good luck.

TC

 

[Karl]

IMO the organizations themselves are worthless as __________. For those that believe otherwise PLEASE post all the GOOD things they are doing for Appraiser's.

However I belong to NAIFA because of the Chapter in Phoenix AZ & the one I was in in N.H. are a valuable source of information & the Apprasisers that belong appear to be the ones that would actually like to see Appraising become a profession again. In both of these Chapters there are those that are Board members or Higher on the National level, & they also agree that the National level of the organization needs MUCH improvement.

To me the ONLY benefit of a organization at this time is the commrade of the local chapter. NAIFA dues are a wash as they offer education with the dues fees.

 

[Stone]

Like a few posters above, I think there is something to joining an association.

I'm debating joining the ASFMRA, as that makes the most sense for what I do. I have taken a couple of their courses and found them to be better than average, if a little expensive.

If I were in a different type of practice, I would go for an AI designation. They have the best courses I've taken.

Is a designation worth it, from a pure $ standpoint? I don't know. Sometimes it is good to do things even without a perceived economic benefit. But, that is just my opinion and many others here will not agree.