Latest Publications

ASA Denver Chapter Explores Fine & Decorative Art

The American Society of Appraisers local Denver chapter hosted a member tour of the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art on January 15, 2020. Deputy Curator Christopher Herron led the tour of the museum’s collections, which include the work of Vance Kirkland, regional fine and decorative art and a collection of international decorative art. The museum opened in 2018 in a state-of-the-art building designed by Seattle architect Jim Olson.

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10 Must Do’s for 2020

Here’s a brief list of the top success-building tips to help advance your appraisal career or practice.

  • Know the latest USPAP changes. Register for ASA’s What’s New in USPAP 2020 January 29 webinar. A special emphasis will be upon what is important for MTS and PP appraisers.
  • Build and manage your career for success. Post your resume, get alerts, apply for jobs and access customized learning content on ASA’s Job Bank.
  • Make the most of your ASA membership. Take advantage of exclusive savings offered by our Benefit Partners.
  • Stay on top of the profession’s latest developments. Visit ASA’s Marketplace for important webinar recordings, ASA’s ARM, BV and MTS Journals for articles, and ASA’s Newsroom for announcements, newsletters, videos and blog posts.
  • Promote your success. Add the prestigious and globally recognized ASA credential and logo to your reports, website and marketing outreach. Visit ASA’s Branding Resources for logo files and Branding Guide.
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Message from the CEO

Johnnie White, CEO: December 2019 Travels

Ron Seigneur, ASA (Left), Ryan Cram (Right)

This past December I had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas to join business valuers, Ron Seigneur, ASA, and Ryan Cram to present at the 2019 MJBizCon in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

ASA joined 26 other participating professional organizations in the event’s special “Association Day”, with programming designed to bring together various groups for educational spotlights and networking. Talks focused on advocacy, best practices and workforce development.

More than 35,000 attended the 3-day event December 11-13, 2019.

To read more about my travels and other important news visit my Message from the CEO column on ASA’s Blog, or follow me on Twitter @johnniewhiteCEO and LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnnniewhiteceo for more ASA updates.

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Two ASA Members Serve as Panelists for the California Board of Equalization

Garrett Schwartz, ASA (Left) and Jack Young, ASA (Right)

On December 6, two Accredited Senior ASA appraisers – Garrett Schwartz and Jack Young – served as panelists at the California Board of Equalization meeting on “Assessment of Personal Property & Fixtures: Ensuring Accurate & Consistent Valuations & Application Methods.” Messrs. Schwartz and Young addressed the determination of life schedules for personal property fixtures and equipment and how the concept of one-size-fits all life schedules is not an adequate approach to equipment valuation for personal property taxation.

Any conclusion of value derived by using the assessor’s schedules must be reconciled to the market in order to reflect actual value. However, the tables used by tax assessors do not fully account for physical depreciation and don’t account for functional and economic obsolescence. Mr. Young recommends that the Board of Equalization include instructions in the Assessors’ Handbook directing county assessors in reconciling derived values to the market via listings, brokers, dealers, appraisers, industry experts, and market participants. Because all approaches to value – sales, cost, and income – are market approaches, it’s critical that assessors – as well as appraisers – always compare the value concluded using any valuation methodology to what is actually going on in the market and reconcile any disconnections.

Mr. Schwartz addressed specific problems with the current assessor methods in using life tables.  Such life tables are intended to be starting points for valuation but are not intended to be substituted for an appraiser’s professional judgment; they ignore functional and economic obsolescence and do not account for the value differences between manufacturers and models nor for differences in an assets condition. Mr. Schwartz reviewed information from ASA’s Estimated Normal Useful Life Study and recommended that the Board of Equalization assist appraisers in communicating with assessors about the differences between their mass appraisal techniques and the more precise results available from properly formulated and developed appraisals.

ASA values the contributions and expertise that our members provide to the appraisal profession. To view agenda or watch the video of the Board of Equalization meeting, please click here.

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More Than Bananas: An ASA Member Takes You Inside Art Basel Miami Beach

This year’s edition of Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) captured global attention for one work in particular: Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian”, a banana duct taped to a wall. But as Debrah Dunner, an Accredited Member in Personal Property specializing in fine art and contemporary American craft tells us, there’s much more to the event and its satellite shows for appraisers.

“It’s good to make connections,” Ms. Dunner said, “it’s a lot of networking…it’s much easier to appraise an artwork and obtain necessary information [from galleries] when you have personal connections within the field”. With so much vital information being shared on an interpersonal basis, both making new connections and maintaining existing relationships is a big reason why she attends ABMB. But more than just the relationships, attending ABMB keeps Debrah up to date with the contemporary art world.

Ms. Dunner notes that going to ABMB “keeps me on the pulse of what’s happening in the contemporary art world”, even if it’s not the kinds of works she typically appraises. “It’s always good to see what’s happening with the new artists,” especially for when Ms. Dunner’s clients ask for her advice on what artists or works they may want to buy both to enjoy in their home and as a work that may be likely to appreciate in value. As she puts it, “knowing what’s happening in the contemporary art scene is always helpful.”

As for Cattelan’s talked about work, Ms. Dunner takes a more historical view: “In 1917, Marcel Duchamp put a urinal into a gallery and called it art (called “Fountain”), [and] right now there is a huge show of his work at the Hirshhorn Museum…if you look at it in art historical context, I don’t think it’s so outrageous.” Considering that Cattelan also created “America”, an 18-karat gold toilet, It would seem the Duchamp comparison is apt. “It’s kind of funny…I think it was ultimately a commentary on sensationalism and the art world.”

Debrah Dunner, AM, M.A.

While ABMB might mark the end of the year, Ms. Dunner’s 2020 will be active. Not only does she own Aesthetica Art Services, a DC-based art services firm that provides appraisals and consulting, but she will also be working as the DC representative for Freeman’s Auction House in Philadelphia. Connect with Debrah online at aestheticaart.com, LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.

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Event Preview – ASA-NAIFA Eastern Region Appraisal Conference 2020

Countdown to the highly popular and successful, ASA-NAIFA Eastern Region Appraisal Conference 2020 has begun. Scheduled for April 22-23, 2020 at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, NJ, the 2-day event has grown to become a must-attend for real property appraisers servicing the greater U.S. eastern region.

Here’s a sneak peek at the event’s schedule of events:

Day 1 Highlights

  • Registration/Breakfast
  • Sponsor tables open
  • Opening comments, featuring Robert Solotist, ASA, IFA – Conference Chair
  • USPAP session, featuring Dave Doering, ASA, IFA and Ernie Demba, FASA, IFAS
  • Lunch (included)
  • USPAP session (cont.)
  • Social event at Olón Restaurant

Day 2 Highlights

  • Registration/Breakfast
  • Sponsor tables opens
  • Opening comments featuring Robert Solotist, ASA, IFA – Conference Chair
  • Option A session – Being Anti-Social is Anti-Business, featuring Ken Jones, ASA
  • Option B session – Simplify Your Life and Grow Your Appraisal Business, featuring Keith Ellis, COO Anow; Tom Munizzo, ASA, IFA, DAR; and T.J. McCarthy, ASA, IFA, SRA
  • Lunch (included)
  • Option A session – ABC’s of Housing Development, featuring Steven Mlenak Esq., and Robert Goldsmith Esq., Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith and Davis; and Surveying – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, featuring Lauren Plump, V.P Morgan Engineering
  • Option B session – Business Valuation, an Opportunity for Real Estate Appraisers, featuring William Quackenbush, ASA and others
  • Option A session – NJ Law (NJ appraisers only), featuring Joseph Palumbo, SRA, President of the NJ Real Estate Appraisal Board
  • Option B session – PA Law (PA appraisers only), featuring Robert Luciani, ASA, IFA
  • Option C session – Appraising Unique Properties (all other states), featuring Michael Ehrenberg, ASA and Joel Meyers, Esq, ASA, SCGREA

Full conference, 2-day, 1-day or networking reception only registration options available starting in January.

Discounted hotel accommodations are available, but must be reserved prior to April 10, 2020.

For the latest event details visit the Conference’s website, or for sponsorship opportunities contact Conference Chair, Bob Solotist, ASA, IFA, at bobs1@optonline.net.

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ASA/ERAU Faculty Member Awarded 2020 Fulbright Scholar Award

The American Society of Appraisers congratulates Dr. Vitaly Guzhva, ASA, faculty member at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, on being awarded a 2019-2020 Fulbright Scholar Award.

The award is the most highly competitive program for international educational exchange in the United States.

As reported in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University News, November 6, 2019, Dr. Vitaly Guzhva is a former military and corporate pilot, as well as a Daytona Beach Campus alumnus, he has taught Aviation Finance at Embry-Riddle since 2004. For his Fulbright Scholar period, he will spend five months in the world capital of aircraft leasing and financing: Dublin, Ireland. With about 50 percent of aircraft worldwide operating on a lease, more than half are managed from Dublin. Guzhva will spend his Fulbright period researching and guest lecturing at the University College Dublin — the only other university in the world, along with Embry-Riddle, that offers a graduate degree in Aviation Finance.

Fulbright Scholarships are awarded by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 380,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Learn more about ASA’s Aircraft Valuation Program and partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

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Presenter Spotlight – Fundamentals of Jewelry Appraisal

The American Society of Appraisers will be offering a new 1-day Fundamentals of Jewelry Appraisal class designed to provide students an introduction to the core competencies that every appraiser needs to know to accurately value gems and jewelry for scheduled insurance coverage. Everything from ethics, vocabulary, research and report writing is covered in the class. Video modules will teach how to recognize manufacturing and stone setting techniques, judge the quality of repairs, stone setting and overall workmanship, as well as techniques to measure and grade mounted gems and diamonds.

Two separate offerings of the class will be held: Monday, February 3, 2020 at the Tucson Marriott University Park in Tucson, AZ and Monday, March 2, 2020 at the GIA World Headquarters in Carlsbad, CA.

Instruction for two classes will be provided by two ASA Master Gemologist Appraisers® with over 3 decades of appraising experience: Mary B. Reich, G.G., FGA, ASA, MGA® and Mark T. Cartwright, G.G., ASA, MGA®.

Mary B. Reich, G.G., FGA, ASA, MGA®

Mary B. Reich, GG, FGA, ASA, MGA, is the Principal of Gemologically Speaking in Albuquerque, NM. Mary has been working in the jewelry industry since 1982, including work as a showroom manager for a wholesale gemstone dealer, a manager or buyer for fine family-owned retail jewelry stores and as an independent jewelry appraiser since 2007.

Mark T. Cartwright, G.G., ASA, MGA®

Mark T. Cartwright, G.G., ASA, CMA, ICGA, is the President of Sapphire Sky, Inc. and director of The Gem Lab, ICGA in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Mark has earned the highest appraisal designations of the American Society of Appraisers, the International Society of Appraisers, the American gem Society, and the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. He began cutting gemstones at age 12 and started crafting jewelry at age 20. Since 1981 he has at various times owned a jewelry design studio, worked as an in-house jewelry designer and has been an independent jewelry valuer since 2001.

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ASA 2019 Fair Value Conference San Francisco Recap

ASA recently concluded its popular Fair Value Conference series for 2019 with a final stop in San Francisco, CA.

Held Tuesday, November 19 at the offices of KPMG San Francisco the event drew 86 participants and featured introductory remarks from ASA International President, Douglas Krieser, ASA CEO, Johnnie White and KPMG Alok Mahajan; 11 presentations from 19 thought leaders; Continental breakfasts, buffet lunch and networking hour. Local event organization and support was provided by Houlihan Lokey.

Event sponsors included: KPMG, BV Review and Houlihan Lokey.

Attendees received continuing professional development credit for ASA reaccreditation, as well as CEIV(TM) CPD credit.

ASA’s Fair Value Conference series for 2020 will begin in New York City in the Spring, followed by Los Angeles in the Summer, and back to San Francisco in the Fall.


Here is a brief visual snapshot of the event:

Photos courtesy of Jim Brown, ASA
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Message from the CEO

Johnnie White, CEO: November 2019 Travels

This past November I had the opportunity to travel to ASA’s educational partner, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona; the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in Baltimore; the Appraisers Association of America (AAA) conference in New York; Kansas City Metropolitan Chapter in Kansas City; the Appraisal Foundation Board of Trustees in Kansas City; Fair Value Conference in San Francisco; and the Los Angeles Chapter in Los Angeles.

It was great to meet with ASA members and strategic partners in Florida, Maryland, New York, Missouri and California. I look forward to meeting with more ASA chapter members and establishing stronger global partnerships with allied organizations.

Below is a brief summary of my travels excerpted from my Twitter feed. Follow me on Twitter @johnniewhiteCEO and LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnnniewhiteceo for more ASA updates.

Visiting Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona, FL:

I signed an agreement to expand our partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to present education programs in China with AeroSustainable China Limited. Looking forward to the expansion.

American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in Baltimore, MD:

Doug Krieser and I attended the ASAE CEO Symposium. A great program for the President and CEO to participate in to learn together how to elevate their knowledge in managing an Association.

Appraisers Association of America (AAA) conference in New York, NY:

It was great attending the Appraisers Association of America (AAA) conference in NY. Good seeing a number of our Personal Property members.

Kansas City Metropolitan Chapter in Kansas City, MO:

It is always great to visit our members in the chapters. John Russell and I provided presentations to the Kansas Chapter.

Appraisal Foundation Board of Trustees in Kansas City, MO

It is always great to see your staff participating in the industry. Hats off to John Russell for serving on the Appraisal Foundation Board.

Fair Value Conference in San Francisco, CA:

Informative presentations were given at our last Fair Value Conference for the year in SFO. Looking forward to the start of the series next year in NY.

Los Angeles Chapter in Los Angeles, CA:

It was great having the opportunity to participate in the ASA LA Chapter program and visit with the members with our International President Doug Krieser. They had some amazing speakers.

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