November 4, 1999

MONTHLY MEETING

 Today's meeting will be at the office of the King County Department of

Assessment (KCDA), Commercial Division in Room 853 of the King County

Administration Building, 500 Fourth Avenue in Downtown Seattle.  Free

parking is available after 4:50 p.m. in the County's lot on the hillside

below I-5 between Sixth and Fifth Avenues on the south side of Jefferson

Street (TB=565A6).  Please be here this afternoon.

ACOW meeting locations will be the initial agenda item for TODAY'S

meeting.  The proposal is that future meetings in odd-numbered months will

be at KCDA in Seattle, TODAY and then proposed for next year at 5:00 p.m. on

Thursdays, January 6, March 9, May 4, July 6, September 7 and November 9.

Meetings in even-numbered months are proposed to be held in Bill King's

office at Forum One, Suite 5; 33710 Ninth Avenue South; Federal Way

(TB=745A6).  Bill's office is best reached from the I-5 exit west at South

348th Street, even if coming from the north.  Expect to be there at 5:00

p.m. on Thursdays, next month, and next year on February 3, April 6, June

8, August 3, October 5 (unless the Griffeyless Mariners can make the

Playoffs) and December 7.

Another future possibility is to find a location in Tukwila or SeaTac

close to I-5.  Does anyone have a suggestion to there, or another widely

accessible site?

ACOW NOW ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT www.acow-wa.org

ACOW has spun a home on the web for appraiser communication, links, news

and views.  Set your browsers to go to acow-wa.org when you want to find

out what is happening to appraisers in the Evergreen Washington or The

Other Washington.  There is no faster way  the information needed to help get

jobs done or to communicate with government or the public.

The major agenda item at the 991104 ACOW meeting will be deciding how to

best utilize our acow-wa.org web site.  Every appraiser can help by sending

suggestions for what ACOW and professional information they would like to

see, and links that they would find useful.  Certainly, there should be

links to Washington State and local governments, Federal appraisal-related

sites, sites of general interest to appraisers, and information about ACOW

and links to its Organization Members.  It will be a natural for the

creation of a state-wide education calendar.

Should there be links ACOW Individual Members web sites and e-mail, and to

vendors of services to appraisers?  When should links be free, and when

should ACOW charge for them?  We need to compile a list of key words to

assure that those who want to find the site with the help of search

engines will be successful.  The site will be dynamic.  What you will see

if you log on to it now is just the beginning.

SWEET 1999

ACOW is happy as 1999 draws to a close.  It has been a fine year, thanks

to the efforts of several appraisers, and our lobbyist (T.K. Bentler).

The Legislature passed SB 5652 increasing the statutory limit for the

eminent domain reimbursement allowance to $750 from the $200 set in 1967

so that owners can obtain the help of appraisers and other professionals

to evaluate the fairness of a condemnor's offer.  ACOW appreciates the

efforts of Senators Al Bauer (D-49, Vancouver) and George Sellar (R-12,

East Wenatchee) who sponsored the bill for appraisers at T.K.'s request,

of Governor Locke who signed it into law as Chapter 52 of 1999, and of Jim

Price who handled much of the testimony for ACOW.  Thanks to Jim and many

others for their support.  The revision to RCW 8.25.020 became effective

on July 25, 1999.  Call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000 to

obtain a copy of another ACOW success.

DOL approved the WAC amendment allowing continuing education credit for

two-hour offerings by program providers.  It also decided that two hours

of credit would be awarded to those who attend the meeting of the Real

Estate Appraiser Advisory Committee (REAAC).  Several Organization

Members have made good use of this new opportunity which they heartily

supported.  Thank you to Courtney Hashimoto and the others who strongly

urged the change.  Two hours of CE with a meal meeting is working well.

ACOW AT THE SUMMIT I was a big success, thanks to the efforts of Sheridan

Shaffer, the presenters and many others.  The 990827F meeting and forums

held at scenic Snoqualmie Summit on I-90 was quite successful.  Attendees

earned up to six hours of continuing education credit from the three

forums, and enjoyed good discussion along with a bountiful buffet lunch.

ACOW's development of the web site at www.acow-wa.org is well underway.

Special thanks go to the efforts of our Webmaster, Linda Roise, and to Bob

Rothstein who took charge of the URL registration and the selection of our

ISP.  Now everyone can make it a winner by contributing content.  Soon

mailboxes will be added for the President, Webmaster and General Delivery.

ACOW AT THE SUMMIT II

ACOW decided at last month's meeting to return to The Best Western

Snoqualmie Summit Inn next year on Friday, August 18, 2000.  Please let

the office know if this date looks like a good date, if you also like the

location, and if you have program content to suggest.  Dates to avoid,

based on current information, are early and mid July (4th of, plus joint

AI, ASA and ASFMRA national meeting).  What other know date conflicts do

you know of?  Is the top of I-90 in the Cascades reasonably convenient?

ACOW MEMBERSHIP

ACOW's By-laws create three membership classifications.  Organization

Members are "each established Washington Chapter of all appraisal

organizations that are member organizations of The Appraisal Foundation

Advisory Council."  Individual Members are "all individual members in good

standing of the (Organization Members) or non-affiliated appraisal

professionals that wish to belong through this classification."  Affiliate

Members are "any other individuals or organizations other than appraisal

practitioners wishing to affiliate with and provide support to this

non-profit Corporation." 

ACOW has been funded to date through the dues paid by several of the

eligible Organization Members.  Organization Members were recently sent a

summary of their past support, and asked to remit their dues through 1999.

It is important that these be received, along with a roster listing the

names of the Individual Members for whom dues are being remitted.  ACOW

soon will solicit dues and donations from all other eligible Individual

Members, and donations from all others.  It is planned to customize the

letters to acknowledge its previous supporters, and needs everyone's help

to have accurate and complete records.  Please send donations, dues and

rosters to the Administrative Office as soon as possible.

LEGISLATION 2000

As everyone knows by now, the electorate passed Initiative 695 and all of

State Government will be spending the next many months/years figuring out

what to do next.  This promises to be the longest second ("short") biennium

session in a long time.  It looks like appraisers' right-of-way work will

be one casualty, until grid-lock sets in for at least twelve hours of

every workday.  Our problem of appraiser program funding will become more

acute.

Appraisers must turn the challenges ahead into opportunities.  As T.K.

sorts the chaos out from his client's perspective, he will be guiding

ACOW's moves.  His expertise as a lobbyist and every appraiser's

involvement will be ACOW's weapons.  Change will be in the wind.  ACOW

needs to hear your views.

TRAINEES.  Legislation to create a formal program for those wishing to

enter the appraisal profession has been seen as to most potentially

obtainable of ACOW's legislative agenda for the 2000 session.  It may

still be as it falls in the realm of protection of the public consistent

with FHA's goal for better trained appraisers, and the AQB has published

criteria for the program.

The issues are the responsibilities and obligations of both the

Supervisory Appraiser and the Trainee.  Who should train whom, and for

what?  Should courses be required before becoming a trainee, such as 15

hours of USPAP plus 30 or 60 hours of basic appraisal principles?  Then,

what should the Trainee be permitted to do?  What do you think?

COMMISSION, DEDICATED FUNDING and GENERIC CERTIFICATE/LICENSE NUMBERS.  As

SB 5924 was introduced in the 1999 (First) Session of the Biennium, ACOW

still is hopeful that Senator Margarita Prentice (D-11, Renton and

Seattle) will resume consideration of the bill as Chair of Commerce,

Trade, Housing and Financial Institutions (and Gambling) Committee (CTHF)

at the December 2 Committee meeting.

SB 5924 will create a real estate appraiser commission as a replacement

for the current advisory committee and specify its membership and duties,

as well as codify the resolution of the certificate/license number

issue.  It also declares dedicated funding as the legislative intent.

DEDICATED, NON-APPROPRIATED, ACCOUNT.  This is the ultimate goal.  It is

not a favorable concept for any reason with many in state government.  DOL

was forced to withdraw proposed 1999 requested legislation for a umbrella

dedicated account for the several of its "general fund" programs,

including appraisers.  Can it be accomplished as the entirety of state

government financing is overhauled?  One key is how hard individual

appraisers will become involved with their own Senator and two

Representatives.  Will you?

APPRAISER ACT EXEMPTIONS and LIEN LAW PROVISIONS.  These and other goals

are unlikely prospects for action this session, but who knows for sure at

this point what opportunities will present themselves.

LENDERS.  A problem has arisen in that Department of Financial

Institutions (DFI) has no control over consumer (not so small anymore)

loan companies (CLC's) as to paying third-party service providers and

coercing appraisers, even though it does so regulate mortgage brokers. 

Certain CLC's are making use of this loop-hole, and getting the ire up of

the impacted appraisers who are studying the matter.

FORESTERS.  Tim Newman led ACOW's successful efforts in concert with DOL

to stop this effort to create pseudo-general appraisers again during the

1999 Session.  The proposal should be dead for this Biennium, but you

never know.  It will come back someday, so ACOW must be ever alert. 

OTHER LEGISLATIVE ISSUES.  Should ACOW push for statutory authority to

recover disciplinary costs, 601 exemption for business and professional

licensing accounts, a dedicated account, or what?  An inactive status

seems to have little favor, and is unlikely to receive further attention

soon.  What do you believe ACOW's Y2K goals should be???  What value do

you estimate such efforts to be worth to you?

WHAT ELSE?  Tell ACOW, and fund ACOW.  Government relations requires being

both proactive and reactive.  It is essential to have the funding, input

and support of every appraiser so that ACOW can be prepared to act.  There

is no way to know in advance every bill which will be proposed in any

session.  After the passage of I-695, the 2000 Session may well be long

and dirty.  It will be hard work for all.  Please get with your Senator

and Representatives NOW, before they return to Olympia.

MEETING YOUR LEGISLATORS.  This should be easy at this time.  Many have

been holding "Community Conversations" or constituent meetings by various

names through the summer and fall.  With the passage of I-695, many are

promising to hold more such meetings over the next two months before the

2000 Session convenes in mid-January.  It is important to attend, and to

introduce yourself as an appraiser.  It is easy to start the conversation

right now because you can thank them for their support of 1999 SB 5652

increasing the eminent domain reimbursement allowance to $750.  You are on

safe ground because support was unanimous.  Then bring up one of the other

ACOW issues mentioned in this bulletin.

PLEASE, though, stick to appraiser issues when you have introduced

yourself as an appraiser.  If you have another issue, especially one of

the "hot button" type, reserve that for a separate conversation at another

another time. It is dangerous to all your favorite causes to discuss more

than one at a time.

DOL REAL ESTATE APPRAISER PROGRAM

NEXT MEETING.  The Real Estate Appraiser Advisory Committee (REAAC) is

being scheduled for 9:00 a.m., Friday, December 10, 1999, at the now

regular location at the DOL Driver Examining Station (DES), 2502 - 112th

Street East, Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98445-5104. (Thomas Bros. 834-B5).  Room

200 really is on the first/ground floor behind the north/right end of the

counter in the main DES customer service room to the north/right as you

enter from the parking lot.  Take the Puyallup Freeway (SR 512) east from

I-5 to the Portland Avenue Exit, then south on Portland (21st Avenue East

at this point) to 112th Street and go east to DOL on the south side of

112th.

DOL will be sending out the usual meeting notice and newsletter, but see

the Agenda for the 990910 meeting for getting prepared.  Also, go to the

Appraiser Program web site at www.wa.gov/dol/bpd/appfront.htm for the

latest information.  E-mail agenda requests to realestate@dol.wa.gov, and

please copy them to ACOW as on letterhead above.

REVISIONS TO WAC 308-125 "Real Estate Appraisers" are being drafted by

DOL.  The aim is to make them more user friendly.  One area for this is

the scope of practice regulations now found in WAC 308-125-030,040,045 for

each of the three classifications.  The draft can be received by e-mail.

ACOW will be putting the draft on www.acow-wa.org, or a link to it at

www.wa.gov/dol/bpd/appfront.htm.  The goal is to get the earliest possible

feedback and have a smooth adoption process with maximum input and ready

separation of housekeeping and plain-language changes from any substantive

changes.

GENERIC CERTIFICATE/LICENSE NUMBERS.  DOL reported at the 990910 meeting

that the internal paperwork had been initiated to request the necessary

computer programming changes.  ACOW looks forward to the implementation of

this long-sought goal.

TEMPORARY PRACTICE PERMITS.  Draft legislation to revise DOL's authority

to issue a Temporary Practice Permit (TPP) to an appraiser certified of

licensed by another state was distributed at the 990910 REAAC meeting.

The revision extends the TPP to a period of six months from the present

ninety days, but requires that the basis for the permit to be " . . .

required by a contract for appraisal services.  A copy of (which) must be

submitted . . .  ." 

A copy of the draft can be obtained from DOL.  ACOW will be putting the

draft on www.acow-wa.org, or a link to it at

www.wa.gov/dol/bpd/appfront.htm.  Please comment to DOL and ACOW, bearing

in mind that TPP's are believed to generally involve complex or

specialized general appraisal assignments.

FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION

FHA CHANGES.  All residential appraisers should take the test pronto!

Otherwise, FHA will have a chance to say the appraisers do not want to

work.  That will lead to some other program for "homebuyer protection"

that excludes appraisers.  If all residential appraisers take the test and

refile their applications (HUD Form 92563), then appraisers can focus the

debate of their own issues of lender pressure, professional liability and

the fees necessary to compensate for the risk exposure and time required

to fulfill the new HUD requirements.

For those planning to take the HUD examination in Western Washington, be

advised that Sylvan has relocated the "Lynnwood" test site to Mountlake

Terrace effective October 6.  Professional examinations no longer are at

there Lynnwood location, although that still is the site of their

children's learning center.  Both the HUD and Sylvan NEED TO UPDATE their

web sites.  Sylvan reports that the CORRECT ADDRESS for Sylvan Technology

Center #0202 is Terrace Village Shopping Center, Building 31, Suite B,

22002 Sixty-fourth Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043 (Thomas Bros.

455-C7) with the telephone number as 425-774-3922, Extension 2.

PLANNING

Please try to attend today, or send your comments.  Also, please log the

future meeting dates and locations in your calendars.  ACOW meetings

regularly are at 17:00 on the Thursday after the 1st Tuesday of every

month (see coming dates above).

Plan now to attend the 991210 REAAC meeting.  It will keep you up-to-date

far better than a newsletter can, and you will earn two hours of CE

credit.  Please attend.  ACOW needs wide participation at the REAAC, at

Legislative hearings in Olympia, at its monthly meetings and at the local

level in between.

JIM

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JIM IRISH      206-789-7472              bf777@scn.org    www.scn.org/~bf777

                            SRA Member of the Appraisal Institute

                        State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

     10508 Palatine Avenue North, Seattle, Washington  98133-8725

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            APPRAISERS' COALITION OF WASHINGTON * at * www.acow-wa.org

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