November Meeting: Economic Impact of the California Diesel Fleet Vehicle Regulations

The November chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at the L'Olivier Restaurant. ASA members are invited to attend the Board of Directors meeting at 5:30 p.m. The Chapter meeting will get underway with a networking mixer at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7:00 p.m. when the guest speakers will be Erik White of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Mike Lewis of the Construction Industry Air Quality Coalition (CIAQC) who will bring their unique perspectives to a discussion of "CARB Diesel Regulations and Consequences."

Erik White, who is Chief of CARB's Heavy-Duty Diesel In-Use Strategies Branch, will look at the new air quality regulations from the "government" side. He will discuss the timing and enforcement of the rules passed last June, the types of equipment affected, and the projected economic impact. Mike Lewis, who is a CIAQC Senior Vice President, will discuss the projected effects of the regulations on construction fleet performance, assets, and collateral value, presenting "industry's" point of view.

Both speakers will talk about the impact of the new regulations on appraisal issues, particularly for Machinery and Technical Services valuations. As David Lewis, ASA says "...repowering or retrofitting most of the estimated 180,000 heavy duty diesel engines in California by 2010 or earlier is a big deal both from the standpoint of availability and economic impact on the buyer."

Dinner is $35 per person payable to "ASA"; your check -- no cash please -- can be brought to the dinner. Or Pay Now using any major charge card, bank or PayPal account.

Please RSVP by November 6 to Chapter Secretary Gil Mitchell by email. Early registration is recommended. This month's topic -- at the intersection of ecology and economy -- is likely to draw an overflow crowd!

October Meeting: Real Property

The October chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at the L'Olivier Restaurant. ASA members are invited to attend the Board of Directors meeting at 5:30 p.m. The Chapter meeting will get underway with a networking mixer at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7:00 p.m. when the guest speaker will be David R. Lewis, ASA who will discuss "The Trouble with Easements."

David Lewis is a real property appraiser with special interests in condemnation and eminent domain issues. He is the Right-of-Way Section Manager of the Sonoma County Department of Transportation and Public Works Department, a member of ASA's Real Property Committee, and an adjunct instructor for real estate economics and appraisal courses at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he has developed an online introductory residential appraisal course. He is the author of ASA's Zoning and Site Analysis: A Useful Handbook for Real Property Appraisers, and, with William L. Adams, Esq., of its Attorneys Guide to Real Property Appraisal: A Summary of the Appraisal Process.

The presentation on easements and valuation problems will include a case study and qualifies for one hour of ASA Continuing Education Credit. Attendance certificates will be distributed during the program. All ASA members are invited to attend.

Dinner is $35 per person payable to "ASA"; your check -- no cash please -- can be brought to the dinner. Or Pay Now using any major charge card, bank or PayPal account.

Please RSVP by September 4 to Chapter Secretary Gil Mitchell by email. Early registration is recommended: Dave Lewis is a popular speaker and space is limited.

October -- Gems & Jewelry Workshop: Conquering Comps

The Northern California Chapter of The American Society of Appraisers will offer a one-day Gems & Jewelry Workshop -- Conquering Comps: Market Modeling -- on Saturday, October 25, 2008 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at the L'Olivier Restaurant. The workshop will explore selecting and modeling comparables, reaching an opinion of value, and writing the appraisal report. It will be taught by Nancy Stacy, ASA, Master Gemologist Appraiser®.

Nancy Stacy is the principle of Jewels by Stacy Appraisals, which serves the San Francisco Bay Area from its Walnut Creek offices. Specializing in the appraisal of jewelry, diamonds, gemstones and watches, she has written and taught valuation courses for the ASA and at universities across the country and in China. Her Conquering Comps workshop answers the question "What Is A Comp?" and, using actual data, shows how to fine-tune comparables, using market level, whole property, dollar and percentage adjustments to model the valuation market. It concludes by explaining how to analyze the results and prepare a professional narrative report.

The program qualifies for seven hours of ASA Continuing Education Credit. Attendance certificates will be distributed during the program. All ASA members are invited to attend.

Tuition for the course, including lunch, is $195 for ASA members, $225 for all others. The registration form and additional information about the program is available in the workshop brochure. To register, contact Carole Richbourg, ASA (408-219-1175) or Nancy Stacy, ASA (925-939-4367) by phone or email. Early registration for this exciting workshop is strongly recommended.

June Meeting: Candidates Night

The June chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at the L'Olivier Restaurant. ASA members are invited to attend the Board of Directors meeting at 5:30 p.m. and bring your ideas for future seminars and meetings. Becoming more involved with ASA at the Chapter and International level is a sound career-building strategy. The Chapter meeting will get underway at 6:30 p.m. and qualifies for one hour of ASA Continuing Education Credit. The program will

• Offer tips to help you advance from Associate/Candidate to Accredited Senior Appraiser
• Explain what is expected in the advancement reports for each discipline
• Provide access to checklists that your discipline uses to evaluate reports
• Provide a free copy of the 2007-2008 Chapter Membership Directory

The demand for qualified and certified appraisers is increasing in all disciple areas, so please take advantage of this opportunity to network with experienced, successful appraisers in your discipline. Dinner for this special program is free for all candidates and ASA members. Space is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible to Doug Baxter by phone (415-292-3362) or by email. The ASA San Francisco Candidates Night announcment is also available in PDF format (55 KB).

February Meeting: Economic Outlook

The February chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at the L'Olivier Restaurant. ASA members are invited to attend the Board of Directors meeting at 5:30 p.m. The Chapter meeting will get underway with a networking mixer at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7:00 p.m. when the guest speaker will be Gary C. Zimmerman, a Senior Economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco who will present a Regional Economic Outlook. Mr. Zimmerman's presentation will address various markets, and should be of interest to all appraisal disciplines, particularly now as the economy reels from the subprime mortgage debacle while careening into an uncertain Presidential election. The program qualifies for one hour of ASA Continuing Education Credit. Attendance certificates will be distributed during the program. All ASA members are invited. Dinner is $35 per person payable to "ASA"; your check -- no cash please -- can be brought to the dinner. Please RSVP promptly to Chapter President James E. McCann by email. Space is limited.