The Appraisal Institute (AI) presented its annual national awards at its 2022 conference in Las Vegas. Honors went to 15 people who were officially recognized during the annual AI Awards Luncheon, sponsored by the AI Education and Relief Foundation. Read on to find out who this year's winners were.

Class Valuation, an AMC focused on appraisal technology and innovation, was named a top spotlight innovator by Brookings Institute and ASHOKA in the Changemakers Challenge: Valuing Homes in Black Communities. Valuing Homes in Black-Majority Neighborhoods is a far-reaching effort of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and Ashoka’s Economic Architecture Project to find solutions for housing devaluation.

AppraisalWorks, a provider of real estate appraisal technology, recently announced its AppraisalWorks appraisal management platform was verified by Freddie Mac. The platform was added to the company’s list of software partners.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published its proposals for updating the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, commonly referred to as the HUD Code. The proposed updates were published in the Federal Register and are the largest set of changes to the HUD Code in over two decades.

Valuation Review spoke with Clear Capital Real Estate Analytics Product Director James Marshall about automated valuation models. In his blog “AVMs will see compliance, regulation updates,” Marshall outlined what appraisers or lenders will need to understand and deal with on the road toward AVM compliance. Read on for more of what Marshall had to say.

In January, BBG launched a new training program called BBG University that gives hundreds of young professionals an opportunity to receive the in-depth training needed to become successful commercial real estate appraisers. Valuation Review spoke with BBG CEO Chris Roach, who shared many details about “BBG-U.” Read on for more about this new opportunity for commercial appraisers.

Candescent Capital Ventures, LLC recently acquired Chrysalis Valuation Consultants, an appraisal firm headquartered in Denver that specializes in complex residential assignments. It also offers expert testimony in complex residential and commercial litigation and has comprehensive expertise in both commercial and agricultural properties. Read on to learn more about this industry acquisition.

Appraisers are now required to use the Square Footage-Method for Calculating: ANSI Z765-2021 (American National Standards Institute) measuring standard for measuring, calculating and reporting above and below grade square footage(s) to determine gross living area (GLA) and non-GLA areas of subject properties. Recently, Fannie Mae, through its Standardized Property Measuring Guidelines, released some frequently asked questions regarding ANSI.

The House of Representatives on July 14 passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which approved $840 billion in defense spending for 2023. The 329-101 vote came after hundreds of amendments were considered, including a couple that focused on valuation issues.