- Date
- September 18, 2025
- Time
- 3:00PM - 6:00PM (EST)
- Sponsor
- Virginia Commonwealth Chapter
- Location
- Center in the Square
1 Market Street SE
Roanoke, VA 24011
- Instructor
- Peter Christensen
- Full Price
- $50.00
- AI Price
- $45.00
Course Description
Attorney Peter Christensen will offer 15 takeaways and lessons from legal situations and cases involving appraisers. What can appraisers learn from their colleagues’ legal misfortunes?
Here are some of the takeaways offered:
• How does USPAP relate to a professional negligence claim?
• What’s the most important language in an appraisal report – in relation to an appraiser’s potential liability?
• What legal problems have copying and pasting information from Wikipedia into appraisal reports caused appraisers?
• How does the Gramm Leach Bliley Act really apply to appraisers?
Peter Christensen is an attorney whose practice is focused on legal and regulatory issues concerning real estate valuation. He is the author of Risk Management for Real Estate Appraisers and Appraisal Firms, published by the Appraisal Institute in 2019.
Who Should Enroll
State Approvals
| State | QE/CE | Course & Exam | Course Only | Exam Only | Delivery Format | Approval Format | Start Date | Expire Date | State Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA | CE | 3 | Classroom | Classroom | 02/10/2025 | 02/28/2027 |
Course Objectives
The primary learning objectives of the course are below.
1. Understand the elements of a professional negligence claim regarding valuation services.
2. Understand the role that USPAP serves in forming a key part of the “standard of case” in a professional negligence claim.
3. Understand how the USPAP concepts of intended use and user language relate to the elements of a claim for professional negligence.
4. Know how to evaluate your clients and assignments for risk.
5. Know that borrowers are the most common claimants against appraisers.
6. Know that square footage errors are the single-most common actual mistakes for which appraisers are sued.
7. Understand how to use additional language in reports directed at claims by borrowers (and sellers and other “unintended users”).
8. Understand the basic application and prohibitions of the federal Fair Housing Act and other non-discrimination laws.
9. Recognize that implicit bias may affect all persons, including appraisers, in their judgments.
10. Under a basic strategy to overcome implicit bias.
11. Know what kinds of references and wording should never be in appraisal reports because of potential issues concerning discrimination.
12. Understand subpoenas and be familiar with the exception to USPAP confidentiality in relation to subpoenas.
13. Learn the importance of “appraising” clients and assignments for risk.
14. Appreciate the special risks posed by conservation easement assignments.
15. Understand how to properly handle a potential legal threat.
16. Appreciate the importance of using plain English and photos regarding special problems or conditions in appraisal reports for the purpose of reducing liability risk.
Event Information
Seminar is from 3-6pm in the Board Room.
Your registration fee includes 3 hours of CE credit, and 1 drink at the bar for Happy Hour at Sixth & Sky.
Free parking is available; more parking information will be provided in your confirmation email sent from the chapter a week prior to the event.