As mandated by the passage of
HB1097 of the 2022 legislative session, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development established the Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity in October 2023, which will meet monthly until June 2024. The purpose of the task force is to address the persistent misvaluation and undervaluation of property owned by minorities. This task force shall accomplish this objective through two activities. First, it will study strategies and actions that will:
- Help ensure that governmental oversight and industry standards and practices further valuation equity
- Increase training of appraisers to combat valuation bias
- Remove barriers to entry into the appraisal profession by minorities
- Assist in the development of a model for a meaningful reconsideration of value process
- Reduce or eliminate bias related to automated valuation models and alternative property valuation methods
Second, the task force will identify legislative or other policy recommendations that will provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach for reducing bias in valuations, through enforcement, compliance, or other methods.
On or before July 1, 2024 the task force shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the General Assembly.
Task Force Members
Description
| Name | Organization | Position |
|---|
| The Secretary of Housing and Community Development, or the Secretary’s designee | Greg Hare | Department of Housing and Community Development | Assistant Secretary, Community Development Administration |
| The Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary’s designee | Todd Blackistone | Department of Labor | Executive Director for the Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies, and Home Inspectors |
| The Director of Assessments and Taxation | Michael Higgs | State Department of Assessments and Taxation | Director |
| Representative of the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General | Karen Valentine | Office of the Attorney General | Principal Counsel, Consumer Protection Division, Home Builders Registration Unit |
| Representative from the field of alternative dispute resolution | Arnold Sampson, Jr. | Self-Employed | Certified Dispute Mediator/Arbitrator |
| Representative of an association of appraisers | Barry Colen | Colen & Associates | Owner |
| Representative of an association of appraisers | Dominic Corson | Corson Residential Appraisers | Owner |
| Representative from the banking industry | Ramon Looby | MD Bankers Association | President and CEO |
| Representative from the banking industry | John Lewis | Harbor Bank | President and CEO |
| Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Representative | Mike Detmer | Dorchester County Council | Vice President |
| MD Building Industry Association (MBIA) Representative | Lori Graf | MD Building Industry Association | CEO |
| Maryland Municipal League (MML) Representative | Angelica Bailey Thupari | Maryland Municipal League | Director of Government Affairs |
| Maryland Association of Realtors (MAR) Representative | Wanda Rogers | Realty Transaction Services, LLC | Realtor |
| General Public Representative | Rashawn Ray | University of Maryland | Professor of Sociology |
| General Public Representative | Arden Lyles | Retired | Retired
|
| General Public Representative | Melanie Gamble | Maryland Realtors | Executive Committee Member |
| General Public Representative | Jacqulyn Priestly | Oak Hill Strategies | Principal |
| General Public Representative | Bree Jones | Parity | Founder and CEO |
| General Public Representative | Claudia Wilson Randall | Community Development Network of MD | Executive Director |
| General Public Representative | Vernada Williams | EXIT First Realty | Broker/Owner |
| General Public Representative | Michael Cassell | MD Chapter of National Society of Appraisers | Former President |
Past Meetings
Upcoming Meetings
- April 26, 2024 at 11:00 AM
- May 23, 2024 at 1:30 PM
- June 17, 2024 at 10:30 AM
The meetings are accessible at the link below on the scheduled date and time.
Google Meet joining info:
