THE MERIDIAN VALUATION GROUP

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In the course of more than three decades, I have performed several thousand appraisal compliance reviews for Federally Regulated Financial Institutions. Throughout my career, I have served as an advisor to the California Office [now Bureau] of Real Estate Appraisers. I presented my Model Program for Appraisal Review to the Chief Credit Officers’ Symposium of the California Bankers’ Association and addressed the examiners of the San Francisco Federal Reserve on the subject of Common Problems Found in Appraisal Reports Submitted to Regulated Financial Institutions. For many years, I taught the USPAP as an Appraisal Qualifications Board Certified Instructor of the USPAP.

I am also the author of two significant white papers:

• It’s About Time: This paper, prepared for the Appraisal Standards Board, outlined the importance of clarifying the USPAP Standards Rule 2 requirement to report exposure time. The key premise of this report was rejected by the Standard Board, but eventually, a subsequently-appointed board adopted the key provisions of this paper and amended USPAP Standards Rule 2 and USPAP Advisory Rule 7 to match my recommendations.

• A Model Program for Appraisal Review: This paper was written for presentation to the California Banker’s Association shortly after federal banking regulations first mandated that regulated financial institutions must develop programs of appraisal quality control. The paper emphasizes that the appraisal review function is best implemented as a cooperative educational enterprise rather than a police function designed to catch appraisers making mistakes. The spirit of this argument was subsequently widely adopted throughout the appraisal profession.

I began my appraisal career in 2004 working under the guidance of a Certified General Appraiser. In 2011 I opened Monterey Cypress Appraisal, which provided appraisal services of residential and commercial properties throughout Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. I have been blessed to have received the guidance & support of many excellent mentors. After receiving his mentorship for many years, in 2020 John invited me to join The Meridian Valuation Group as his partner reviewing appraisals of commercial properties.

In 2021 I was honored to receive the Appraisal Institute’s prestigious Arlen C. Mills Education Award. The recipient of this award is selected by the Northern California Chapter’s Education Committee and is based on the recipient’s dedication to education and service to the profession.

I’m honored and proud to hold the Appraisal Institute’s AI-GRS designation, as well as certification from the Appraisal Qualification Board as a USPAP instructor. I serve as an USPAP Instructor for the Appraisal Institute as well as teach an introduction to Appraisal Practice & Principles at the Monterey Peninsula College.

I taught English while traveling through Southeast Asia for four years after graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara, where I had earned degrees in Philosophy as well as Comparative Religions. It was during these travels that I formed the idea for a program to assist teachers. In 2008 these ideas developed into the Project Helping Hand program. Since its inception, the Project Helping Hand program has distributed about 300 micro-grants totaling nearly $150,000. In 2018 the program was recognized by the United States Congress through a “Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition.”

In a 2023 Appraisal Institute profile article announcing my AI-GRS designation, the following commentary was provided by Melissa La Fountain, MAI. “Greg has an unparalleled dedication to the appraisal industry, wearing many hats including appraiser, appraisal reviewer, instructor, and volunteer. In the many years I've known him, he has been nothing less than enthusiastic, persistent, diligent, and highly ethical. Greg's integrity guides his work and informs his business practices. Always enjoying a thorough appraisal debate, his desire to work with appraisers through the review process benefits everyone involved. Greg brings local appraisers together as colleagues and serves as our interpreter for all things USPAP. Cheers to you, Mr. Migdale! Your designation is well deserved.”