The following Application for Advancement has been received. If you have any comments on the application, please contact Georgie Stillman, ASA. (619-563-9000)

Mark F. MaGrath

Application for Advancement to ASA Senior Member in Real Estate, Urban

Congratulations and Welcome to

Kathi Jablonsky

New Candidate Member in Personal Property

Congratulations and best wishes to our new Chapter Officers.

On behalf of the Nomination Committee, I would like to thank the nominees for their willingness to serve the San Diego Chapter of the ASA in these leadership positions. The outcome of the election is as follows.

President: Kim Ufford, AM
1st Vice President: Pamela Bensoussan, ASA
2nd Vice President: Jo Ellen Cole, Candidate
Treasurer: Georgie Stillman, ASA
Secretary: David Bowie, ASA

619-781-8588. All ballots submitted via email through the secure, online ballot have been retained electronically.

Sincerely,

Paul Golubovs, ASA
Chairman of the Nomination Committee

Visitation is Growing Each Month

Our chapter website statistics give evidence...

	Jan 2005	Feb 2005	Mar 2005
Total Visitors	231	330	419
Unique Visitors (w/o repeats)	172	247	290
Number of visitors who went to the "Locate an Appraiser" page	81	91	140

How does placing a link to the Article Index page of the ASA San Diego Chapter website market your services?

• It shows visitors to your website that you are keeping current on related news.
• It enhances the Chapter's website ranking in the search engines. So...
• More people will visit the site and you stand a better chance of being found on our Locate an Appraiser page.
• If an article is written buy you, we can place a link back to your site, thus enhancing your website's ranking in the search engines.

Is your 'brand' worth more today?

Chaucer had it right back in the 15th century: “April is the Cruelest Month”. As a brand new homeowner (no kidding, after all these years!!) I am blown away. First the IRS is taking a big fat fistful from my bank account, and then here comes the Property Tax guy demanding another pile outta my shrinking funds. And THE HOUSE itself – YIKES, it is like a little baby, crying to be fed all the time. Unlike a baby, its diet is dollar bills. And then there is the car, with its diet of gasoline. Fortunately, it is a small eater, but still! $2.60 a gallon, that’s tough. I guess I am going to have to start charging a travel fee, something I have resisted my entire practice.

I just don’t understand the Polls & Greenspan telling me there is practically no inflation. Do they live in the same country I do? I see prices going up all around us, from coffee to real estate. I think the last time I raised my fees was around 1999 - 2000, but I am going to do it again now.

So enough with the complaining. But I hope I have given you something to think about. Just have a look at the very few number of people around the country who have an ASA member designation - and the ASA designation is the premier appraisal profession brand. I encourage all of you, with your valuable ‘brand’, and those of you who are working to attain it, to recognize the value of your membership in ASA.

May all your April showers result in a gorgeous garden.

Georgie Stillman, ASA

If you are involved in a community activity, special event, interesting assignment, or know of courses being offered, please let us know. Contact Georgie Stillman, ASA - 619-563-9000.

The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life

Contributed by Thom Underwood, ASA

“A Cross between the Dalai Lama’s ethics and Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits, The Diamond Cutter will have you gardening a path to the bank.” —Amazon.com, editorial review

“Here is wise advice and counsel on an ethical and prosperous way of being in the workday world based on Tibetan Buddhist principles.” —Spirituality and Health

Excerpts from the inside flap of the hardcover:

With a unique combination of ancient and contemporary wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, The Diamond Cutter presents readers with empowering strategies for success in their work and personal lives.

Geshe Michael gives fresh insight into ancient wisdom by using examples from his own experience as one of the founders of the Andin International Diamond Corporation, which was started with capital of fifty thousand dollars and which today has annual sales in excess of one hundred million dollars.

Much of the success of Andin has come from applying the business strategies presented in The Diamond Cutter.

In the book there is this commentary verse by an Indian master named Nagarjuna published some 18 centuries years ago.

I'll tell you briefly the fine qualities
Of those on the path of compassion:
Giving, & ethics, patience, & effort,
Concentrating, wisdom, compassion & such.

Giving is giving away what you have,
And ethics is doing good to others.
Patience is giving up feelings of anger,
And effort is joy that increases all good.

Concentration's one-pointed, free of bad thoughts,
And wisdom decides what truth really is.
Compassion's a kind of high intelligence
Mixed deep with a love for all living kind.

The correlation verse:

Giving brings wealth, a good world comes from ethics;
Patience brings beauty, eminence comes from effort.
Concentration brings peace, and from wisdom comes freedom;
Compassion achieves everything we all wish for.

And the closing verse, the ultimate results of cultivating these imprints:

A person who takes all seven of these
And perfects them together will reach
That place of inconceivable knowledge,
No less than the world's protector.

The author interprets this commentary as follows.

• In order to see yourself do well in business and prosper financially, plant imprints for this in your subconscious by maintaining a generous state of mind.
• In order to see yourself in a world which is generally a very happy place, plant imprints for this in your subconscious by maintaining a very ethical way of life.
• In order to see yourself as physically healthy and attractive, plant imprints for this in your subconscious by refusing ever to get angry.
• In order to see yourself as a leader in both your personal life and in business, plant imprints for this in your subconscious by taking joy in constructive and helpful actions.
• In order to see yourself able to focus your mind steadily, plant imprints for this in your subconscious by practicing deep states of concentration, or meditation.
• In order to see yourself freed from a world where things don't work the way you want them to, plant imprints for this in your subconscious by learning the principles of hidden potential and mental imprints.
• In order to see yourself get all you ever wished for, and see others get all they ever wished for as well, plant imprints for this in your subconscious by cultivating an attitude of compassion toward others.

If you would like to learn more about these teachings, please visit the related website - Enlightened Business Institute.

2005 is one of the best years ever for your San Diego ASA Chapter. We have successfully sponsored a low-cost USPAP course, our ad is out in the San Diego Lawyers Directory, our meeting attendance has been up by about 25% over previous years, and we have many new potential members and advancements to higher designations. We also have a truly wonderful line-up of Officers for the coming year, who will be ready to work hard to provide our membership with high quality educational and marketing opportunities.

Our program/dinner cost has been at $20 since the early 1990’s. This is a real bargain for a professional meeting, as most of you know. Inflation has finally caught up with us, and to avoid loosing a significant amount of money every month (we were fine with losing a small amount!) meeting prices must be raised. Your Board will be considering the final cost of the meetings to attendees at the April Board Meeting at 5:00 PM prior to the Chapter meeting on April 19, 2005.

The cost increase is probably going to be $5 per person, raising the meeting cost to $25 per person. If attendance continues at its current healthy numbers, this nominal increase will probably put us back into a comfortable position with regard to the expense of the meeting to the Chapter versus the income from member attendees. This is still far below the prices I see for other professional dinner meeting costs. Please contact me or any Board Member with your comments and concerns about this necessary fee increase.

Georgie Stillman, ASA

Personal Property Committee Plan Ireland Trip

"A Portrait of Ireland: Treasures of the Emerald Isle" is the title of this year's Personal Property annual conference, scheduled for Sept. 28–Oct. 10, 2005. The conference, held in conjunction with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), will include travel to key areas important to Irish history, art and design.

Discount registration deadline is May 20. Contact Janella Smyth, ASA, at (919) 468-5557.

13th Annual Current Topics in Business Valuations 2005 Seminar

The New York City Chapter will present its 13th annual Current Topics in Business Valuations 2005 Seminar in New York City on Friday, May 6. The event, held at the Metropolitan Hotel, features numerous expert speakers covering topics including valuing early stage life science companies, valuing franchise and broadcast licenses under the new non-residual method and current issues in SAS 73 and 101 reviews.

For details about the ASA San Diego Chapter, contact information for Chapter Officers or to locate/contact an ASA designated appraiser to meet your needs, please visit our web site at SanDiegoAppraisers.org or call 1-619-781-8588.

President	Georgie M. Stillman, ASA	619-563-9000
1st Vice President	George LeBaron, ASA	619-898-4936
2nd Vice President	Kim Ufford, AM	619-238-1077
Secretary	Jo Ellen Cole, Candidate	760-758-8315
Treasurer	Pamela Bensoussan, ASA	619-420-7782
Immediate Past President	Paul Golubovs, ASA	619-804-0434
Governor, Region 9	Lee Ackermann, ASA	818-956-6616
District Deputy Director, Region 9	Georgie M. Stillman, ASA	619-563-9000

This newsletter is published (September through June) as a service to the ASA Members and the community it serves. If you would like to receive this publication, please contact Georgie Stillman - 619-563-9000.

Newsletter Editor - Georgie Stillman, ASA
Newsletter Published by G-Force Services