In Friday's TIMES

To Friends and supporters of the Frank Gregoire for Pinellas County Property Appraiser Campaign,

This I will post with little in the way of comments. Comments are permitted on the St. Petersburg Times website. All I can say is I am humbled by the incredible support from within this county, and across the state and nation. Thank you.

Please keep checking out that CONTRIBUTE button!

Pinellas appraiser GOP primary draws distant donations

By Will Van
Sant, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, August 1, 2008

Joe Thouvenell of Chicago backs Frank Gregoire in the Pinellas County
property appraiser race.

So does Jack Rawlings of Altoona, Pa., Dennis Badger of Lexington, Ky.,
and James Amorin of Austin, Texas.

All are private real estate appraisers who have inked checks to the
Gregoire campaign. Donors outside Pinellas have given $20,111 to Gregoire, 50 percent of his total take to date.

Full Story
HERE

August 5, 2008 - Reception - Interior Motives

You’re Invited to a Fundraising Reception

Frank Gregoire
for
County Property Appraiser
“ELECT A PROFESSIONAL APPRAISER FOR A CHANGE”

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
5:30 – 7:00 P.M.

Interior Motives Gallery
1110 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL
727-898-6061

Hosted By:
Council Members
Leslie Curran
and
Bill Dudley

Nancy Riley
Michael Bindman
Tina Harris
LuAnne Woods
Carol Hasbrouck
Amy Bromley
Amy Bofman

hors d'oeuvres – beer - wine
Please RSVP to

727-410-7065
frank@vote4frank.org

Election laws limit contributions to $500.00 per person or corporation
Contributions of any amount are helpful

www.vote4frank.org

CONTRIBUTE ONLINE

Monday's Times and the Rest of the Story

Monday's St. Petersburg Times will carry an editorial critical of a Campaign Piece mailed to absentee voters in Pinellas County.

Here is a preview.


Specifically, the editorial takes issue with a comparison made between me and my opponent.




The part of the mail piece referenced is reproduced above. It is a simple comparison with no conclusions; merely statements of fact. Frank Gregoire has been a licensed real estate broker for over 30 years and a Certified Appraiser since 1989.

Here is "The Rest of the Story"

The author of the editorial questioned me about this on Friday, July 25, 2008. In response, the following email was sent, explaining the reasoning.

I believe you called me earlier today with questions about the mail piece sent to absentee voters.

Here is some information to illustrate the difference between appraiser State-Certification and a Designation awarded by a state agency or professional association. The Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board, within the Department of Business and
Professional Regulation, licenses and certifies appraisers. The standards for certification are outlined in Florida Law and Rules of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board (FREAB).

http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/re/statutes.html

Florida law and rules of the FREAB must, as a minimum, meet the criteria established by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation. The Appraisal Foundation is the organization authorized by the US Congress as the source of Appraisal Standards and Appraiser Qualifications.

http://www.appraisalfoundation.org/s_appraisal/index.asp

http://www.appraisalfoundation.org/s_appraisal/sec.asp?CID=2&DID=2

Unlike a designation, state-certification requires completion of an approved national examination or equivalent. Also required is a period of training under the supervision of a State-Certified Appraiser. Both state-certification and designations require a course of instruction. Another important difference is required compliance with statutes and appraisal standards; the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Violation of the law, rules of the FREAB or of the USPAP Standards may result in significant penalties. No comparable penalties are imposed on a designee by the designating organization.

It should be noted that the professional association for mass appraisers, the International Association of Assessing Officers, is a sponsoring organization of the Appraisal Foundation.

Additionally, there are specific standards in the USPAP for mass appraisal development and reporting; Standard 6.

This comparison was made, in part, due to an editorial in the St. Petersburg Times and my letter to the editor sent in response.

State-Certification imposes ethical and legal requirements upon the individual to promote public trust. That is part of the distinction I attempted to illustrate.

----- A Times Editorial

No more Jim Smith episodes, please
In print: Saturday, April 12, 2008 http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article453504.ece
------
My Letter: April 12, 2008
RE: No More Jim Smith episodes, please

April 12, 2008

St. Petersburg Times Editor:

The conflict of interest described in the editorial and the need for a legislative solution made obvious by the bills introduced by Rep. Hooper (CS/HB 127) and Sen.
Fasano (SB 512), shines a light on the problem of non-certified appraisers being elected as County Property Appraisers.

Citizens easily recognize the conflict of interest inherent in a county property appraiser valuing their own property. It's probably not widely known that Certified appraisers (licensed by Florida) are held to a higher legal, ethical and professional standard. The Appraisal License Law and rules of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board require certified appraisers to follow the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). This volume of appraisal standards was developed by the Appraisal Standards Board of the Appraisal Foundation. The Appraisal Foundation is authorized by Congress as the source of Appraisal Standards and Appraiser Qualifications. USPAP controls the actions of certified appraisers, when the potential for conflict arises.

USPAP was developed to promote and preserve the public trust inherent in professional appraisal practice. There are at least three applicable Rules and
Standards Rules in the USPAP to prevent the situation Pinellas County citizens endured over the past year:

• The Conduct Section of the Ethics Rule – prohibits the communication of a misleading report

• Standards Rule 6-8 – requires a mass appraisal report to not be misleading

• Standards Rule 6-9 – requires the appraiser to disclose interest in properties appraised

Although the Florida Department of Revenue has not adopted USPAP, the citizens of Pinellas County expect and deserve their elected officials to go beyond the minimum required by law and avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. Without a requirement for the county appraiser to be certified and follow USPAP, the legislation proposed by Rep. Hooper and Sen. Fasano is a start toward ensuring citizens' expectations of the elected county appraiser are met.

-------

Hopefully, this answers your questions more completely. If not, please feel free to call me at 727-410-7065 anytime for clarification.

Thank you for your interest in protection of the public.
------------

Although I was thanked for the additional information, it looks like I have a lot to learn about how additional information is considered. In the future, we will be working to make sure the idea we intend to convey is done so with clarity.

As always, you must draw your own conclusions. Thank you for your support.

Frank

Reprise of the Lower Left Logo

Given the number of new visitors to the site and the interest in this event, it's entirely appropriate to bring attention to this post:

About that Logo in the Lower Left

Rice outraising Flowers; Gregoire and Dubov close

From the St. Petersburg Times

In the race for Pinellas County Property Appraiser, Republican Frank Gregoire
had a solid quarter, taking in $25,736, bringing his fundraising total to
$44,506. His primary opponent Pam Dubov, who has thrown slightly less of her own
money into the race than Gregoire, took in $9,247 in the quarter, bringing her
total to $42,882.

Full Story and comments HERE.

Thanks to everyone for their support of my Campaign for Pinellas County Property Appraiser. However, to assure Pinellas County elects a Professional Appraiser as Property Appraiser, it's time to expend extra effort for the next few weeks.

There's a CONTRIBUTE button over there on the left. Please make an effort to give a bit to the Campaign. Your $25 - $100 donation helps get the word out.

THANKS, in advance.

Frank

Candidate Appearance

CANDIDATE FORUM

The NAACP

Clearwater/Upper Pinellas Branch

invites you to a

Candidate Forum

Facilitated by the League of Women Voters North Pinellas County
Assisted by members of:
Clearwater Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
and
Nu Beta Omga Chapter of Alpha Kapa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Monday, July 21st at 6:00 pm
6:00 p.m – 6:45 p.m. Voter Registration, Vote-by-Mail Requests

and
Voting Machine Demonstrations

6:45 p.m. – 7:35 p.m. County Commission Candidates
7:45 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. Property Appraiser Candidates
8:15 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Sheriff Candidates
at
North Greenwood Recreational and Aquatic Center

900 Martin Luther King Avenue North

Clearwater, FL 33755

View Larger Map

Benefit for Wounded Armed Forces

Although this is not a Campaign event, these are friends of the Frank Gregoire for Pinellas County Property Appraiser Campaign, and we encourage your support.

The Cowboy Comedian is married to Patsy Gleason of Chicago Title. He presents the "Some Gave All" Tour August 20, 2008 at the Tampa Improv in Centro Ybor. Proceeds benefit the wounded warriors in the Tampa Bay Area through the Friends of the Tampa Bay Marines.

Tickets are only $10.00 in advance, $12.00 for the day of the show.

This is one entertaining way we can support troops who are all over the world protecting our freedom. This year alone, The Cowboy has entertained troops in Guam, Korea, Iraq and other places not included in any vacation package.

After being with the troops and visiting hospitals. He now brings his enthusiasm home to show everyone. Come to The Tampa Improv August 20th , and you will be helping in a very important way. Proceeds from the tickets sold will be donated to the Wounded Soldiers Program. Funds earned from this program go towards our local heroes in the military. So…grab a friend with your helping hand and have some great laughs while supporting the service men and women of the United States of America.

Details and tickets are available online right HERE. Please support this event.

Thanks,

Frank

Candidate Appearance

The North Pinellas Republican Club is is providing time for a Candidate Forum during their meeting on July 17th, 2008. Property Appraiser Candidates Frank Gregoire and Pam Dubov will make presentations and take questions from attendees.

The meeting is held at the Rheba Sutton White Chapel, 1190 Georgia Avenue, Palm Harbor, Florida. It starts at 7:00 P.M. Call 727-725-4241 for more details.

Here is some information about the Rheba Sutton White Chapel - LINK

To find the location, a map is available at this LINK

Everyone is welcome. We hope to see you there.

Thank You Governor Crist!

Excerpted from a June 17, 2008 letter from Governor Charlie Crist to Frank Gregoire........



"Serving as a member of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board and as Chairman, you have showcased dynamic leadership qualities and have enhanced the real estate industry here in the Sunshine State.


Your faithful service has helped to develop exceptional appraisal regulation in the Sunshine State. Thank you for selflessly giving of your time, knowledge, ans skills to ensure quality business practices in real estate."


Copy of the letter is HERE.

In Case You Were Wondering.....

Because of some news and mail, some folks might wonder a bit about the extent of my appraisal experience. Be assured, I have experience in the appraisal of property other than residential. Although my specialty since 1989 has been 1 - 4 family residential property, I have experience in residential, commercial (office, hotel-motel, retail) and industrial valuation.


A copy of my Appraisal Resume is available in the sidebar or by clicking HERE!


Most important, however, is the fact I have over 30 years of experience appraising right here in Pinellas County and have completed thousands of appraisals of property from Tierra Verde to Tarpon Springs.


Since 1976, I have been self-employed in the real estate profession and have been a full-time real estate appraiser since 1982. I have never been employed by Pinellas County or the Pinellas County Property Appraiser.

It's time to elect a Professional Appraiser, for a Change!

Campaign Website Update

The Frank Gregoire for Pinellas County Property Appraiser Campaign website is in the process of being updated. There have been some important additions over the past few days.



Take a look at http://www.vote4frank.org/ to see some of the additions. One of the first you will notice is "the Gregoire Guarantee".


Another addition is titled "What They're Saying about Frank". This includes links to letters from Governor Charlie Crist, Governor Jeb Bush and a Resolution adopted by the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board.

Soon to be added to this section is the list of Endorsements and Supporters. Although there have been additions to the "Endorsements" page, the list has yet to be been added. Here is a preview of those names:

Endorsements and Supporters

James Amorin, MAI, SRA, President-Elect, Appraisal Institute

Paul Amirto, Appraiser
Ben Anderson, Appraiser
Timothy Andersen, MAI

Dennis Badger, Appraiser, Investigator-Kentucky Real Estate Appraisers Board
Patricia Birch, Past Chair, Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board
Harry Bright, Appraiser

Bruce Buzzell, Appraiser
Bill Coffman, Appraiser
Earle "Jack" Crahan, MAI
Thomas Crockett, MAI, SRA
Bruce Cumming, Chair, Membership Admissions, Development and Retention
Paul DelleDonne, Appraiser
Brent Diehl, Appraiser
Robert Dunham, MAI, SRA
James Earle, Appraiser
Henry Entreken, MAI, SRA
Ted Faravelli, Appraiser
Robert E. Galliher, MAI, SRA, GAA
Phil Gehres, MAI, SRA
H. Linwood Gilbert, MAI
John Gillott, MAI, SRA
Karen Goforth, MAI
Bob Gorman, MAI
Joni Herndon, SRA, Chair, Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board

Tom Hockensmith, SRA
Andrew Hupp, MAI
Patricia Kathman, Appraiser
William Barry Kelley, SRA

Debbie LaJeunesse, Appraiser, Past Chair Wyoming Certified Real Estate Appraiser Board

Charles Ledet, Appraiser
Leslie McKeon, MAI, SRA
Steve Marshall, MAI, SRA, Past Chair, Region X, Appraisal Institute
James Millspaugh, MAI
Stephanie Monaghan, Appraiser
Evalyn "Fran" Oreto, Past President National Association of Master Appraisers

Mack Provart, Appraiser, Past Chair Wyoming Certified Real Estate Appraiser Board
R. Wayne Pugh, MAI, President, Appraisal Institute

Janet Rabin, Appraiser
Gina Rascati, SRA
Jack Rawlings, GAA

Dan Richardson, PhD, MAI, AICP
Mike Rogers, MAI
Donald Rousseau, Appraiser
Donald Sarley, SRA, Chair, Florida Appraisal Council

David Sawyer, Appraiser
Sam Slater, RAA
Eric Schwartz, MAI, SRA
Jay Small, Esq., Past Chair, Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board
Joe Thouvenell, MAI, CRE
C. Richard Tobias, MAI
Joe Traynor, Past President, Indiana Association of Realtors, Member, Appraisal Foundation Board of Trustees, Chairman, Indiana Real Estate Appraisers Licensure and Certification Board
Joyce Tubb, GAA
Joan Trice, SRA
Chris Van Slooten, SRA
Steve Van Slyke, Appraiser
Jesse Vance, MAI, SRA, Chair, Region X, Appraisal Institute
Carl Velie, SRA, Vice Chair, Region X, Appraisal Institute

Robert Vespa, IFA, ASA
Andrew Wheaton, Appraiser
Judith Whitehead, Appraiser
Danny Wiley, SRA, Past Chairman Appraisal Standards Board
Cynthia Wright, MAI

Don Asher, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Chuck Bonfiglio, President, Florida Association of Realtors
Claude "Chip" Boring, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Todd Dantzler, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Michael Dooley, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Roger Enzor, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors, Member, Florida Real Estate Commission
Summer Greene, Secretary, Florida Association of Realtors

Russell Grooms, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Bob Hudgens, Treasurer, Florida Association of Realtors
Dale Jundt, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Jim Kasper, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Mike Owen, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Nancy Riley, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors, State Committeewomen, Pinellas County
Cynthia Shelton, CRE, President Elect, Florida Association of Realtors
Maurice (Moe) Veissi, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors

Harry Vordermeier, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors, Past Chairman, Florida Real Estate Commission
William Watson, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors
Cathy Whatley, Past President, Florida Association of Realtors, Past President, National Association of Realtors

Richard Butler, Vice-Mayor, City of Pinellas Park
Leslie Curran, St. Petersburg City Council

Neva Conway, Esq., Counsel, Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board
Henry Faircloth, Chair, North Carolina Real Estate Appraisal Board
Dr. Robert Melby
Dr. Jack Ross

Frank Gregoire Supporters

Meet two of the most ardent supporters of the Frank Gregoire for Pinellas County Property Appraiser Campaign!

Donald and Claire Gregoire

THANKS!!

Donald Gregoire, my Father, is the FIRST Generation Real Estate Broker, Certified Appraiser, Real Estate and Appraisal Instructor of the Gregoire family. I was fortunate to have been trained and mentored by one of the best and to have the honor of continuing the family business. Thanks Dad.

Crist is engaged

CRIST IS ENGAGED

ST. PETERSBURG - Florida’s most powerful bachelor is getting hitched.
Gov. Charlie Crist, single for nearly three decades, on Thursday became engaged to his girlfriend of nine months, Carole Rome.

(Full Story)

Congratulations, Governor Crist!!

I have some news for you all too, but will just give you a picture for the time being

About That Logo in the Lower Left

Some of you may have noticed the logo posted in the lower left hand corner of this site. It's been there since this site has been titled "Frank Gregoire for Pinellas County Property Appraiser".

The event prompting the posting of the logo and the link to the Florida DUI and Administrative Suspension Laws is well known to my friends, members of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board, any student in one of my appraisal classes, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. In fact, this event was discussed the day I made the announcement of my candidacy for Pinellas County Property Appraiser.


This was during my presentation at the Appraisal Buzz Mortgage Fraud Seminar at the St. Petersburg Hilton on January 18, 2008. There were at least three reporters present; Susan Taylor Martin of the St. Petersburg Times, Shannon Behnken of the Tampa Tribune and Terry Sheridan of the Daily Business Review.

Here's the story:

Specifically, this was an arrest for Failure to Maintain Lane, Driving Under the Influence on August 11, 2002. On February 6, 2003, I plead No Contest and was adjudicated guilty. My penalty consisted of a fine and court costs of $578.00, 50 hours of Community Service, completion of Alcohol Evaluation and DUI School, one year probation and 6 month revocation of my driver’s license.

On February 6, 2003, the same day as my plea, the fine was paid, the community service obligation was fulfilled, I was released from probation and issued a business only driver’s license. The alcohol evaluation and DUI School were completed before the pleading and conviction, in September 22, 2002.

Six months after the plea, I was issued my permanent driver’s license with no restrictions.

Since the arrest, I have significantly altered my behavior and no longer consume alcohol and drive. In addition, in public presentations, course and seminars I conduct, the story of my arrest and experience is usually worked into the program, along with the dangers of driving under the influence and the potential for injuring or killing of innocent people.

This arrest occurred while I was a member of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board (FREAB). It was disclosed to the Florida Governor and his appointments office when I applied for re-appointment to the FREAB. The Governor re-appointed me to the FREAB in February, 2004.

Since it's not possible for me to relate the story to everyone personally, nor give them my pitch about the dangers of driving while under the influence, I post the logo and the link on this site.


Please stay safe this Fourth of July Holiday Weekend. Let's celebrate our freedom and liberty and arrive alive.

Hug a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine!

Frank

UPDATE!!

After reading the post above, one of the speakers at the Mortgage Fraud Seminar described above emailed me on another matter. I called to provide him some contact information for a speaker for an event he has in the works. We talked about the St. Petersburg Times article and the comments I made during the seminar. What I did not know was how seriously drunk driving impacted his family. His Father in Law was killed by a drunk driver several years ago.

This IS serious, folks. You, someone in your family or someone close can be killed or seriously injured. Please be careful and be responsible. At the very least, take a look at the penalties for this type of offense. It's easy to comply with the law.

Thank you, Chris, for telling me your story.

Pinellas Realtor® Organization Recommends Gregoire

From an email sent to members of the Pinellas Realtor® Organization June 30, 2008:

Pinellas Realtor® Organization Board of Directors Recommends Candidates

The PRO Board of Directors recommends the following candidates to the membership for election in the following political races:

Pinellas County Property Appraiser:

Frank Gregoire

The candidate screening panel spent over sixteen hours interviewing all the candidates and discussing issues important to REALTORS® and the real estate industry.

The recommended candidates have impressive backgrounds and experience and they are all knowledgeable of and supportive of real estate issues important to PRO members.

The questions were very pointed and included the following topics:

County Property Appraiser: Implementing new appraisal laws, highest and best use, administrative and policy changes, and ethics.

Thank You, Board of Directors of the Pinellas Realtor® Organization!