The Appraisal Institute will be holding its newest seminar, An Introduction to Valuing Green Buildings on June 24. Designed for appraisers, developers, investors and other real estate professionals, this seminar will explore the history and progress of the green building movement in the U.S. as well as how buildings held for investment relate to the larger green building universe. The analysis and valuation of green building for investment purposes are also examined. "Green building practices are evolving into the standard benchmark for development in commercial and residential marketplaces," said Wayne Pugh, MAI, president of the Appraisal Institute. "This seminar provides real estate professionals across the board with the tools to understand the relevance, potential investment risks and long-term benefits of green building practices." Created as a seven-hour seminar, An Introduction to Valuing Green Buildings addresses sustainable building practices from the ground up - from design principles to cost-benefit analysis to implications for the valuation process. Also included for review are case studies of recently completed green buildings, which illustrate the real-world application of covered concepts. "Participants in this seminar will receive up-to-date information relating to the science and expertise being applied in contemporary building practices," said Pugh. "Sustainable building is not the practice of the future, it's the practice that's already here." The seminar will be held at the Hyatt Regency Austin. Participants will receive seven hours of Appraisal Institute continuing education credit as well as seven hours of state continuing education credit. (Check with your state board for state approval information.) The cost to enroll is $250. Also on June 24, the Appraisal Institute will be featuring its recently developed seminar, Appraisal Challenges: Declining Markets and Sales Concessions. Designed to help residential real estate appraisers recognize shifts in markets with depreciating property values, this seven-hour program will discuss the proper techniques as well as pitfalls and procedures encountered in valuing residential real property in today's markets. Participants in this seminar will receive seven hours of Appraisal Institute continuing education credit as well as seven hours of state continuing education credit.