Leland T. Bookhout, SRA, MAI
Lee was raised on a dairy farm in central New York and, on some level, has always been a farm boy at heart. His uncompromising commitment to excellence in all that he does earned him a reputation across New York state and beyond as one of the great minds of his generation in real estate valuation and as an appraiser who is meticulous in his work and insightful in his analysis. “Lee has taught me all that I know in the appraisal business, and that is hardly scratching the surface of his immense body of knowledge and experience,” says Rob Schott of Dewan & Schott. “That’s why it was so important to Michael and me that we be able to continue our association with Lee even into his retirement, and why we’re so glad that he has agreed to fill the informal role of mentor, as well as the formal role of consultant to DeWan & Schott Appraisal Associates, LLC.”
Since starting his real estate practice in 1963, Lee has taken on a multitude of assignments for a very wide array of clients in the financial, commercial, legal, nonprofit and governmental sectors. In addition to his renown as an appraiser, Lee is known nationally as an instructor of real estate appraisal theory and principles. In 1970 he received the SRA designation from the Society of Real Estate Appraisers, followed in the next three years by the SREA, SRPA, and the MAI designations, achieving all of the highest distinctions for appraisers. He has made a career of exceeding clients' expectations and delivering on his commitment to be fair, unbiased, and objective in his analyses.
In early 2008, after nearly 45 years in practice, Lee will be formally retiring and pursuing other interests. He is the proud grandfather of 6, including a new granddaughter, Faith, with whom he intends to spend as much time as possible. “We’ll be focusing on family and enjoying our good fortune and good health. We may spend more time visiting my son out in Arizona; we may build a little getaway near the old family farm upstate, and I would like to learn the art of caning chairs in my free hours, but all the while I hope to be keeping my brain sharp by continuing to do an occasional appraisal when a particularly interesting job comes my way, and I’ll certainly be mentoring and consulting for DeWan & Schott. I have every confidence in their abilities and dedication to this profession. Michael has been with L.T. Bookhout, Inc. since 1993, and has excelled at every kind of assignment he has taken. In the four years since Rob has joined the firm, he has proven himself to be consistently thorough and insightful, and has drawn high praise from our clients and reviewers of his work. It is especially rewarding to me to be able to retire and be comfortable and enthusiastic in recommending these two, as they step up to the opportunities and challenges facing the appraisal industry.” Of Lee, Michael DeWan says, “It has been my good fortune and distinct pleasure to work side by side with him through the years. He has set the bar very high, and Rob and I are committed to maintaining those standards as we build our own practice.”