7 Hour Online USPAP Class - Appraisal Institute Vs Mckissock Vs. Calypso

[Digger88]

Just finished my first Calypso USPAP class and it was much better than McKissock and half the price. 'Allowed' me to get through it without needlessly dragging it out like McKissock does and did I mention half the price?!? A cold call I almost hung up on said they are running a promo for $350ish I almost hung up but glad I didn't unless something drastically changes with the rest of the CE course I'm a convert

 

[ZZGAMAZZ]

Do you even read? USPAP isn't aimed at advancing an appraiser's skills. USPAP is primarily about the appraiser's conduct, both in terms of acting in the role and in accepting and performing assignments per the user's legitimate needs. USPAP has never been an instruction manual on how to perform a Cost Approach or support an adjustment.

Most of the control you're constantly whinging about isn't even part of USPAP itself, but originates in the terms and conditions of the assignments those lenders offer to appraisers.

As for appraisers being "inadequately trained" it is the clients and users who decide both what they need in an appraisal as well as which appraisers they're willing to do business with. Neither of which is within the purview or reach or grasp of TAF or it's ASB/AQB.

Moreover, appraisers choosing NOT to meet the requirements of their assignment is in no way the result of being UNABLE to meet those requirements as a result of it never being covered in their QE or their testing. If an appraiser was ever taught in a QE course how to develop a market conditions adjustment but they aren't making market conditions adjustments thats on the individual, not their QE instruction or the requisite testing.

Additionally, if an appraiser was instructed 10 years ago on how to develop a market conditions adjustment but they forgot the instruction via nonuse because their clients didn't care that fail is still on the individual and not on the QE course nor on the TAF-origin of the criteria that QE course was required to meet in order to be approved.

Grow up and try to act like an adult. If you've ever been stipped for something you know how to do then that was your own failing, not a failure of your training. Get a clue.

Sir, your prespective as always is painfully accurate. However, IMO the appraisal "training process" is speculative at best, and deterimental to the tradesperson at worst. Having completed a 3-year culinary apprenticeship program sponsored by the American Culinary Federation, a looon time ago, I"m relatively familiar with the concept. That program required an apprentice to be formally enrolled in an ACF-approved academic program that includes the vocational/culinary degree. Every apprentice must also be aligned with a certifeied chef who is approved by the ACF as a trainer. Students must complete the required courses to obtain an AA degree, and continually document their on-the-job employment that, to some degree, should correspond with the studetns' enrollment regime. Alternatively, the appraisal trainee is responsible to become affiliated with a certified mentor who must approve of the trainee's work--without ANY industry oversight of the trainer's credibility, or ANY documentation that the trainee's matriculation is satisfactory. That the entire trainee process typically is provided by only one licensed mentor poses the potential IMO as a tremendous shortcoming because a trainee consequently becomes aware of one particular perspective about virtually any & all aspect of the profession--although exceptions obviously exist, regarding trainers who value the trainee's long-term competence--but IMO that possibility almost ievitably is trumped by the trainer's desire to enhance revenue by hiring a stable of trainees. Been a long time since I was a trainee, and the training process has evolved since then....and I'm critsizing with providing a potential solution, and it appears too late in the game for it to matter much any more.... BTW my mentor literally is an expert who works endlessly, but the AF taught me more in the past few years than he [or any training program] could possibly provide. Unsure if this is a rant or not???

 

[TC]

When that happens, one unlucky soul will either face the music or become Eric Snowden's roommate. Nailing someone with initials will be a feather in my cap.

I'm a CPE.

 

[Zoe]

Live instruction can be the worst, but live instruction can also be exceptional depending on the level of interaction.

But let's be honest here; there is no delivery of this material that would have advanced your individual understanding or application thereof. You are merely complying with a checklist. Cooperate to graduate. Albeit on an entirely different basis than someone who has never actually engaged with the material and is still ignorant of it all even after just sitting through the instruction.

Yeah....... there is no way to cover all the material in a 14 hour course, much less a 7 hour update course. Sometimes on live courses, you are better off studying the manual while the class is off track.

If you are live online, you can do that also, but online without a instructor makes you study the material more and especially if a test is required.

 

[Zoe]

Do you get way off track in your USPAP courses @George Hatch.

LOL.

I have seen classes get way off track in live course (not online course).

Although some online courses are live.

Your opinion may vary. LOL

You George, probably say we need to get back on track here.

Do you want the certificate I sign? Okay, let's move on to the next topic. LOL

 

[Zoe]

I am not disrespecting you George. I appreciate the time you have spent.

However many live classes get off topic many times. That Sir is a fact. Especially if personal in class classes.

You seem hardcore to me is why I ask?

 

[TooMuchCoffeeGirl]

Late to the party but here's my take - McKissock on-demand classes are great because, if life gets in the way, you can get an extension without forking over more money, and it seems as though their original completion window is a little better than AI's. AI classes are essentially the same. It sure doesn't hurt to take an in-person or synchronous class on occasion. In that case, I highly recommend AI, and I'm not a member, candidate, or practicing affiliate so this is a completely unbiased opinion. There are some excellent AI instructors. I have a fav so if you want a name, DM me.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

I've done Calypso and I've done McKissock. I prefer Calypso by a wide margin. But in reality, I'd like to see all online CE banned...period.

Return to the classroom, local teachers, and think about this. How many teachers are willing to get the USPAP certifications to only teach maybe one live class a year? None. Soon we will have only one or two USPAP instructors per the handful of providers for the entire NATION. Maybe 10 people in total? Classes went from profitable not only for the teachers but for the local chapters of the societies who sponsored them. Next. Who is going to spend time developing a class without any financial incentive to do so? I know how much it takes to build a class. I developed several classes and only 2 of them were even profitable 20 years ago - my minerals class and a class on rural structures. The other 2 classes were taught exactly once by me and one class a couple times by another instructor.

This means online offerings are going to become the same old same dry, boring, and repetitive classes, and for all practical purposes completely pointless. You will learn nothing. You will waste your money except for the ability to renew your license. That's all it will be worth. Not even worth putting on your resume. Nothing new will be developed except for McKissock et al to repackage old garbage into new garbage.

For me, I just renewed my license for the last time. I'm out of here before I have to take another worthless CE course ever. And I learned more from developing my own 4 classes than all the other 50 or so CE classes I've attended over the past 30plus years combined.

 

[TC]

But Bill Gates said we won't need teachers in 10 years. Probably not appraisers either.

 

[Functional Obs]

I would greatly appreciate feedback about the differences between the Appraisal Institute, Mckissock, and Calypso 7-Hour Online USPAP classes. Which have you preferred, and why? I would like to know if anyone has taken the 7-Hour USPAP Update from the Appraisal Institute and if you could complete this class in approximately 7 hours. When I took the online Appraisal Institute Business Practices and Ethics class, it seemed much more time-consuming than I expected, requiring essays, many quizzes, etc. I could not complete the AI Business Practices and Ethics class in the allotted 6 hours, which has not happened in the past with any other online educational providers and classes. I now worry the Appraisal Institute 7-Hour USPAP Class will be the same. I have had no problem finishing the McKissock 7-Hour USPAP Class in 7 hours. Thank you for any insights you have to offer.

McKissock charges $20 for additional states ... For me, that's +$40 for each class. Not to mention McKissock is already $4 more than AI, and that's without the $25 discount that AI members get. McKissock seems to be all about the membership fees these days.

If you want to take lots and lots of classes, then go with McKissock, pay for a package deal. If you take classes like most people, one or two at a time, then shop around.... AI ends up being cheaper. I dn't know anything about Calypso ... just verify their state approvals, etc.