Newbie Too

[samarkland]

Hi All,

I might as well introduce myself (before I start asking a thousand questions!). This is my first post, but I have already found the forums quite helpful. I am a 26 year old married woman in Louisiana. We have no children and aren't in any hurry for any. But, we do have one cat...Ghengis (care to guess his personality type?!). I am both a full-time college student and an appraiser trainee, hoping to complete the process to become certified before the new changes in '08. There are some sticky issues there, though, so that remains to be seen.

I worked for an appraiser for about 10 years (started in high school), the last stretch of time in the capacity of trainee. He was a wonderful man to work for, and I can only hope that I will become half the appraiser that he was. Anyway, I have another supervisor now, and we are trying to make a go of things. Again, that remains to be seen as well!

You guys seem to have a great thing going here, and I am sure that I will be partaking of your insight time and again. Thanks for this awesome site!

Sam :blush:

 

[Michigan CG]

You might as well start from the beginnng, and qualify for the 2008 requirements (but you have an advantage over prople who have no experience). In the long run it will benefit you and you will be better at your job.

There is a glut of appraisers who have no clue what they are doing, who work for an "appraisal mill" and hopefully will be eliminated in the near future.

There are thousands of "appraisers" who do not know what they are doing, and do not know that they do not know what they are doing. The onslaught of mortgage brokers (with no state required education or licensing) encouraged licensed appraisers to hire multiple "trainees" with no education and no supervision. The gravy train is ending.

If you want to enter the business learn more than you think you should, there will be people who tell you to just take the minimum requiremnts, how much do they value their job? If you want to be good in this abused business, be the best and the most educated.

There are too many residential appraisers getting screwed because of the lack of integrity of the mills. As a CG I pray for a change in the industry.

 

[samarkland]

Timothy,

Thanks for your reply, although I am a bit taken aback. I was merely introducing myself, and you basically tell me to restart everything I have done. I have been working at this for quite some time now, so I do not believe that I am one of the clueless that you speak of. Now, that is not to say that I do not still have a great deal to learn. On the contrary, I anticipate the learning process to be never-ending. Furthermore, I already have way more than the minimum education requirements, even as compared to the changes that will take effect in 2008. I am also working in close contact with certified appraisers who intend to continue helping me in any capacity that I may need even after I become certified. But, all of that is neither here nor there. As stated in my introduction, I do not even yet know whether I will be able to get the certification by D-Day anyway, due to extenuating circumstances.

Well, thanks again for the welcome...

Sam

 

[Marcia Langley]

Welcome, Sam, It sounds like you have been exposed to the industry for a long time. Good luck!

 

[Zero]

Welcome, Sam. I don't think Timothy was trying to put you down, just trying to offer honest opinions about the state of our professsion and a strategy to compete in a changing field. Good luck.

 

[stefan olafson]

Sam, Sometimes on this forum you have to have extra thick skin, some of the forumites test your metel, find out what you're like before they really welcome you.

After 28 years of wonderful experiences, I have to tell you it's a great job, just stay away from those in power, don't get them mad, don't tread on their territory or you'll get in trouble, guaranteed!!!!!