[StephenTucker]

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I am currently employed with the local county tax assesors office as a clerk and they are offering me a chance to go to school for them and hopefully become the next Chief Appraiser , all in a course of 5 years...Well, I am learning ht epolitical realm of this position everyday and thinking I want no part of this, but love the type of work I do..I have decided to go get my license on my own,although it is a little different than the one they offer through the county..I am having mixed feelings about becoming an appraiser.. I need some encouraging reasons from you all...Expectations of pay, employment opportunities other than self employed, time frame pay scale, and also thinking about learning the commercial side of this and wondering what else this involves to learn commercial..If I decide to do commercial part, would beach resort property be a good place to start... Thanks for all your input...Please feel free to add some things that I didn't touch base on....Thanks...look forward to the responses...

[Restrain]

1. Take their training. They're paying for it.

2. Use the time to make contacts. It can pay off big if and when you go out on your own.

3. Most Tax Appraiser training counts towards your required hours.

4. Your appraisal hours can count towards your required hours (check your state regs.)

5. Don't turn up your nose at a chief appraiser's job. The net may well exceed the typical appraiser's salary and you get benefits. I know for a fact that the larger districts in Texas pay well over the typical fee appraiser's net.

6. They're not trying to put the tax appraiser out of business. They are trying to put the independent fee appraiser out of business.

7. Don't be in a hurry to leave and go out on your own. It takes generally 2 years to get your license and it pays essentially minimum wage with no benefits.

8. As to employment other than self-employed, there's not a lot now. Landsafe is hiring staff appraisers (but they don't want people like me - too opinionated). World Savings also hires, but they don't pay well. There are fewer and fewer staff positions because lenders don't want to actually know that the values that they are lending on are bogus. They don't make the loan, they don't make the dough.

Finally, check the archives for various versions of "I want to be an appraiser - now what" that's on this website. It'll give you some tough-love responses.


Good luck.

Roger

[Mike Garrett, RAA]

A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.

Read the above post about six times. Consider the benefit package offered by government jobs as about 1/3rd of the total compensation.

Most civil servants I know are neither civil or servants. They work 9 ~ 5 Monday thru Friday.