[Imladaris]

Hi,

I am a struggling trainee in the Bay Area with about 400 hours to my name, no current supervisor and not much work at all lately.

I saw a local job board website that had and ad for a District Manager at a appraisal company. They already have a staff of appraisers including trainees but don't need more.

However, the District Manager is leaving and I interviewed for it and was offered the job. The job is mostly clerical and involves dishing out orders to the appraisers, dealing with the lenders and mortgage brokers on the phone.


So..............what do you all think?

Is this a position that can benefit me if I continue to try and obtain my hours for my license or at least be a good education?

Thanks for your input everyone.

Matt B)

[Restrain]

Read ALL the appraisals. It should be a GREAT training tool for you.

Seriously, as a manager, you get the perks and don't have to get out in the rain.

Besides, I know more than one VP in charge of appraisals who didn't know diddly about appraising, so you're in good company.

Good luck.

[George Hatch]

You'll have the inside track on any job openings that come up. Your learning curve will be shorter as a result of your exposure to a lot of different appraisers handling a lot of different assignments.

I don't see a downside.

[Jon Liberatore]

I think it is a great job offer. TAKE THE JOB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![size=14]

[Lee in L.A.]

The job is mostly clerical and involves dishing out orders to the appraisers, dealing with the lenders and mortgage brokers on the phone.


So..............what do you all think?

Is this a position that can benefit me if I continue to try and obtain my hours for my license or at least be a good education?

Would you be doing any actual appraisals?
That's what you need to move past trainee license level.
Sounds more like a customer service job to me. Course if you're not working, it might be an "in".

[Bill Potts]

If you want to learn, as well as possibly get more hours, take the job. You will learn all aspects of the business from that position. Then, perhaps you can learn more about appraising.

I think it would be smart to offer to type some of the appraisals also. You would be able to get a feel for how experieinced appraisers handle different appraisal problems.

[Dee Dee]

Lee makes a good point. Unless the appraiser is making a significant contribution to the appraisals, Matthew won't be able to log any hours toward a license upgrade. Will agree that it's a foot in the door, though.

[CANative]

I got my start by managing the family appraisal practice. By the time I saw the handwriting on the wall that my dad was going to eventually poop out, I enrolled in appraisal classes and was light years ahead of the rest of the class and even some of the instructors.

Appraisal is a business and learning how the business runs as well as learning how to appraise go hand in hand if you're going to make it on your own.


Take the job.

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

I agree with the posters that say take the job! Appraising isn't just taking a few classes and start measuring houses and attempting to write "appraisal reports". Any and all experience in the real estate field should be experienced first before attempting to become a fee appraiser. I spent 14 years in assessor's offices which was very, very valuable background training--especially since it was such a small county there were only two employees so that meant I did everything in the office. Drafting, abstracting back to the original federal patent, sale ratios studies, measuring, explaining taxes to tax payers, explaining appraisal procedures, methods and techniques, calculating cost approach, research and verification, analysis of sales data, etc, etc, etc, etc. When I did change over to fee appraiser I was a trainee for about one week because my supervisor thought I was knowledgeable enough to forge onward on my own--with him reviewing the final product. If I had not had that 14 years of experience and knowledge I would have been in the trainee mode for years. (although I am still learning after an additional 23 years of fee appraising)

So take the job!

[Ryan Nyberg]

You get the point take the job. You will see what goes into appraising for most of the part. You will also know when an opening comes up. Will give you a better idea if appraising is for you without having to go through the hardships of training. Just do it.