Just curious about trainees

[The Warrior Monk]

Currently they're requiring an 2-year degree and another couple years of working for no/low pay. If you're going to put people through a training process that's nearly a 4-year program there's going to have to be an appropriate reward there; equivalent to a 4 year degree. At this point there's not.

I don't believe this to be true.

First, the low/no pay part of the market, in my experience, is limited to a certain segment of the residential market. There is a huge oversupply of appraisers in that segment, along with a decreasing supply of work.

Second, I have a 4-year college degree, plus completed several other 2-year college programs. I could be working in the science, engineering, or computer field. I chose appraising because I can make more money in this field...but, of course, not in the segment that AMCs service.

Don't mismatch skill set with client pool. If you have a four-year degree, get your general certification and/or do specialty work.

 

[Krystal Schware]

The company I work for still does.....he has three actually. It keeps him hopping, that's for sure. Always an inspection to do or a question to answer....but the income made allows him to whatever he wants, whenever he wants, all year long. I guess that makes the crazy Monday through Friday headache worth the while.

 

[Krystal Schware]

Just a PS..I agree with the quote that I saw from Metamorphic. I have been thinking the same thing for some time. Now that they have upped the ante on what it takes to become an appraiser, I can't see why anyone would waste their time and money.....unless they already have a degree. The financial rewards, especially in a market like we are seeing now, do not support putting out that kind of time and money. So, the appraisal profession is going to see a huge drop in the number of appraisers coming on board after those who are grandfather in to the new requirements pass their test.

 

[Karl]

The company I work for still does.....he has three actually. It keeps him hopping, that's for sure. Always an inspection to do or a question to answer....but the income made allows him to whatever he wants, whenever he wants, all year long. I guess that makes the crazy Monday through Friday headache worth the while.

And how long has he been doing appraising???

 

[Metamorphic]

Sorry if you were offended by my comments. I haven't been appraising very long, but I have been around, and I know something that's broke when I see it. I don't think I can change the world, but I know I've got a better shot at it than cranky dogmatists who offer personal attack instead of reasoned debate, and cant even bother to defend the status quo in the process.

The reticence to discuss any new ideas in this thread is quite astonishing to me. I joined this forum to glean some knowledge that I can can contrast with what I'm learning from my supervisor. (Sorry, but I'm going to have to interject another dumb *** newbie opinion here: I think its a really bad idea to in trust all my education in one person, who's working without a curriculum, training as an instructor, or certification of the ability to teach, and who's primary qualification to teach is that he's the only guy I could find that would even consider taking on a trainee. But hey, that's just me and I'm ignorant that way.) Its my hope that over time I'll be able to contribute from my knowledge and life experiences. Right now all I have to contribute is 15 years of experience as an environmental consulting geologist (a process not dissimilar to the appraisal process, just a lot more complicated, with more data, more scrutiny of your work, and more at stake), some hard won technical writing skills, and a fresh perspective on what its like to go through the current appraiser training system.

I'll just keep all my crazy ideas to myself now so the big dogs can talk about how when they got their grandfathered appraisers license they had to fill out the paper work by candelight, and then they had to walk 10 miles up hill in the snow both ways to the mail box and they were glad to do it.

 

[Metamorphic]

Don't mismatch skill set with client pool. If you have a four-year degree, get your general certification and/or do specialty work.

Maybe my understanding of the Commercial appraisal world is not correct, but I'm given to understand that it is much more of a corporate/team/office endeavor. I spent too many years of my life sitting in an office working of for somebody else. Right now I'm motivated to walk the self-employed path. Maybe I'll change my mind at some point.

 

[TC]

I think its a really bad idea to in trust all my education in one person, who's working without a curriculum, training as an instructor, or certification of the ability to teach, and who's primary qualification to teach is that he's the only guy I could find that would even consider taking on a trainee.

I'll just keep all my crazy ideas to myself now so the big dogs can talk about how when they got their grandfathered appraisers license they had to fill out the paper work by candelight, and then they had to walk 10 miles up hill in the snow both ways to the mail box and they were glad to do it.

Luckily, I only had to walk 5 miles up hill in the snow, so I guess I had it easy. As to being grandfathered, didn't happen in Pennsylvania, we all started from square one when they went to certification. Those of us that had already spent 3 years to obtain a broker's license had to sit for the exam.

As to the current mentor/trainee system, I agree, it is not the best way to learn the biz. I was lucky and started with a firm of 6 full time appraisers, worked with a different one everyday. I don't know if I can name more than 3 companies in my area that are that large these days. I know a few appraisers that have kicked around the idea of hiring a trainee and splitting the cost, not the best solution, but if you come up with a better one, post it.

TC

 

[George Hatch]

A large percentage of commercial appraisers do work as employees at various governmental, corporate and appraisal firm environments. However, there remain a lot of independent operators. The difference is that the scope of practice for a commercial appraisers is so much broader (lots of completely different property types) that the learning curve is a lot longer. Simply put, it takes a lot longer to gain the proficiency to work alone on this side of the business than it takes on the residential end.

The other distinction is that it takes more resources (data, experience, etc) to be viable as an independent entity, which makes it easier to justify pooling those resources by working in groups. When combined with the learning curve, those are the main reasons why there is still a higher percentage of team environments in commercial appraising.

BTW, nobody got grandfathered into licensure, even at the beginning. Everyone had to be able to document the requisite qualifying education and experience hours. The main difference between pre-licensing and post-licensing appraisal practice is that the junior appraisers tended to spend more years working for others prior to going out on their own prior to licensing than became common after licensing. Back in the day, clients didn't just deal with any warm body that could call themself an appraiser - it was very difficult to accumulate enough clients and approvals with the lenders to become a viable independent operator. I think a lot of the post-1992 appraisers have a somewhat distorted view of what the appraisal business was like prior to licensing.

 

[The Warrior Monk]

BTW, nobody got grandfathered into licensure, even at the beginning.

That is 100% correct. I took my first commercial course through AIREA back in 1991...with one of my current commercial mentors. He had been appraising since sometimes in the 1970s, but didn't have all his coursework required under licensing. Some states (including my own) appear to have been a little lax in verifying experience, simply because they were overwhelmed.

 

[Kali the Boston Terrier]

I'll just keep all my crazy ideas to myself now so the big dogs can talk about how when they got their grandfathered appraisers license they had to fill out the paper work by candelight, and then they had to walk 10 miles up hill in the snow both ways to the mail box and they were glad to do it.

Quit your belly aching! I got in after licensing, slaved as a trainee in both the commercial and residential worlds. You do it like the rest of us did and after awhile you'll understand that the process (although far from perfect) builds character and a great foundation for success later on in your career.

If you left your previous job to be self employed...did you pick appraising after you decided to be self employed or before?