Appraisal Education

[VOOman]

I just started my appraisal training courses at a local junior college here in CA. Anyone else in this forum doing the same?

 

[George Hatch]

Not really. Most of the junior people we get in here have already gone through the entry level courses and have passed the licensing test to get their trainee license.

Since you're a new student please allow me to provide you with a piece of unsolicited advice: If your instructor or anyone else starts making noise about there being an urgent need for new appraisers, that is a lie. It's untrue. False to the point of being abusive to the students. Anyone here on this forum or in most any other forum will confirm that fact if you ask them directly.

If your instructors tell you that appraisers as a group are all old and that some of them are leaving the business every year then that part is true. But the demand for services is declining faster than our numbers, and some of those veterans are actually getting starved out of the business for lack of work.

I'm not trying to be mean to you, that's just the way it is.

 

[VOOman]

Not really. Most of the junior people we get in here have already gone through the entry level courses and have passed the licensing test to get their trainee license.

Since you're a new student please allow me to provide you with a piece of unsolicited advice: If your instructor or anyone else starts making noise about there being an urgent need for new appraisers, that is a lie. It's untrue. False to the point of being abusive to the students. Anyone here on this forum or in most any other forum will confirm that fact if you ask them directly.

If your instructors tell you that appraisers as a group are all old and that some of them are leaving the business every year then that part is true. But the demand for services is declining faster than our numbers, and some of those veterans are actually getting starved out of the business for lack of work.

I'm not trying to be mean to you, that's just the way it is.

Hey George, nice to meet you. I appreciate all opinions and advice.

Thanks for the heads up. I doubt the teacher will be saying anything to any of us given all the courses are online. Doubt I will ever see the instructor in person or on video besides the proctored final exam. Which is unfortunate, because in person instruction is so much better in my opinion. On this topic though, are you in So. Cal?

As for too many qualified appraisers for the amount of work. I feel this is the same in all industries, except for maybe nursing. I was a commercial lender for 13 years and there was never enough banks hiring for how many qualified lenders there were.

The thing that gets me though, is that I have spoken to a few local appraisers about possibly training under them and each one of them has told me that they are too busy and don't have the time to train a trainee. If work loads are low or slow across the board, this must be some BS.

 

[Red Flint]

Call Gary DeWeese for advice on the best current way to accomplish your strategic plan. Good luck.

 

[Funky Obsolescence]

I'd suggest becoming a commercial appraiser at an assessing office. You don't need to be a certified general. They will pay for your assessor education, much of the same stuff as a certified general but less of the extra crap. Government work. 40 hours per week. Benefits. In my opinion, you can't beat it. I make as much if not more than I did when I was a certified general working in the private sector.

 

[VOOman]

Call Gary DeWeese for advice on the best current way to accomplish your strategic plan. Good luck.

Hi Red Flint, nice meeting you.

Not familiar with Gary DeWeese... Who is he?

 

[VOOman]

I'd suggest becoming a commercial appraiser at an assessing office. You don't need to be a certified general. They will pay for your assessor education, much of the same stuff as a certified general but less of the extra crap. Government work. 40 hours per week. Benefits. In my opinion, you can't beat it. I make as much if not more than I did when I was a certified general working in the private sector.

Hey Funky, nice meeting you.

Thanks for the suggestion, but one of the big draws to appraisal is that I can work for myself. Working for myself, I can prioritize my time and schedule. Nothing wrong with the 9-5 though, I did that for 13 years.

 

[Red Flint]

appraisalinstitute.org >find

 

[CommonSense]

I just started my appraisal training courses at a local junior college here in CA. Anyone else in this forum doing the same?

Drop these courses. This is Dying profession. You will thank Me in the end. I told my own Daughter to go nowhere near the The Valuation space

 

[Raven59]

I wish you good luck in your venture. I've loved my journey in the profession, good and bad. Your opportunities are narrowing if you go mainstream. Consider specialization and aligning yourself with that type of supervisor. Even public routes are excellent choices, like an assessor or highways department. Something that would build a base where there are few competitors. Many of these alternative career paths need new blood. They generally have a lower entry income threshold but are great for creating the base.

Pick your path or allow someone else (mainstream) to pick it for you. Your selection of a supervisor is the most important decision of your career.