AQB Update On Proposed Changes To Appraiser Qualifications

[Mr Rex]

The problem is that I am unaware of any good and workable solution to address the issue of weak/corrupt supervisors

An internship type set up with education and monitoring via the AI as an online pseudo college. The prior "Appraisal Related" college level courses prior to entering the intern program and staged requirements of the required Appraisal courses over the 2 year internship. With monitoring from an outside entity it would be easy to vet the supervisors that aren't up to par.

 

[The Warrior Monk]

So AMC fees, run away SOW, ridiculous turn times, etc. aren't the problem? You can't have it both ways.

I'm not. The AMCs fees, run away SOW, ridiculous TTs, etc. are the other half of it; AMCs are accelerating their own problems. And it is exactly what I stated years ago pertaining to this issue. College grads aren't going to put up with being paid peanuts for this type of aggravation; they'll make more money with less aggravation elsewhere. I expected that people would retire and or quit, and college grads won't put up with BS, and that there would be a squeeze on AMCs. This isn't even a prediction; it's common sense.

 

[timd354]

I think it is impossible for any national course type of program can prepare someone to handle local things. Even basic things like where to find certain info and how to interpret some of the data. I cover 3 or 4 counties and the way I get certain info and how I interpret the data is different in each county. Like one county uses ANSI. Another county doesn't. One county sometimes notes finished attic space separately sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. The list goes on and on. Local training is necessary.

I think that someone who is intelligent and appropriately trained can figure out all of that pretty quickly

BTW, you are in Maryland, so I am interested in your contention that some counties use ANSI and some don't and that some counties note finished attic space separately than other counties considering that all real estate assessments in the state of Maryland are performed by state employees who work for the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) and are bound to follow the procedures outlined in the MARYLAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE MANUAL . While there are some inconsistencies in the data in every county, I found most of the assessment data in the sate of Maryland to be better and more consistent than what you get in other places with the exception of Baltimore City which, due to the much of the housing stock being 100+ years old, has a lot of inaccurate data.

 

[timd354]

The supervisors sign every single report their trainees participate in, and are 100% responsible for the content.

What difference does that make when the supervisor's own content is typically sh*t? One of the biggest problem with the regulation of our profession is that most boards have not a good job of ridding the profession of incompetent and/or unethical appraisers and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I am not saying that the proposed practicum path to licensing is necessarily the right answer, but it is pretty tough to just dismiss it out of hand as a possible solution when most people acknowledge that the current appraiser training system has not worked very well.

 

[gregb]

I'm not. The AMCs fees, run away SOW, ridiculous TTs, etc. are the other half of it; AMCs are accelerating their own problems. And it is exactly what I stated years ago pertaining to this issue. College grads aren't going to put up with being paid peanuts for this type of aggravation; they'll make more money with less aggravation elsewhere. I expected that people would retire and or quit, and college grads won't put up with BS, and that there would be a squeeze on AMCs. This isn't even a prediction; it's common sense.

There is more than enough market evidence that AMC's in 47 states are able to place their orders with appraisers for peanuts, and with their tat's and absurd assignment conditions and payment schedules. The AMC's moving to hire staff appraisers at $17 per hour represents their effort to perpetuate their business model, without giving up any of their percentage of the appraisal fee paid by the borrower. Do I blame the AMC, no. Do I blame the lender/client, not really. Yeah, I blame the appraisers for continuing to accept the assignments.

 

[Joe Flacco]

I think that someone who is intelligent and appropriately trained can figure out all of that pretty quickly

BTW, you are in Maryland, so I am interested in your contention that some counties use ANSI and some don't and that some counties note finished attic space separately than other counties considering that all real estate assessments in the state of Maryland are performed by state employees who work for the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) and are bound to follow the procedures outlined in the MARYLAND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE MANUAL . While there are some inconsistencies in the data in every county, I found most of the assessment data in the sate of Maryland to be better and more consistent than what you get in other places with the exception of Baltimore City which, due to the much of the housing stock being 100+ years old, has a lot of inaccurate data.

I only cover Montgomery in Maryland. I also cover DC, Arlington, and Fairfax.

Even looking at Montgomery County only, sometimes they include partially below grade levels for split levels in GLA and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they include attic level and sometimes they don't. You have to look at the breakdown of the calculations and interpret it.

 

[timd354]

I only cover Montgomery in Maryland. I also cover DC, Arlington, and Fairfax.

Even looking at Montgomery County only, sometimes they include partially below grade levels for split levels in GLA and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they include attic level and sometimes they don't. You have to look at the breakdown of the calculations and interpret it.

I did not know that you covered only one county in Maryland. I am a native of Montgomery County and do agree that split level GLA calculations in the public records there (and the other Maryland Counties) are inconsistent and need to be looked at carefully by the appraiser.

 

[George Hatch]

What difference does that make when the supervisor's own content is typically sh*t? One of the biggest problem with the regulation of our profession is that most boards have not a good job of ridding the profession of incompetent and/or unethical appraisers and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I am not saying that the proposed practicum path to licensing is necessarily the right answer, but it is pretty tough to just dismiss it out of hand as a possible solution when most people acknowledge that the current appraiser training system has not worked very well.

I like the idea of Practicum just fine- but as an "AND", not as an "OR".

 

[djd09]

Not to change the subject but i think there should be votes on all appraisal related issues. No more dictators.

 

[timd354]

I like the idea of Practicum just fine- but as an "AND", not as an "OR".

There is definitely some merit in that argument. Possibly, successful completion of the practicum, followed by 1 year/1,000 hours working as a trainee as opposed to 2 years/2,000 hours working as a trainee to become licensed would produce better results.