AQB Update On Proposed Changes To Appraiser Qualifications

[Ken Masla]

I think there are still some states (or at least there used to be) that allow you to be a lawyer if you pass the bar exam - no college. Seems logical to me. Make the test as tough as it needs to be and those that cant pass do not enter. Fair. Simple. For appraisers there is another element in play. Experience. There is something that happens after an appraiser has seen a certain number of houses and analyzed a certain number of sales. This is in my opinion the most significant piece of the competency puzzle.

In California, you can take the BAR with no college. Pretty much apprenticeship for several years if I recall correctly.

Can you imagine how much more competent that lawyer would be compared to a kid who just got out of law school?

 

[Ken Masla]

I agree that there likely is no connection between ethical conduct and weather an appraiser has a college degree

 

[jay trotta]

I agree that there likely is no connection between ethical conduct and weather an appraiser has a college degree

I hear my family teacher members screaming about finger nails on the blackboard.....its just that....hmmmm (just breaking the rock pile up)

PS: You can teach writing skills, the Ethics Rule ?.....you either have it or you don't.

 

[Meandering]

Over the years I've known several competent CGs whose academic education stopped as HS and Associates degrees.

I don't know any CGs who are less-than-literate. Of course, the last I heard the aggregate fail rate for the income cap courses is still up in the 50% range, so there's that.

Oh I believe that one.

I took it while my dad was doing Chemo.
I was only able to half way paid attention, but was struck by recognizing some basic things just weren't taught and really should have been. But honestly, it was so long ago and at such a bad time for me, I can't give the course any critique, because as I said, I could only half way pay attention at that time.


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[timd354]

I hear my family teacher members screaming about finger nails on the blackboard.....its just that....hmmmm (just breaking the rock pile up)

PS: after some thought, a friend of mine never graduated HS, but owns some auto dealerships, owns his own Jet and a truckload of properties. Have no idea if he could write to your expectations, but I'm positive he knows "cash flow" and how to generate it. At the time when I grew up, most opted to leave school for various reasons, and quite a few became very successful. You can teach writing skills, the Ethics Rule ?.....you either have it or you don't.

So what? We can all come up with examples of very successful people with low levels of education and people with high levels of education who are complete failures However, that does not change the fact that people with higher levels of education are generally more successful, and generally have better writing skills and better critical thinking skills than people with lower levels of education. Anyone who believes otherwise is just fooling themselves and not living in the real world.

 

[timd354]

Okay, so I made a typographical error in a post on an internet bulletin board...BFD, and it does not change the truth of what I stated.

 

[timd354]

Over the years I've known several competent CGs whose academic education stopped as HS and Associates degrees.

I don't know any CGs who are less-than-literate. Of course, the last I heard the aggregate fail rate for the income cap courses is still up in the 50% range, so there's that.

There is at least one CG who lacks the ability to reason in a logical manner and and does not demonstrate the ability to write in a coherent manner....that person is typically one of the leading posters here on the AF most months

 

[Meandering]

I but I do think it is likely that a person with a college degree is more likely to have acceptable writing skills and an increased ability to critically think than someone without a college degree, but of course there are always exceptions.

Yup, yup,

Those of us that write narrative reports for a living are so impressed that those with educated critical thinking skills have analyzed the situation and critically thought out that a fireplace is not worth an extra $1,000.

So impressive!

Oh, wait, maybe their college degree will assist their critical thinking about whether or not a cul-de-sac location warrants a price premium over other location types.

Wait, I know,

Youse educmacated people, put your degrees together and let the rest of us know if having the basement finished is worth $5,000 or just $35.00 per sf, or maybe it’s just too market dependent and you lost your copy of the Big Book of Adjustments.



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[Meandering]

There is at least one CG who lacks the ability to reason in a logical manner and and does not demonstrate the ability to write in a coherent manner....that person is typically one of the leading posters here on the AF most months

You are welcome to come tag along with my industrial park appraisal if you like, but understand, I'm not going to pay anyone smarter than me, who's going to tell me how to do my job, when I'm the one signing for the work.

It should be fairly easy now that the market is in a lull before they get all their legalized medical mary jane licenses handed out. No sweat, just lots and lots of research, data collecting, analysis and writing.

And maybe one day, you to can be a CG.

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[gregb]

I was trained by a firm with 5 other appraisers when I was hired. Three CG partners (one an MAI, SRA) and two residential appraisers. By far I learned the most from a very efficient air force military veteran (a CR) who lacked a college degree. It may have been important that this CR had a father and sister appraiser (she was with Homesavings, Wamu, Landsafe). I was unable to see a difference between the appraisal skills of this CR and the three CG's in the firm. Actually this CR earned more than anyone in the firm except for the MAI partner.