After 20 years in the Federal Government working on contracts, surely you could find something, anything, other than real estate appraising that your former skills could be used on.
The profession (if one wants to call it that these days) is in dire straits. I mean, part of me is saying to myself "who am I to dissuade someone from become an appraiser?".
Yet, Another part of me is saying "show this guy the light". Please do your research on the state of the industry prior to jumping in.... the below took me 3 seconds to find....
Despite growth in market size, the industry faces significant challenges. Appraisers are experiencing stagnant pay fees have increased only 17% since 2002, far below the 74.27% rise in the cost of living—while workloads and liability have surged due to stricter regulations, automated valuation models (AVMs), and tighter deadlines. This imbalance is driving experienced professionals out of the field and discouraging new entrants.
The schooling is not the hard part. The hard part is finding an ethical mentor to show you the ropes for thousands of hours. "If" you find someone to take you on, you'll receive very little compensation in the learning phase. Then you'll have to get your own clients. It's a steep climb with very little reward.
Maybe someone here will chime in with a more optimistic view. Good luck.
