California General Appraiser

[Fernando]

Damn, thank you all very much for the discussion, and answers it helps a lot with what I am wanting to do, and what to expect from the profession, did expect this much help or response so thanks all very much! I am currently attending San Jose State University as of right now and getting my bachelor's in history, just throw that out there.

 

[Fernando]

Computer acting kind of quirky.

Anyway, do you have an idea what field you want to work? Planning to go to Graduate School?

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

And I heard from another member that the large national firms provide $100,000,000 E&O coverage --- which he says is "the" big advantage - and explains why it is almost impossible for a single appraiser or even small outfit to compete with these large commercial appraisal firms. My LIA is almost $1200/year for $1M/$2M coverage. Also, if you do get in trouble, a large firm can provide far more support than a small firm - or especially what you could provide yourself. Also, you will have to put up working with a 25%-45% commission. - It is not an easy way to make a living.

If you are going to work for such a large firm, that will always be your only alternative, - so why not just work for the government to begin with?

Exactly my point. If I was 20 years old and knew enough about appraisal to start at a county or state entry level. No liability, no continuing education expense, pension, paid vacation, etc. Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. The big national commercial firms use their own software, different appraisers do different parts of the report, and you are in a division of one of the larger groups: industrial, multi-family, retail. office, etc. MAI is required for most national firms, CAE for tax work divisions of national firms.

 

[The Warrior Monk]

I will also say that it's almost impossible to service an even mix of conventional SFR work and non-res work at the same time - the turn time demands and timing issues are too different for that. It's one thing to throw in a the occasional complex SFR in with your normal CG work because in those instances the clients aren't usually in as much of a hurry. Or the opposite; throw in an occasional CG assignment with your normal 1-4 work. But trying to mix assignments with some having a 1wk turn and others having a 3wk turn becomes a real hassle. There's nothing more annoying than to have to drop what I'm doing to rush out to appraise a house. The rhythms are different. And the clients are different, leastwise when it comes to how they interact with the appraisers.

I totally agree. I managed to do it, but when I was doing it, I was either doing high-value residential properties which are not being funded by GSEs, or other residential assignments for reasons other than lending (estate planning, divorce, etc.).

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

Damn, thank you all very much for the discussion, and answers it helps a lot with what I am wanting to do, and what to expect from the profession, did expect this much help or response so thanks all very much! I am currently attending San Jose State University as of right now and getting my bachelor's in history, just throw that out there.

The dates and events you have to commit to memory for history classes would help in memorizing formulas and USPAP rules, no doubt.

 

[George Hatch]

Damn, thank you all very much for the discussion, and answers it helps a lot with what I am wanting to do, and what to expect from the profession, did expect this much help or response so thanks all very much! I am currently attending San Jose State University as of right now and getting my bachelor's in history, just throw that out there.

C'mon, Man. If you're going to go into that much debt at least use it to learn a marketable skillset. Even if you don't want to do STEM there are still other alternatives like finance or accounting or health care related or even real estate or law. The career path for most of these liberal arts degrees lead straight into a clerical position in a cubicle farm, jobs they used to hire high school dropouts for.

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

C'mon, Man. If you're going to go into that much debt at least use it to learn a marketable skillset. Even if you don't want to do STEM there are still other alternatives like finance or accounting or health care related or even real estate or law. The career path for most of these liberal arts degrees lead straight into a clerical position in a cubicle farm, jobs they used to hire high school dropouts for.

General Business is an easy degree and covers all of the financial, accounting, business law, real estate. Health care related is B.S. unless you go to medical school or nursing school. And you must make Bs in things like microbiology and chemistry, and advanced biology and trigonometry to even get in those programs, even radiology technician programs. My husband graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare in 2016 and the jobs are crap pay due to all the free internships out there to complete those degrees. The hours are insane as well. You have to get an advanced degree to be a physician's assistant, occupational therapist, etc. I have a friend with a history degree who is a highly paid freight broker for a multinational company. If you have not attended college recently from 2000 on up to now, you simply do not know. Same as all the threads talking about becoming "coders" and "software engineers" because they are good at writing excel formulas and pivot tables.

 

[bnmappraisal]

I definitely find the career interesting

I'm Cert Res since 2009 (started as trainee 2006) and no plans on "upgrading" to CG
That being said I have always said on here (and to people I talk to in person) a person has to WANT to be an appraiser
It's not for everyone, no matter your background or degree(s) or whatever

I like your enthusiasm Jack and wish you well

 

[bnmappraisal]

Also @JackKemp13
As "only" a CR I will say this. Even when I was starting out back in the early 2000's taking classes, then officially getting my Trainee License in 2006, they were saying the "sky was falling"
And you know what? Even the "old timers" back then were saying when they were getting their Certs ... "the sky was falling"

This definitely isn't the easiest career to start in by any stretch. You definitely don't start out 6 figures unless you're some savant
As others on this thread have stated, and many are very respectable members of this Forum, a Niche is always a helpful thing to learn but that does take time

This is definitely something I enjoy doing and am grateful for the opportunities I have had throughout the years to get to where I am. But it was something I really WANTED to do when I started out like you nearly 20 years ago (I'm 41 btw). Again, best of luck to you

 

[Dublin ohio]

(I'm 41 btw).

Your still a pup. lol