Cont. Ed. is a Joke

[Fernando]

You can usually find a recent discount for them in a facebook group, it's about the only thing facebook is good for. I can't recommend a particular one, I've been banned in 2 of them.

If you can't find it, I call directly and play dumb (I'm good at that) and the nice lady rep gives me a discount.

 

[Gobears81]

It's all about $$$, that's the only reason we have a mandatory bias class now. They used politics as an excuse.

Completely agree. It is amazing how poorly appraisers are represented, because us losing money on the classes (plus a day's worth of income) is of no concern to anyone. I tried contacting ICAP once about concerns with one of the AMCs taking our data and re-selling it, plus having fee guidance and client introduction that is part of their "premium" package. It amazes me that this is legal, but ICAP wouldn't even get back to me on it. They probably have someone working on an AMC on their board.

 

[Bobby Bucks]

If you can't find it, I call directly and play dumb (I'm good at that) and the nice lady rep gives me a discount.

I use that technique also, it's amazing what you can get by politely asking people on the phone "What can you do for me?" It gives them a sense of power. You could once get a discount by asking for Lola, she was usually the one that answered the phone. The "Lola discount" was kind of funny and she laughed about it. Back in the day I liked their live CE course when Dick McKissock taught the courses, he has a great sense of humor and was a hard worker, he built the company to what it is today.

 

[BRCJR]

Speaking of CE, does anyone have a decent discount code for McKissock?

https://greenmountainelearning.com/

is running some very good discounts as much as 50% off

 

[Fernando]

CE for Realtors are so easy. Appraisal classes more difficult. Bias classes very interesting. Worse is the USPAP class and I must have taken it at least 15 times. Ugh.
Appraisers suffer so much.

 

[BRCJR]

Completely agree. It is amazing how poorly appraisers are represented, because us losing money on the classes (plus a day's worth of income) is of no concern to anyone. I tried contacting ICAP once about concerns with one of the AMCs taking our data and re-selling it, plus having fee guidance and client introduction that is part of their "premium" package. It amazes me that this is legal, but ICAP wouldn't even get back to me on it. They probably have someone working on an AMC on their board.

...and ICAP was (maybe still is) the best state organization out there. They provided a lot of guidance that helped set up VCAP (Virginia Coalition of Appraisal Professionals).

 

[Vermonter]

When I was starting out in the early 90s, the first few FHA assignments I did were field inspected by an FHA employee and then the reports and what they saw were discussed. If it were not for taxpayers backing almost 100% of mortgages now, those efforts and "red-flagging" would likely be resumed, with consequences for appraisers who never get it right.

Not many people had computers back then so it was actually a pretty lucrative gig. Think it was $10-25 per report (it was only certain pages of the report) and only took a few minutes once I knew what to look for. No license, no E&O.

 

[Surf Cat]

The site was flat as a board, there was no drainage on any side, the crawlspace was damp, and appeared to be crumbling in some of the older additions that had no foundation other than a layer of rock at grade, even with a 5 foot crawlspace. You could see most of the additions because the roof lines reflected each, and when I looked in the attic, the rafters between sections appeared to have been carved by chainsaw. Homemade "trusses" had tiny patches of half or 3/8" plywood at each joint. In the one small area of decent basement space, there was a section without a wall, and a pair of extension cords were plugged into a standard, two plug outlet and ran up between walls between to sections to somewhere. And then some. Even in their sleep, mediocre appraisers should have concluded this property did not meet MPRs.

I wonder if PDC's catch any of the above checking off photos to take in their iPad...

 

[TerryRohrer]

I wonder if PDC's catch any of the above checking off photos to take in their iPad...

Regrettably, appraiser(s) didn't, which doesn't help our case much in bucking current trends.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

because they're cheap and can be manipulated

I have no problem with newbies getting assigned simple non-complex houses for base low pay. But with hybrids and waivers or AMC in-house appraisers doing all these cheap jobs, there are no simple properties for the entry level appraiser. They are sent to do the next level up - the complex, large, old, or unique property. They struggle and often fudge the facts to get the job turned in before they spend more money and time than they earned. And the old hands? They get scraps or they drop prices to a low level. The complex jobs they do are only the ones even the newbies are afraid of trying to tackle and the AMC is bumping deadlines.