Continuing Ed - 2 year USPAP

[Walter Kirk]

I agree that the the biannual USPAP course requirement is designed to make money for TAF. The changes 1n USPAP (both necessary and unnecessary) can be easily covered in a one hour lecture which should be provided to appraisers free of additional charge.

Licensed and Certified appraisers are a captive audience forced to waste their time and money to support a stupid and ineffective regulatory system while AMC's and BPO providers attack our professionalism as well as our profitability.

 

[normando]

USPAP was never written to a normal reader. Good writers are hard to find. When it first came out, I hated it. You current appraisers are lucky that it got better. The way it was written was wrong to begin with. To have to refer to FAQ indicates the concept was originally unclear. Unfortunately, it's what we have and we have to live with it.

 

[George Hatch]

If USPAP had been written to the detail it would have taken to upgrade all advice and applications to having the weight of the standard itself the document would have been 100x as long and even less understandable to the masses.

It probably only takes about an hour or so to read through the RE portions of USPAP proper, and yet most appraisers have never done it. That's the main reason they "can't understand" it.

The AOs and FAQs don't actually provide any more requirements - they only illustrate suggested solutions to specific problems. You could even go your own way on those if you could find a way to articulate how it fits in with the requirements in USPAP itself.

Advice /= the requirements upon which that advice is based. We give advice on this forum based in part on those requirements all the time and that advice isn't ironclad in all possible situations either.

 

[normando]

When USPAP came out, I thought it was compodium for appraisers to be ethical. Most of the concepts were common sense to me but USPAP written it on stone for ALL appraisers to follow. I found it ironic that an appraiser I know who got in trouble was most thoroughly knowledgeable on USPAP. Crooked appraisers studies USPAP and find ways to do their evil ways.

 

[George Hatch]

Give me example?

 

[normando]

I don't have devious mind. If I did, I would read USPAP carefully word by word and try to go around it. An ethical person does not need to read a book on ethics. They have morals and know what's wrong and right. USPAP is a framework to keep appraisers honest. And when one does something bad, USPAP makes changes to reflect the bad behavior. If I was an AMC which is not bound to USPAP, I would use or not use USPAP to its advantage.

 

[Don Clark]

If I was an AMC which is not bound to USPAP, I would use or not use USPAP to its advantage.

They do or try to, all the time. Where have you been the last 20 years?

 

[normando]

USPAP is slow to respond to AMCs influence in our appraisal work. Also, even after USPAP came out, did you noticed that many appraisers still appraised at what the broker wanted. USPAP needs to keep up with current market influence on appraisers. Otherwise, outside forces like government intervention (ex: HVCC) will have more relevance.

 

[George Hatch]

I think you're confusing the role of the ASB - which is to set appraisal standards - with the role of the states whose job it is to pass and enforce laws.

 

[sputnam]

I agree that the the biannual USPAP course requirement is designed to make money for TAF. The changes 1n USPAP (both necessary and unnecessary) can be easily covered in a one hour lecture which should be provided to appraisers free of additional charge.

Licensed and Certified appraisers are a captive audience forced to waste their time and money to support a stupid and ineffective regulatory system while AMC's and BPO providers attack our professionalism as well as our profitability.

As far as I know, TAF doesn't make any money from USPAP classes other than the sale of USPAP books. The individual schools/instructors keep your class tuition.