Dumbest things rookies Do:

[BenLuby]

You all know I am a rookie, but, after reading all the comments about how most of us rookies are slightly smarter than a lobotmized monkey, I thought it might be interesting to hear some of the dumbest things rookies have done. One story to kick it off, that I was told by an older appraiser, (this rookie lasted less than two hours on the job!).
Certified appraiser arrives at conventional purchase, uses lockbox key for access, measures house while rookie does same for training. Finishes his walkthrough and is heading back to meet up with the rookie.
Rookie sitting at kitchen table drinking beer. Smiles at mentor. Utters intelligent comment: "I'd offer you one, but they only had one left in the fridge." Mentor upset. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Fires moron, buys replacement beer. Swears it is a true story. But, then, senior appraisers have some great stories. I hope this is a good place to post it, but if Wayne says so, I'll move it to the Watercooler.

 

[George Hatch]

The dumbest thing a rookie appraiser, or anyone else, can do is to repeatedly make the same mistake. We're supposed to learn from our mistakes so as to not repeat them. Once the trainee's supervisor corrects a trainee's mistake, the trainee is obligated to take note and make sure that it doesn't happen again.

The second dumbest thing a trainee, or anyone else, can do is to try and bluff their way through a problem without admitting to themselves where their limitations are. It's good to be able to think and research your way through a problem, but always ask if you don't know, and try not to ask the same question twice (see above).

The third dumbest thing a trainee, or anyone else, can do is to forget how hard it is to get the chance to train and take the opportunity for granted. Remember to treat the job with some respect.

And if you walk out to your car after inspecting a property and find five gang members sitting on it, resist the temptation to yell at them to "get the *%&! off the car". I know of an appraiser who got murdered for that one.


George Hatch

 

[wyecoyote]

Okay I will bite. The dumbest thing I ever did was appraise the wrong house. This was in a rural county no address on the house. When I called HO stated third driveway on the left. The house was a double wide built in the mid/late 70's 1400+/- sf with three outbuildings. Well I get out there count three driveways on the left and pull up driveway. No one there excepet a friendly dog. I get out and knock on side of house front and back door wide open middle of summer. No one around I get to looking this is a double wide same color as HO stated tin siding three outbuildings. So I figure maybe HO had to go down road I'll take measurments and wait. 1/2 hour goes by and no one shows up. So I get back in cell range and call LO to see what is up. She stated that HO called 10 minutes ago saying they have been there all day and I didn't show, right I think I was just there. So I call HO she states they have been there all day I say that I was just there. I say to her I drove up the third driveway on the left on the road and no one was there excepet a dog. She says Oh I meant count all driveways on the road you were at carol and steve's house with there pet lab shady.

The other thing that I did not do but my mentor did one time. She measures house out in field to be about 2800+/- sf. Takes a look at the comps on lap top and finds several good ones. This property is about 1 hour from office. She gets back and has me fill in form. I go through using her sketch and come up with 2200+/- sf all comps that were taking are to large. She got real mad at me and started yelling that I did something wrong and I need to redo the entire report. She took the disk that it was on and threw it away. So I redo entire report again and come up with same figure for sketch by this time she is fumming and stomps out of office. Her husband and I went through my sketch and hers to find the error. Ended up that when she figured Sf out in field she did not exclued the 600+/- sf patio area that joged into the house. Just for the record this tirad happened while she was 7 months pregnant. Women and pregnant hormones go figure.

Oh ya and the stupidest thing a ho has ever said after getting report and not what they wanted was that the appraiser dressed provactively. Same mentor 6 months pregnant wearing one of those pregnant outfits. The LO knew her and called laughing about it supposedly everyone in the bank heard about it because the next time she went in the door the bank manger came up and said to her "dressing a little to provacitively today".

So those are mine for now.

Ryan

 

[MARKETVALUE]

This somewhat falls in the realm.

Got a call from one of my guys one day from a pre-set ppty he was scheduled to see in a town about 2 and 1/2 hours from home base. Calls me from the ppty and tells me he thinks there is a problem. What? I ask. Well i am here with Mr and Mrs so and so and they didnt order an appraisal and they havent applied for a loan.

After about a 100 phone calls from my office to the lender, lender to homeowner, office to homeowner, etc etc etc.....We figure out that the 'mentally limited' alzheimer patient living with the couple had taken the LO's phone solicitation and had applied for the loan.

Now thats funny. Invoiced full fee that came out of LO's check to hopefully remind him to do his front end work next time before he drags me into the picture.

Not funny thing, Twice in the past five years my office has submitted a new construction home with wrong lot # and no address outside home. Scarry thing is both loans closed and funded..............what is the statute of limitations?

MRM

 

[chuck guli]

My mentor told me about a job he did when he first started out:
He drove to a residential home in a nearby neighborhood he was very familiar with. Turned onto the subject's street. Parked the car at #9. Got out, knocked on the door.....introduced himself.....completed the appraisal.
Went back to the office to find the bank called several times. They were irate that he did not keep his appointment and especially without calling the homeowner to cancel. He swore to them he did the appraisal.
He calls the homeowner, asks them what the problem is. They swear he did not appraise their house. He gets back in car. Drives to house #9 again. Knocks on door. Asks the woman why she called the bank. She seems confused, denies ever calling bank. Explains to him that he was at #19, not number #9. The #1 had fallen off the mailbox some time ago....she'd been meaning to replace it.....hadn't gotten to it yet. Apologized for the inconvenience.
He asked why she let him in if she had no appointment for an appraisal. She told him she thought he looked like he worked for the government and had to let him in.

 

[Mountain Man]

Got two appraisal request on neighboring houses in a cookie cutter S/D. One was a Relo on the ERC, and one was a typical URAR. Looked at both the same day, back to back appointments, got back to the office and worked the reports up. Send the reports out and got a call from the LO, he could not understand why I did his report on the ERC. Had to redo both, that cost me a couple of days.

 

[BenLuby]

Out doing an appraisal a few days ago. Walking around, taking my exterior measurements, then bang. Stepped on the brick retaining wall about four feet above the basement patio. Just did hit the acorn just right, didn't crush it, it simply rolled... and took me over the ledge with it.
Snapped the tendons in my left ankle, hurt like He11.
Being half a step shy of legally stupid, I tested the ankle, found it still worked, although it did hurt, and finished my measurements, then did the walk through.
Had a wonderful time doing all the cut-outs on the second floor, then driving around the neighborhood taking comp photos.
Currently, working like an idiot, now have to wear a splint for two more weeks, (already wore it one), and leg is still hurting.
Oh well. Live and learn.
When my mentor asked me why I didn't just go to the hospital, I simply told him I am not driving an hour back to that house to finish the damned appraisal. It is done, and now I do not have to return.
Homeowner never even knew I did it. Lender (Good client) was worried, I guess they thought I was going to claim it was their fault for not raking the acorns.
I figure it was my fault. Besides, my mentor said he'd give me workmans comp... He has compensated me with more work!
He did buy lunch though.

 

[George Hatch]

Ben,

You made a mistake and suffered for it. The fact that you aren't whining about how to get further compensated by the lender or the homeowner or your boss (beyond your continued employment) really speaks well of your character and will pay off in the long run. It is this kind of attitude that will serve you well when you work for yourself. Good on 'ya.

George Hatch

 

[wyecoyote]

Good one ben. Had something similar several years back. I was doing an inspection when the owners dog bite my hand. Not a small bite but a good size bite. Had to go to the hospital while there they (hospital staff) took the information about the dog down and called the pound. L&I paid for the hospital bills and the dog was in the pound for a week. While there the officer picking up the dog (they had two) called me to verify which dog it was. She had almost gotten bite by the same dog and figured that was the one. Anyway about a week later get a call from the irate homeowner threating to sue me because of the bill for the pound. They wanted me to pay the bill. So I told them fine you pay for the hospital bill my lost work (touch typing for a two week period with one hand could not do inspections because could not hold anything with the bite hand) My mentor paid me a cut rate just to type the work. Never heard back again.

Ryan

 

[BenLuby]

Bad leg and all, I should have learned by now. I guess I need to see more farms. I am definitely no longer a country boy, forgot all the old lessons learned as a youth.
Went out to appraise a house. Turned out to be a log cabin with a barn on about ten acres.
Well, the three big dogs wouldn't let me in the back yard, so I went up and opened the fence and, stepping over all the telephone poles the man had laying about, walked to about the mid-point of the field and, using the zoom feature on the Mavica, took the picture.
Dogs going nuts barking at me, I'm smiling, proud of myself for having outwitted three stupid canines.
I now believe they were not barking, they were laughing.
Heard a clopping sound, and turned.
Here comes about five hundred pounds of Donkey, happy to have a friend in the field with him, and he wants to play!
So, here goes crip boy, hobbling as fast as I could to the gate, this stupid donkey on my tail, bumping me with his head to get my attention so I can stop and let him display his romantic interests.
It is amazing how I felt almost no pain in my torn ankle as I jumped over the poles and got out of there.
Then the homeowner says, "By the way, I got a real friendly donkey in the field, you may want to be leery of him."
Duh. This job just gets more and more interesting. Next time, I'll take my chances with the dogs.