Ethics vs Education

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

If you had to choose, which would be more important to you for the
future of our profession?

Since it's already obvious that Ethics is considered the most important by the posters so far - (11 answered the poll for Ethics at the time I edited this post) - How about posting some of your ideas regarding how to raise the Ethical Conduct of Appraisers.

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

A college degree does not guarantee an ethical person. Heck, some use it as a crutch instead of a medal of honor. I have seen some pretty shady appraisals with highly educated credentials attached.

 

[xmrdfghap]

Look at the ethics found in some of the best educated professions around: Accounting and Attorneys.

 

[George Hatch]

Ethics and education = apples and oranges.

I'd be more interested in this question:


Which would be the best way to handle appraiser qualificatins?

Leave the current education requirements alone. Appraisers don't need more education to properly do their job.

Increase the education requirements by mandating more coverage of appraisal-oriented subjects. Perhaps something similar to a certificate program from a college.

Increase the educational requirements by retaining the current appraisal course requirements but also mandating a college degree.

George Hatch

 

[Mountain Man]

"A person educated in mind and not in morals is a menace to society."

Don't remeber who said it, but I like it.

 

[Don Clark]

8)

Pamela,

You cannot teach one to be ethical or moral. They are learned traits. However, we can force ethical behaviour on members of our profession by reporting all unethical, illegal behaviour we come across. The best example of how to conduct oneself, if not learned growing up, is by case examples. Also, harsher punishment than paying a $100.00 fine and retaking a course such as USPAP would help. In some states the punishment for an ethical violation is less than that. This leads me to a dillema I am faced with. look for a post under the FHA/VA Forum. I will call it "Realtors & Lenders win again".

Don Clark, IFA

PS I may be down your way in November for the USPAP Instructor course in Orlando.

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Don,

I'll look forward to seeing you! Are you teaching it?

 

[Don Clark]

Pam,

Wish I was teaching it, but no, it is the USPAP Instructor Certification course taught by members of the ASB.

Don

 

[BenLuby]

It is not quite possible to teach ethics to an adult. Too bad. And education is not a ceritfication of ethical behavior. The only way to ensure it is for the boards to enforce ethical behavior, and the RE's and LO's to be held accountable by the wonderful world of the banking and financing commitees.
Fat chance of that happening. That would cut into their wallets, and they won't do that. Putting bankers and realtors in charge of their peoples ethics is kind of like putting dress shoes on a donkey. It may look good, but it doesn't do anything useful.

 

[Kathy in FL]

Perhaps the question should be "what makes an appraiser unethical?"

The answer is almost always...pressure by a party to the transaction to make it work. Occam's razor (the simplest answer is right) indicates that the way to deal with this is not to regulate the ethics of the APPRAISER...but the ethics of the interested parties (the real estate broker and the lender/mortgage broker types).

I like something like a law that a documented report of lender/broker pressure would result in a fine of $5,000 to be paid TO THE APPRAISER. This would encourage appraisers to document like crazy any unethical behavior and would put even the most sharklike mortgage broker on notice that appraiser tampering is not financially worth it.

Just a thought...
Kathy in FL