But the one way you could have avoided a whole lot of the opprobrium aimed in your direction over this, in my opinion (well it certainly would have avoided you mine) is - by simply showing a little EMPATHY for the obvious fact that a whole lot of people were going to have their "business legs" pulled out from underneath them by this, a whole lot of people who are past the stage of life where a career change is easy, desirable, or even frankly feasible for them.
What you cite as an "obvious fact" is just your view. And, you have been consistent in that view for a very long time. Based on history, I just don't see it.
There are many market factors at play that may push some appraisers out, but I don't think UAD 3.6 is high on that list. It is just a new way to report. It changes nothing about the STD 1 part of an assignment.
I started before there was software - of any kind. I still remember the wailing and gnashing of teeth for the "old timers" who then thought that typing their own appraisal reports instead of using a typist would put them out of business. I remember the push back when we went to digital photos, maps and sketches. And the doom and gloom that was prophesied when we went to full digital delivery. Of course, that was nothing compared to the forecasted doom that accompanied the original UAD.
Will there be pain in making the transition? Sure. For most appraisers, using their software is like driving their car. They are so familiar with it that it is autonomic. They don't really think about the keystrokes needed, they just happen. That is one reason that appraisers are so reluctant to switch software providers. I have often said it is easier to get an appraiser to change their religion than it is to get them to change software.
It will take time to learn the new UAD and to learn the new software. Just setting the software up for the first report will take time. I know because I have done that with multiple versions of UAD 3.6 software. But, as appraisers do more and more work in UAD 3.6, that autonomic nature of things will return, just as it did with the original UAD.
Through 45 years of change that I have observed personally, appraisers have adopted, and many will do the same with UAD 3.6. Those who don't make the change are simply choosing not to do it, and that is fine. It is my earnest belief that once an appraiser makes the transition they will look at the current reporting structure as the dinosaur that it is and wonder why it was tolerated for so long. Even if one has not done anything to prepare yet, there is still time, and I encourage all who intend to stick with residential lending work to start prepping ASAP so you are ready when that first order comes your way.
Best of luck in your retirement. I hope you get many years with family and friends without the pressures of daily work.
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