How To Become A VA Appraiser?

[bobby jones]

How does one become a VA appraiser.

 

[Ben Vukicevich SRA]

1) Pray really hard...

2) Ask CLedet from Louisiana for the steps to secret VA dance that must be performed under a full moon at a high tide....

3) Go to the VA website. they're taking applications now for 2000 more appraisers


Shh...CLedet....Ben V's almost there.........I'm to demo appraisal review right now at VA.....but they won't acknowledge that they received my demo..... :blink: :blink:


Ben

 

[Non Sequitur]

bobby, review the following links and learn how to do the "second line".

Click here for more info

Click here for a rather heated debate on the subject

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Actually it is quite simple....Have three years experience as a licensed or certified appraiser, get 5 letters of recommendation for other appraisers (including those on the panel), complete the application and submit it. In my market it probably won't take more than 3 to 5 years to get considered. (I think every licensed or certified appraiser in the state has applied). Only took me 7 years after applying to get an interview... but that was back in the old days when they required a minimum of 5 years of experience.

 

[Charlotte Dixon]

Or, How Does One get Thrown Off the V.A. Panel...

Turn appraisals around in 5-7 days; Have a squeaky clean record for 10 years; Always put the Veteran first; Be objective no matter what the pressures; Be ethical and follow USPAP to the T; Wait endlessly to be paid by unknown lenders on the other side of the U.S.; Do V.A. Compliance Inspections on an hour's notice, write them up and send them immediately; Hold your head up high when others refer to you as the "good old boys"; Work holidays, weekends, evenings or whenever necessary to assure that the Veteran and/or his family is not inconvenienced, does not have to stay in billeting or a motel for an extended time. In other words, always look out for the Veterans' best interests. No problem. That's been my life for 10 years.

That's how I got suspended for 30 days.

Oh, I forgot. When assigned a V.A. appraisal I immediately saw a conflict of interest, since I had performed the appraisal on that new home for the builder 2 months prior. So, I called the V.A. approved lender who ordered the appraisal and asked them to have it reassigned to another V.A. appraiser. Nothing new, been doing that kind of thing for 10 years, only recently, we've been placed in a new region and the big guy up there felt slighted. OFF WITH YOUR HEAD FOR 30 DAYS! Gotta know who's in charge here!

Here are some words of advice to possible candidates: It's not how good you are, how efficient you are, how experienced you are, how timely your reports are, or how dedicated you are, it's how you play the game. Good Luck!

 

[Thomas Fiehler]

Mike-Do you need 5 letters of recommendation from other appraisers? I quit doing VA about '90 but am thinking of trying to get back on the panel-Thanks in advance

 

[Ben Vukicevich SRA]

It's 3 letters. 2 from appraisers, I believe. It's on the back of the application form somewhere...

Ben

 

[Ben Vukicevich SRA]

Geez Charlotte,

After reading that....it sounds like a good advertisement for VA lender-selection.... .take the power away from VA. :blink: :blink: ........and Ben V is going through the process of being VA approved right now.......Oh boy....

I remember required turn times for FHA in the old roster days...Now they get them...when I get to them....."it's good to be the king. " Mel Brooks


Ben

 

[Charlotte Dixon]

Ben,

Under the Philadelphia Region, it was harmonious, working for the Veterans' best interests. Yes, you got slammed if you really did something wrong. Now it's a different story, different region, different people in charge. I guess they miss the ole "army sergeant" days. :usa: Good luck to you!

 

[graindart]

I completed the online application and just got a response back. I thought the online application said you need 3 letters of recommendation, 2 of them from peers. But, I just got a letter saying that they need 3 letters from licensed / certified appraisers, and 2 additional letters from clients.

As an appraiser, I don't have much (read almost zero) contact with other appraisers, except on appraisersforum.com. I only know 2 others well enough to ask for letters of recommendation (one was my mentor and the other a friend), which I did and sent in with the online application. Now I'm kind of in a tough spot, needing a 3rd letter of recommendation from a licensed / certified appraiser.

You other licensed / certified single person shops ....... are you well connected with other appraisers in your area, or do you tend to be loners also?

Anyone want to fax me a generic letter of recommendation with your name & license number on it? Unfortunately I'm kind of at a loss on how to track down a 3rd peer's letter of recommendation. I can't just show up on some appraiser's doorstep and introduce myself and then ask for a letter. I also can't just go up to someone else at a CE class and ask them to write me a letter of rec.