I'm Not Sure Now?

[Allen Bruckner]

Hello everyone. My name is Allen, I am 55 years old and currently a Network engineer. I have been doing this for 24 years. I am slightly burn't out with this profession and need to change career fields. I really don't want to start my own business, but need to find somethig to get me by for the next 5 years so that I can retire. I have been keeping an eye on this board and have gotten mixed feelings towards this profession. I don't mind working hard and long hours and don't need to make tons of money.
My question is towards getting my licence. Do you think that there are jobs out there for someone like me. I know that most people go out on their own shortly after they finish their appenticship. This is something I really don't want.
Should I continue in this direction or find something else to do.
I would really appreciate any info that you can give me in this area.
Thanks
Allen

 

[George Hatch]

The answers to your questions depend entirely on who you really are. You have to look inward and ask some real tough questions. There are lots of valid motivations for becoming an appraiser. I don't think that income potential is one of them because there are easier ways to make a living. Some people get involved with this because it gives them a certain amount of freedom from working with other people. Some people like the flexibility of the working conditions. Some people like being able to observe and report. Some people like the intellectual challenge of defining a problem, investigating and researching the data and correllating it to come to a conclusion; some people like to write reports. Although we are technology users, it is merely a means to an end rather than an end to itself.

If you're main interests include having a stable income, making lots of money or working short hours, this may not be a good switch for you because those elements usually only come after the first few years of getting established. You mention only having to work for another 5 years. Hopefully your retirement is already handled. One good thing about appraisal is that you can continue doing it until you are physically unable to do it; no one is going to push you out of a fee shop in favor of a younger model.

Lots of questions that only you can answer. The most successful people in our business (who are not necessarily the same people who make the most money) are the ones who get into it because they have the need to do it. If that's the case for you, then you gotta do what you gotta do. If you don't have the need to do this, you might do better selling real estate, making loans, or teaching what you already know. Regardless, we wish you luck.

George Hatch

 

[George Hatch]

Oh, and to answer your other question:

Getting your first job is going to be real difficult unless you know someone in the business well enough to get them to lose money on you while you're in training. It's easy to take the courses and get a trainee license; getting the experience hours necessary for a permanent license is always the hardest part. Matter of fact, you shouldn't quit your day job until you have a trainee license in hand and a job offer with another appraiser lined up.


George Hatch

 

[greg voos]

I seem to be in the same position, a little earlier in life. I have 16 years with a major airline as a Crew Tracker and would like to start a second career as an appraiser to bring with me into my retirement years-which is a minimum of 14 years away. I've started the online training and hope to be done in 6 months. It sounds pretty volatile in the appraiser profession right now-but very interesting at the time. I plan to continue training, but wander would it be a good idea to diversify the training with another real estate service as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Greg Voos[/url]

 

[Farm Gal]

Greg:

You are well advised to think hard about whether or not to enter this particular field. If you have perused the past postings to this sub-forum you will certianly get the idea that it isn't just picking golden apples now, and is quite likely to degenerate further in the future. If you have not (and can get past the whining and snarling) there is a great deal of good advice here!

Do I believe that there will be some sort of future for valuators of real property? yes!. Do I think current and future changes to the profession will make it increasingly difficult to earn 'good' money? Also yes.

There is always room at the top: if you have the desire and staying power. Further down the stick you can get into ugly. This has historiccly been a cyclic business: when it's down it gets REAL down 8O .

Not sure where your self assessment of strengths and weaknesses lies: you may want to do some real self assessment as to your personal preferences and desires wrt this profession! Try a local JC and their personality/job assesment testing (no joke) this can often lead you to consider some other form of similar work!

 

[greg voos]

Lee Ann,
Thanks for the advice. I have found alot of useful (honest) info on this site about the profession and its future.

Greg

 

[Gary Leduc]

As a newbie to this profession, the advice on this forum has been very helpful and in my opinion, quite accurate as to the what a new person looking to get into this field can expect.
I feel very fortunate as to have found a mentor (I am his only other person in his business) my first day out knocking on doors last September. I went to school in August not knowing what to expect when it was over.
Have been real steady doing inspections/reports, but the money isn't there right now, due to the fee split at 30%.
Working a part-time job in the evening and weekends to keep afloat.
To all the newbies out there, listen to the seasoned advice of the people on this board, it could save you a lot of time, heartache and money.

 

[David Riggs]

Gary,

Do you still believe you are doing the right thing with appraising?

What is your thoughts now after having taken the leap and worked for a few months as an appraiser?


Thanks
david

 

[Gary Leduc]

David,
I certainly could be making more money doing what I have done,
food service management, but find this to be rewarding in a different kind of way.
Hopefully by the end of this year the money will begin to start flowing in better than what it is now.
The best to you,
Gary