Inspection

[Terrel L. Shields]

I have given up on the Significant Assistance thread but have been thinking about a statement in that thread to the effect that appraisers are not "trained" nor had courses in "how to inspect" a house, which implies therefore that the village idiot can be expected to do as good a job as you or I. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt and say they are Realtors or home inspectors (whom I suspect ain't going to bite on this new job) So? Is that really true we are ignorant inspectors?

So I got to thinking. I took a basic 30 hour residential course and we did go out to a house owned by the instructor and walk thru noting what and where on the forms we would fill out. I then took a 15 hour course to teach me how to identify hazardous materials, fluorescent light issues, asbestos insulation, etc.

I took several courses offered by FHA in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City. Each dealt with specific issues they were trying to teach us about inspection to their standards. One in Tulsa even specifically dealt with rural issues. Another with those attic and crawl space inspections. Who is going to teach the Realtors how to inspect a crawlspace and what they are looking for.

And then I took another 15 hour residential writing course where we actually measured & walked thru a vacant house the instructor had listed (being a Realtor too), drove past comps and wrote a report in narrative. In ag courses, we visited with the local USDA office, were shown how to look up the characteristics of soils on the soils maps, read legals, etc. So WTF? Are we really untrained ignoramuses? I don't think so. I think many of us got substantial training on the job and in the class room as to measurements. Just saying...

 

[CANative]

I'm thinking "egghead."

 

[J Grant]

I have given up on the Significant Assistance thread but have been thinking about a statement in that thread to the effect that appraisers are not "trained" nor had courses in "how to inspect" a house, which implies therefore that the village idiot can be expected to do as good a job as you or I. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt and say they are Realtors or home inspectors (whom I suspect ain't going to bite on this new job) So? Is that really true we are ignorant inspectors?

So I got to thinking. I took a basic 30 hour residential course and we did go out to a house owned by the instructor and walk thru noting what and where on the forms we would fill out. I then took a 15 hour course to teach me how to identify hazardous materials, fluorescent light issues, asbestos insulation, etc.

I took several courses offered by FHA in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City. Each dealt with specific issues they were trying to teach us about inspection to their standards. One in Tulsa even specifically dealt with rural issues. Another with those attic and crawl space inspections. Who is going to teach the Realtors how to inspect a crawlspace and what they are looking for.

And then I took another 15 hour residential writing course where we actually measured & walked thru a vacant house the instructor had listed (being a Realtor too), drove past comps and wrote a report in narrative. In ag courses, we visited with the local USDA office, were shown how to look up the characteristics of soils on the soils maps, read legals, etc. So WTF? Are we really untrained ignoramuses? I don't think so. I think many of us got substantial training on the job and in the class room as to measurements. Just saying...

Agree, most appraisers do get a measure of "formal training"- from mentors, books courses, FHA prep , cost approach , interaction with contractors etc. Add to that years of field inspections which build a cumulative knowledge.

People don't get much "better " at rote tasks such as measuring 10 years in, but they ( appraisers) get substantially better at viewing properties from a valuation perspective 10 years in. That comes from years of onsite at a wide variety of properties and then reconciling the field inspection results with data analysis..

Do we do the kind of inspection a home inspector does? No, because we are not there in a home inspector capacity . We are there in a valuation capacity.Though we have a working knowledge of repairs and a part of our inspection can consider them, appraisers are there to inspect property from a valuation perspective.

 

[glenn walker]

Terrill - Are you yanking our lariats-drinking too much of that home brewed moon shine or just upset about the significant assistance thread LOL

 

[chad hampton]

When I first met my mentor, he told me to not get too comfortable and don't give up on my old career just yet. He said he has tried to train 5-6 other people and none of them could measure a house or do field work correctly. The other stuff they weren't too bad at, but he couldn't trust them to get the field world done correctly. He was amazed I picked it up like I did. I do have a background in civil engineering, so I knew it wouldn't be a problem for me.

Not sure if those people that are providing appraisal assistance, but aren't providing appraisal assistance, but maybe are?.?.?.all have engineering degrees or not. Hopefully for the dumb azz appraisers signing off on their work, they do.

 

[djd09]

everyday there are ads on craigslist for appraisal inspectors. must be a high turnover.

there are currently lawsuits accusing the AMCs of wage violations. pretty much paying inspectors under the minimum wage. no surprise here.

 

[J Grant]

An appraiser will not select the inspector: we might get a competent inspector on one assignment, and a dud on the next.

The loss occurs in the disconnect from appraiser not going out to the property themselves, since the appraiser can get a different read on the property even if the inspector does a good job. .

 

[J Grant]

everyday there are ads on craigslist for appraisal inspectors. must be a high turnover.

there are currently lawsuits accusing the AMCs of wage violations. pretty much paying inspectors under the minimum wage. no surprise here.

By the time they pay for their gas and car depreciation could be a negative earning situation.

 

[djd09]

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At least they do not call me and others Conspiracy Theorists, anymore.

 

[DWiley]

I have given up on the Significant Assistance thread but have been thinking about a statement in that thread to the effect that appraisers are not "trained" nor had courses in "how to inspect" a house, which implies therefore that the village idiot can be expected to do as good a job as you or I. Or we can give them the benefit of the doubt and say they are Realtors or home inspectors (whom I suspect ain't going to bite on this new job) So? Is that really true we are ignorant inspectors?

So I got to thinking. I took a basic 30 hour residential course and we did go out to a house owned by the instructor and walk thru noting what and where on the forms we would fill out. I then took a 15 hour course to teach me how to identify hazardous materials, fluorescent light issues, asbestos insulation, etc.

I took several courses offered by FHA in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Tulsa, and Oklahoma City. Each dealt with specific issues they were trying to teach us about inspection to their standards. One in Tulsa even specifically dealt with rural issues. Another with those attic and crawl space inspections. Who is going to teach the Realtors how to inspect a crawlspace and what they are looking for.

And then I took another 15 hour residential writing course where we actually measured & walked thru a vacant house the instructor had listed (being a Realtor too), drove past comps and wrote a report in narrative. In ag courses, we visited with the local USDA office, were shown how to look up the characteristics of soils on the soils maps, read legals, etc. So WTF? Are we really untrained ignoramuses? I don't think so. I think many of us got substantial training on the job and in the class room as to measurements. Just saying...

Actually, I believe that post referred to the required training in those areas. How much REQUIRED formal training is there for an appraiser that addresses the topics of property inspection and/or home measurement? I think we all know the answer. Yes, i took a very good course in property inspection, as a CE course. And I have taken home measurement courses. But I personally know scores of appraisers who have never had one hour of formal education in either topic. And, that begs the questions - if it is as critical as some want to claim, why isn't there any such requirements? And, why have those now yelling that not been lobbying the AQB to add such requirements? Heck, I am not even in that camp and I have suggested it to the AQB