Is It Super Slow Or What?

[Noreen]

I have never seen it this slow in So NH, we are only 40 minutes north of Boston so it's not "remote" here, most professionals here work in Boston.... never have been this slow.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

I have never seen it this slow in So NH, we are only 40 minutes north of Boston so it's not "remote" here, most professionals here work in Boston.... never have been this slow.

Portsmouth area? I was stationed there in the early 60s. Got married there. My ex-wife, daughter, grand daughters, and great grand son live around there now.

 

[Judy Whitehead (Florida)]

Well my husband is 68 and I'm 67 - so we both have Medicare....it was like getting a raise! I'm going to work another year or two and he still works, as well. He has a small real estate office in one subdivision. Genetically and with our good health I want to (hopefully) live another 20-25 years.....his parents were 90 and 92 when they died and mine was 91. My Dad died at 78 but was ignoring colon problems and never had a colonoscopy. Also, I have gotten used to making money!

Boy this is a morbid subject isn't it? All us old timers! AppraisalPort had a poll today asking how old everybody was. So far the majority were 50-59. When I first started my own office in 1998 I had never even owned a personal computer.....I did work for another appraiser for five years prior to that. When I look back on how much has changed in such a short time it is mind boggling! I just hope I (and everyone else) can survive the next few years until this housing mess straightens out. For the life of me, I can't figure out what the big deal is paying us a fair fee when the fees to refi or purchase are so high for other services.....I guess too many people have their hand out before the money gets to our pocket. I will usually negotiate $25 or so if I have to but never more than that. As the old saying goes, I might as well be handing out carts and saying Welcome to WalMart!

 

[Noreen]

So NH

Portsmouth area? I was stationed there in the early 60s. Got married there. My ex-wife, daughter, grand daughters, and great grand son live around there now.

I'm off 93, west of Salem, NH. Portsmouth is approx 45 minutes over Rt 101... beautiful sea coast. Have been here my entire life.... cannot imagine living without the 5 seasons ( Mud Season )... Are you ever in this area?

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Hi Noreen...No, the last time I was back there as when my daughter finally decided to get married back in the late 90s. I loved the sea coast area and work for WBBX and WHEB part time while in the air force. Also worked on a lobster boat out of Kittery (Badgers Island) too. Got $10 a day and two free lobsters once a week. It truly is one of the beautiful areas in the country. Winters are pretty cold. I remember asking, when I first got there, "what are those doors on the 2nd floor of those houses that don't have a porch or deck?". Answer..."so we can get out when the snow gets 15' deep!".

Judy....I started appraising in 1980. Got burned out doing real estate and had some partners in the ERA master franchise who thought they could do a better job without me. Just for the record, we had a 5 state territory and built it up to 117 offices when they took it over. 3 years later it was down to less than 30 and ERA took them out.

Anyway, my first piece of technology was a Brother memory typewriter. I could store about 100 canned comments and hand typed all my appraisal reports. When the business picked up I hired a woman to type the reports and had a guy who did my drawings.

The next step was a computer. I paid $6,000 for the system which included 28k of ram, two 5.25" floppy drives, a color monitor, and a tractor feed dot matrix printer. The software was "Formfill". It was a really big deal back then and I was one of only a hand full of residential appraisers who computerized.

In 92 I was approached by a person who lived in Colo Spgs and flew for TWA. He was just furlowed and wanted to learn to be an appraiser. The county assessor recommended me as a potential trainer. We formed Affiliated Appraisers in 1992, set up a small office with 3 appraisers, an appraisal assistant, and a secretary/receptionist. New computers and printers networked. We still used film in those days and would buy it by the case. We went digital photography in 1995. I still have my first digital camera, a Kodak DC25 that would take all of 18 pics.

Jerry was still flying and finally made captain on 767s flying from New York to Paris once a week. He wanted to back off appraising and I didn't want to have all the expenses of the office on my shoulders so we closed the office in 2001 and I moved the business to my home. Have been working out of the house ever since then on my own. Really cut the expenses and allows me to get up and walk 40' into my office each day. It's been an interesting career.

 

[Noreen]

I started in '88 and remember these days.... came "late to the party" via Accountant for Anheuser-Busch then broker. Hated being "lied to" by buyers on qualifying info.... I handle the truth better. The industry seems to be in a "quicker" evolution now more than ever. Looking back, I would have to say one "error" was not requiring loans to "cure" for a year before refinancing as the "R.E. Roller Coaster" of, what 2002 through 2006 created "unstable" values and people here were refinancing almost immediately after having closed another "no points, no closing costs" loan. It is hard to pinpoint.

 

[normando]

As I get older it's been more difficult to do appraisals.
My eyes have gotten worse and I make typo mistakes.
I get tired from driving many hours.
I can't multitask without making mistakes.
I'm kind of glad reviewers check my work.
Yesterday, I saw some mistakes in a report I submitted and was hoping the reviewer would give me some STIPs on something else so I can correct the mistakes I caught.
No STIPs today. Oh well.

 

[Tom Woolford]

I know I was never perfect, but as I age, I am glad there is a review / underwriting process in place to back me up. Unfortunately, the only "stips" I get have nothing to do with appraisal process or clairity of thought, but usually only if I've bracketed sales prices or bathrooms, or throughly explained why in a market with six sales in the last 12 months why there are not three sales in the last 90 days.

9 years to 65.

Where is a worm hole when you need one.

 

[svanh]

I've never posted before, usually too busy but I'm seeking solice due to my high frustration level this week. I average better than $300 a report but the details and general amount of crap that are now required for each report are doing me in.
It is no longer about if your value is accurate and can be supported, its not even if I had crossed all my 'T's" and doted my "i's". Now its about where did i cross the "T" and what shape the dot is on my "i".
The fact of the matter is, this job is no longer fun and with the amount of time needed for each report I can't make any money either. I'm only in my 40's but I'm ready to find another profession.

 

[SutnNC]

Svanh....this is the part that we can't get around but the pricing can. I feel your pain. There are some on here that swear up and down that they have figured it out but I can't seem to. There's only so much that one can cut out before one sacrifices what they know to be their responsibility for what they hope will not be some day (or perhaps, really just don't know any better????).

Not to change gears but don't wait for the UAD to come out before you try to wrap your head around it. It will be more work (try not be be misleading by pairing a B,mtn;wtr,A;T,Q1,C4 with a B,wtr,A,Q3,C3 and not explaining even more in your addendum).

Like I said, others feel your pain (me).