My Supervisor/Senior Appraiser says I don't need the Trainee License to start clocking in hours for Certified General Appraiser qualifications

[George Hatch]

I was familiar with the experience criteria and have commented before that some appraisers have gone straight to their CG license without ever holding a trainee license. They're working in a CG shop doing commercial appraisals and their experience is documented (in the reports) as "significant assistance" but they don't sign the reports. The state doesn't require appraisers to sign the reports in order to get experience credits for performing the appraisal.

I'm not as familiar with appraisers skipping the appraisal 101 courses altogether, but that might also be the case. I wouldn't recommend it, though.

 

[sputnam]

Check on it yourself with your Appraisal Board and if, you conclude that your Supervisor was misleading you, find a new Supervisor. Maybe your Supervisor is right. Maybe wrong. If wrong, he/she is either uninformed or lying to you for his/her benefit. What else may he/she be 'wrong' about? This is the person that is supposed to be guiding you to becoming an professional appraiser.

 

[gabramovich]

Hi Yall - Thanks for the responses.

I finally got a call back from BREA, and the answer is what some of you had already suggested and what my Senior Appraiser was saying:

In the state of California, you are allowed to get certification hours without a Trainee License as long as the Senior Appraiser clearly identifies you by name in the appraisal report as having provided significant real estate appraisal assistance.

BREA also recommended skipping the residential appraisal courses, and moving directly into the course work for Certified General. Given the time pressures I am facing, that's my plan now, but I may take the residential appraisal courses down the line.

Appreciate all of your help.

 

[CCAAMO]

Thanks for the update.

 

[cdanj]

Correct. You don't need one. Appraisal trainee license only complicates things.

 

[funnyman621]

I'm working for a national appraisal company that specializes in commercial appraisal. I am located in California.

My supervisor is telling me that I don't need to get a trainee license, and that I can simply continue taking my coursework through the Appraisal Institute and working for him without actually obtaining a Trainee License through the state of California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA). He also tells me that I don't need to take the residential appraisal courses that are required by the state as part of the education requirements for the Trainee License.

All of this seems inconceivable to me - given that the BREA website lists a Trainee License as the initial license before either the Residential/Certified Residential or the Certified General License: https://brea.ca.gov/html/Lic_Hdbk.html#eee

It has always been my understanding that a Trainee must obtain a Trainee License in order to gain qualifying experience hours that can then count for the Certified General License in 18 months. Is that incorrect?

The experience clock has to start somewhere. I always thought it started with your Trainee License. How else can you verify what/when you did the work? I guess you could be a paid employee doing specific tasks, but cannot sign any report. You definitely need anything the State says you need since it is a license issued by that State.

 

[glenn walker]

Ignore your Ment

I'm working for a national appraisal company that specializes in commercial appraisal. I am located in California.

My supervisor is telling me that I don't need to get a trainee license, and that I can simply continue taking my coursework through the Appraisal Institute and working for him without actually obtaining a Trainee License through the state of California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA). He also tells me that I don't need to take the residential appraisal courses that are required by the state as part of the education requirements for the Trainee License.

All of this seems inconceivable to me - given that the BREA website lists a Trainee License as the initial license before either the Residential/Certified Residential or the Certified General License: https://brea.ca.gov/html/Lic_Hdbk.html#eee

It has always been my understanding that a Trainee must obtain a Trainee License in order to gain qualifying experience hours that can then count for the Certified General License in 18 months. Is that incorrect?

CALL CA ( BREA ) and speak directly to them. As I recall you have never done any commercial work and its all been residential.

 

[Elliott]

So why is it BREA says on their website:

"Supervisory and Trainee Appraisers​

• Both the Trainee Appraiser and Supervisory Appraiser are required to complete an AQB approved Supervisory/Trainee Appraisers course if their relationship commenced on or after January 1, 2015. The Trainee Appraiser must complete the course prior to obtaining a Trainee Appraiser License, and the Supervisory Appraiser must complete the course prior to supervising a Trainee Appraiser. Existing credential holders can use this course regarding the roles and responsibilities of the Supervisory and Trainee Appraiser for continuing education.
• A Supervisory / Trainee Appraiser relationship established prior to January 1, 2015, are "grandfathered" in and an AQB-approved Supervisory/Trainee Appraiser course is not required; however the course is highly recommended.
• If the Supervisory and Trainee relationship was established after January 1, 2015, then only the Supervisory Appraiser is required to take the Supervisory/Trainee Appraiser course before the Trainee Appraiser can accrue experience hours towards a license upgrade
• A Supervisory Appraiser shall be licensed with the Bureau at the certified level for a minimum of three years and must be in “good standing”. Supervisory Appraisers shall not have been subject to any disciplinary action within any jurisdiction within the last three years that affects the Supervisory Appraiser’s legal eligibility to engage in appraisal practice. A Supervisory Appraiser subject to disciplinary action is would be considered to be in “good standing” three years after successful completion/termination of the sanction imposed against the appraiser.
• A Supervisory Appraiser may not supervise more than three Trainee Appraisers at one time; however, a Trainee Appraiser is permitted to have any number of Supervisory Appraisers."

Licensing Handbook

brea.ca.gov

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