Number of Certified USPAP instructors. Wanna guess?

[George Hatch]

Larry,

The list was e-mailed out yesterday by The Appraisal Foundation. Bob and I (and Brad, Tom and Red) got a copy because we're on the list. The Appraisal Foundation is planning to post the list on their website, supposedly in August. In addition to the 109 already on the list there was a recent class in Baltimore that will be added shortly. I've heard that The Appraisal Foundation anticipates that there will eventually be 300+ certified instructors nationwide. I hope that's enough. I personally don't like teaching classes larger than 20 or 25, especially on this subject.

George Hatch

 

[BenLuby]

Pamela,
1. I think I am married, (I have a lady that has been giving me orders for twenty odd years).
2. I am slightly past puberty with two grandchildren and four children.
3. My 'portfolio' would actually depend on what I have in my wallet at the particular moment. (See answer for question one for reason for portfolio).
As far as the classes go, I hope to attend with some of the people on this forum. I am actually interested in attending one in NC that Bob Ipcock teaches, or, if he teaches, George Hatch. They both seem to know their stuff and I want to attend the class with instructors that really do care, and it seems that a lot of the good ones are located on here ripping us newbies up to make sure we keep our morals about us. I kind of enjoy it. That is caused by twenty two years of orders from 1.

 

[Stephen J. Vertin MAI]

Bob:

Funny thing I was thinking of taking the course because it is coming to Chicago in August. However, I never taught appraisal so I lacked the 35 hours of teaching experience. I called anyway to ask if I could audit the course. I never wanted to teach to start. I wanted to hear USPAP as being taught directly to the instructors. Anyway, they said I could not audit. The only people allowed to audit with out fulfilling the criteria were Appraisal Enforcement Agents.
Go figure.

Steve Vertin

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Ditto - Why would a teacher be taught something different from what the average appraiser should be taught? Something is wrong with that logic. Now if instructors had to take 7 days of instruction.....I could see they would be learning more than the rest of us blokes.

The real issue is are AQB members better qualified to teach USPAP that other people just because they THINK they understand it. Clearly the COURTS are the ones who will dictate what they THINK sooner or later. The opinions of the AQB is only an interim opinion until a real judge weighs in. And lord only knows what that will lead to.

ter

 

[Bob Ipock]

Steve and Ter,

I am not in disagreement with your points. Teaching USPAP is no different from teaching anything else, you have to jump thru some hoops, complete the requirements, pass an exam and then.....you can teach.

Teachers are certainly not SMARTER simply because they are teachers. However they may be better informed on their subject than would be the typical student. I know that some appraisers (especially some on this forum) EXCEED the amount of required education each year and constantly seek to learn, study and expand their knowledge. In the real world, I would say that MOST appraisers only take the minimum required hours of CE and do very little to gain knowledge, learn and progress in the field. Minimum efforts result in minimal results.

Last year I took 46 hours of CE classes and did some teaching as well for which I could get credit. My state does not allow CE to be carried forward, so only 14 hours counted for CE Credit. It cost me a lot of time and money, but I want to be informed and educated.

The State Appraisal Boards get to interpret and apply USPAP. It is rare that a USPAP issue winds up in court and if and when it does it is nearly certain that a the Judges, juries and lawyers will not have a CLUE about USPAP, appraisal practice, values, adjustments or any other issues. They have simply never been exposed to it.

I am NOT in favor of letting anyone "audit" any class that has a tested examination at the end. I would be in favor of ANYONE being allowed to take the USPAP Instructors Class if they take the exam. If they lack the other requirements for teaching, then they would certainly need to fulfill those before teaching.

It concerns me greatly that the AQB is allowing the board members and staff of the NCAB to take the upcoming USPAP Instructors Class on a "audit basis" and that they will not be tested or take the exam. This will result in the notion that they have taken the class and are somehow more informed about USPAP, while they will have no EXAM RESULTS to show that they learned anything. If they want to take the class ( which will be paid for by the fee paying appraiers of NC) they should be tested and pass or fail as the case may be.

 

[David C. Johnson]

I agree 100%

Think about this -- What in the WORLD would be the rationale for them arranging not to have to take the test !!??

I think we all know the obvious answer to that one.

Good Lord!!

(On the upside -- and to be fair -- you at least have to give some credit to our good old boys for being aware enough to know they're not near smart enough to be passing any test. So hell, in a way they may actally be showing some improvement...)

dcj

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

Bob:

I am very curious--how many are from Arizona and who are they? If non-instructors could take the class and the exam, I would be the first to sign up if one was offered in Arizona. Another appraiser called me an "education junkie" since I took so many classes. But I am a very curious person, I have to know who, what, why, how come, what for, etc, etc about many things.

 

[Bob Ipock]

I see four on the list from Arizona.
Mark hanson, Kim Johnson, Roy Morris, III and Daniel Smith

 

[Bob Ipock]

Jo Ann,

I expect when the official USPAP classes (in 2003) start being taught, they will be much better. The whole primis of this Certified Instructor deal is to get all instructors teaching the same thing across the country.

As it is now, anyone who is approved by their state board can teach a USPAP class and WHAT is being taught and HOW it is being taught may vary greatly from teacher to teacher and place to place. I have sat in classes where the majority of the time was spent debating issues rather than discussing the RULES we most follow. Like it or not, agree or not, we must follow USPAP and our state board rules. If we are unhappy with them.....try to change things, but until things are cahged we are obligated to follow what rules are in effect.

I hope that a standardized course content will now be taught. If I do any instruction it will be a course FROM The Appraisal Foundation and cover the content that The AF feels is the important stuff.

In my opinion the REALLY important stuff is Ethics and Competency and I am not sure that can be taught. The only way to "teach" it is by swift and sure disciplinary action against appraisers who are incompetent and unethical. Until state boards recognize that sending a CROOK to a USPAP class is a waste of time.....I will continue to be skeptical of any real improvemnet in the appraisal business.

 

[Don Clark]

If you want to read an interesting article on the subject get a copy of Working Real Estate Magazine. To check this out go to...

www.workingre.com

From there you can sign up to get the on line version, and a hard copy, free. The owner and editor is David Brauner who was the editor of The Communicator Magazine.

Don Clark, IFA