Staff position vs. Independent Appraiser

[Wm. Hattaway]

So many factors to consider when taking a staff appraisal job. Can I give up my freedom of working when I want? A solid salary and benefits would be great, with paid vacation, but am I willing to essentially work for much less per report? Then again, how do I like it when I go for two weeks without an order and the accompanying lack of income as an independent.

Your assumptions are mostly correct. I have been a staff appraiser since 2010 after having been a fee appraiser. I also went through the same decision process. There are things I miss about the fee world but I have I to give the thumbs up to being Staff. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

Depending on your situation and preferences,
you could give thumbs up to either way. Mind out of gutter please. :icon_lol:

 

[J Grant]

It's sad that people who go on staff allow themselves to be pressured to do 10 a week. If each and every staff appraiser stood up for themselves and said no more than 7 a week, the banks would have no choice and would drop the production quotas. That extra three a week must make life miserable and be a constant pressure cooker. It's interesting that two ex staffers were laid off (along with their depts) when times got slow, so where is the job security if they lay you off when the business get slow?

Developing other skills, getting an SRA or upgrading to commercial (though that is not easy to do), a lot of marketing...(there is a lot of work out there, inlcuding fairly well paying AMC work). I am not against staff positions but the pressure to produce such high volume is frustrating to read about. Referencing having access to thousands of reports to clone and borrow generic desciptions ...doesn't seem like appraising, more like recycling stuff with generic comments to get it out and done....

 

[sputnam]

I've done both. If you'd like to PM with me, I'll tell you what I know.

 

[Wm. Hattaway]

It's sad that people who go on staff allow themselves to be pressured to do 10 a week

No sadness here and no pressure. I knew fully what was expected of me when I was hired

If each and every staff appraiser stood up for themselves and said no more than 7 a week, the banks would have no choice and would drop the production quotas

7 a week, I would be bored off my *****. 10 a week is boring. As for quotas, they are a joke. If you want to make a minimum pay check then do the quotas.

That extra three a week must make life miserable and be a constant pressure cooker.

My life is fine and far from miserable, thank you Dr. Phil

It's interesting that two ex staffers were laid off (along with their depts) when times got slow, so where is the job security if they lay you off when the business get slow?

As you get older you’ll learn that there are no absolutes in life. Everyone is expandable.

Referencing having access to thousands of reports to clone and borrow generic desciptions ...doesn't seem like appraising, more like recycling stuff with generic comments to get it out and done

Yes I have access to thousands of appraisals, no I don’t reference them. If the appraisal is in the vault and from my area of coverage then I’m the appraiser that wrote it and put it there.

 

[Mr Rex]

As you get older you’ll learn that there are no absolutes in life. Everyone is expandable.

Yes, I know, I need to drop a few lbs.

 

[Wm. Hattaway]

Yes, I know, I need to drop a few lbs.

LOL good catch, you beat TC to it.

 

[J Grant]

Wm, glad you are happy in the position...for those who thrive on a fast pace it would be ideal.

 

[Charlie]

Wm. Hattaway -

Regarding your comment that 10 a week is boring...are you referring to full 1004 type appraisals? How many hours total would you estimate that it takes you to complete a typical full appraisal? Your comments indicate that you could complete 10 in a week and be bored. So how bored would you be- only having to put in 30 hours? So can you complete a full appraisal in 3 hours? Do you get to "cherry pick" orders? I can not even pull the subject info and drive and inspect the subject and comps in 3 hours - then I still have to write the report.

For me, in my area, 10 a week would kill me. I know, I've done it as staffer, and it killed me. And that was when the reporting requirements were not as high and the market had not tanked. It probably takes me about 8 hours per appraisal on average.

Im not doubting you or questioning the quality of your work. I know that others are faster than me and that some appraisers produce extremely high volume work at a high quality. But to say that 10 a week is "boring" implies that this can easily be accomplished in a typical work week...and I just do not think that this rings true for 99%+ of the appraisers in the country. So what is the secret?

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Too many assignments for me!