Texas MLS

[dakota123]

I live in Wisconsin and just received my certified residential appraiser license in Texas through reciprocity. I'm having difficulty figuring out how to gain access to MLS in Texas. There appear to be different MLS options for different counties, which I am not used to as Wisconsin MLS covers most of the state. From my research so far, it looks like you either need to be a licensed real estate agent (which I will not be) or you need to find an agent/broker and ask them to give you MLS Assistant Access. Does anyone have any advice on helping me get MLS access? Thanks!

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

Texas is a very large state. Every large metropolitan area has its own MLS. DFW, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Waco. They all have their own MLS. NTREIS for DFW covers about 200 miles NESW. When you get out to the really rural areas, I suppose they still use books. I remember going to Real Estate offices in Mineral Wells before they joined our MLS. Did they join? I learned lesson and haven't been back. I can remember when Fort Worth had its own, Arlington had its own, Dallas had its own and NRH had its own. You had to join each and listen to the old dial up access their systems.

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

Does anybody miss the old dot matrix MLS print outs? Sometimes I would have to take donuts or cookies to the Real estate office secretaries so they would run sales for me. I met a wife in Granbury that way. Let's just say I am not just onery on the forum. Central MLS has saved me from future mistakes.

 

[Joe Flacco]

We need national MLS.

 

[Alsie35]

I live in Wisconsin and just received my certified residential appraiser license in Texas through reciprocity. I'm having difficulty figuring out how to gain access to MLS in Texas. There appear to be different MLS options for different counties, which I am not used to as Wisconsin MLS covers most of the state. From my research so far, it looks like you either need to be a licensed real estate agent (which I will not be) or you need to find an agent/broker and ask them to give you MLS Assistant Access. Does anyone have any advice on helping me get MLS access? Thanks!

Well, in San Antonio, being a licensed appraiser makes you eligible to join SABOR (San Antonio Board of Realtors) and when you do, you also become a member of NAR (National Assocation of Realtors). That makes you eligible to have access to SABORMLS which is *spoiler alert* the ONLY way to get data within Bexar County and 7 adjoining counties. That's right (because Texas is a non-disclosure state), all sales data comes through SABORMLS in our corner of South Texas.

As an aside, I've wondered whether I can now just go out and become a working realtor since, hey - I AM a member of both SABOR and the NAR, or if there are some rules limiting appraisers who actually don't have a RE license. (Haven't looked into that one since I have zero desire to become a working realtor, but its an intriguing possibility).

Now back to the plot - I moved my license and our family to San Antonio 2 years ago from ... that state that shall remain nameless over on The Left Coast, so if you have a good client base that will stay with you it can be done quite easily - or COULD be back when there was more work than you could shake a stick at. Might be a bit tougher to do today. (In our case I lived in ole San Antone for 8 years in the 1990s-early 2000s when Uncle Sam stationed me here, so I considered it "coming home", ie I knew exactly where I was moving to and more importantly, WHY. If you're coming in "out of the blue" your learning curve will be longer, but good God man - whatever your age is, how can you stand those s****y winters anymore? (I lived in Chicago for 3 years when I went to school there in the 1980s, and the weather was H*** virtually the entire time school was in session.)

I digress. Hope I've given you some insight, and good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

We need national MLS.

Why? So you can jet around the US doing appraisals without GEO competency?

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

without GEO competency?

Not a USPAP requirement. We simply have to be competent. I think it is overrated to say such competency cannot be developed. I do understand that Fannie wants you to be competent to accept an assignment.

 

[sputnam]

We need national MLS.

The only reason for appraisers to want national MLS would be so they can ignore geographic competence. For some assignment times, geographic competence may not be needed. For others, it's necessary.

Not a USPAP requirement. We simply have to be competent. I think it is overrated to say such competency cannot be developed. I do understand that Fannie wants you to be competent to accept an assignment.

No one says that geographic competence.. or any other form of competence.. can not be developed. USPAP specifically tells us that we must be competent for the assigment in order to accept it... or... we must do what is necessary to acquire competence. Lender/Clients have insisted on geographic competence... rightly, imo.

 

[Joe Flacco]

I think there should be a national MLS and everybody should be able to subscribe to it. Not only realtors and appraisers.

Wouldn't be very surprised if there are lawsuits targeting MLS after the ones targeting the buyer broker commission rule.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Lender/Clients have insisted on geographic competence... rightly, imo.

Who do you call to value a hotel, C store, airport hangar, or say, mineral rights or timber rights? Who is the most competent? The appraiser next door, or the specialist for a particular property type?