The Truth - Sometimes It's Not Pretty

[Chris Colston]

Originally posted by Raimo Kumpulainen@Oct 8 2003, 10:46 PM
After 2 years, sometimes I feel like I know less now than when I got started.

See how I feel after another 2.

I've been at this for over 15 years and I still feel THAT way.

Especially after working in 1 market for 8 years and then pulling up everything and relocating to a totally different market.

Raimo....In 3 years when you can file away those first appraisals, keep a few out just to take a look at. You will be amazed how far you've come and won't believe some of those reports were actually accepted.

 

[Jungle Boy]

Thanks galls & guys!

 

[TC]

Pam,

You have to take the WHOLE valium, stop cutting them in half.



TC

 

[Dave Smith]

Pam:

Thank you, as usual, for expressing the situation so well.

Newbies, please listen up. Pam simply stated the situation as most good experienced appraisers see it. There is a steep learning curve, the good experienced appraisers do not fear competition and they are very willing to help the realistic newbies scale that steep curve. This forum is an excellent example that.

 

[Stone]

Amen, Dee Dee. I have only been at this for a little over four years, and I have been greatly aided by my partner's willingness to do 90% of the book-keeping. He also is responsible for many of my clients, though I do what I would call "maintenance" work with most of them, and believe that if he quit, I would still get a similar amount of work. I am very aware of how much time and effort he spends doing those things, and try to thank him for it often.

 

[Steve Forstner]

Originally posted by TC@Oct 9 2003, 07:50 AM
You have to take the WHOLE valium, stop cutting them in half.

:rofl:

 

[Franco2]

Pam,

I think you are wrong. There are many trainees and licensed appraisers that are horrible equally. It is because they don't have good research skills, don't care and have not been properly taught by thier mentors. Let's face it, determining value for real estate is not rocket science. However, The research can be intense at times. Even within the so called sweat shop, there are really good and ethical appraisers that can teach trainees. I consider myself lucky as I work for a large firm and have two really good and ethical appraisers that teach me and correct me on a regular basis.

The appraising end of the job is really not that tough. I could think of many jobs that are much more complex. The hard part is the political end of the job, pulling in clients and running a business.

By the way, I have aided in doing review work (for practice purposes) and have seen many of these so called ethical 1-2 person shops producing fraudulent reports that have one sentence in the addendum on numerous occasions.

 

[Dave Smith]

For what it is worth the following link will take you to a previous thread on this same topic. Several of the regulars, your's truly included, shared some of our thoughts on the mentor - trainee topic in that thread that is pertinent to this one as well. Please read it.

http://appraisersforum.com/forum/index.php...4&hl=trainee&s=

 

[Steve Gish]

From my "For what it's worth department"....

The challenge is everything I'd hope it'd be. I'm still as excited to tackle the next assignment as I was the first. Things I questioned in the beginning, now make a little more sence. I have realized that it will take me 2000 hours to feel comfortable with enough aspects of the business to go it alone. Between the forms, market adjustments, client finding, client KEEPING, deadlines, LO's, UW's, marketing, USPAP, typo's, computers crashing, email dumping, photo taking, comp finding, and oh yea and inspections...I might actually get it eventually.

The ONLY complaint I have is the money. But we knew that coming in didn't we. Ya'll told me poverty wages but I didn't expect 3rd world country poverty level wages. I'd need a raise to get good ole USA poverty level wages.

Did my first final inspection today on a new construction. Stood around for a hour while they finished the sod so I could take a picture of it and put it in the report... they got the report 1 hour before closing. I even escrowed for the fence. I feel I did a great job on the assignment.

Something new everyday. B)

 

[wyecoyote]

Pam,

Tell us how you really feel . New appraisers and potential appraisers do not think it will be as hard as veteran appraisers tell them it will be. How many times this year have we had newbies come in and say that they will make a ton of money and other appraisers have know idea on what it is really like.


Steve,

TSK Tsk waiting an hour. You are new ask pam if she would have waited an hour. :twisted: