Unemployment rate for appraisers

[Diego Lopez]

According to the wall street journal and other sources the real estate appraisal profession has the lowest unemployment rate of all occupations coming in at .004 unemployment rate. I just do not believe this is true, many of my appraiser friends are unemployed or have moved on to other occupations. Is this bull or do I have unlucky appraiser friends? What say you?




http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703791904576075652301620440.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011...ave-the-highest-and-lowest-unemployment-rates

 

[Randolph Kinney]

Since the data does not isolate real estate appraiser specifically and most appraisers are self-employed, there is no way the government can accurately estimate employment levels or unemployment levels for appraisers.

 

[Roy Courtney]

January 1, 2009 the ASC indicated a total of 120,488 appraisers. Today they indicate a total of 106,606. In less than three years we have lost over 13,882 of our fellow appraisers. I say thank you Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Andy Cumo, all the scum AMCs, Dodd and Barney Frank! All of you have helped to make what was once a great profession into just a crappy job! We continue to loose several hundred appraisers each month and I predict that one day before long the old "Appraiser to do this and appraiser to do that will be met with a resolute NO...take a hike! I know my office is turning down work almost each day because of fee, time frame, etc. I am sure most of you are doing the same!

 

[residentialguy]

Most Appraiser's aren't employed...we're a profession.

 

[smackodu]

January 1, 2009 the ASC indicated a total of 120,488 appraisers. Today they indicate a total of 106,606. In less than three years we have lost over 13,882 of our fellow appraisers. I say thank you Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Andy Cumo, all the scum AMCs, Dodd and Barney Frank! All of you have helped to make what was once a great profession into just a crappy job! We continue to loose several hundred appraisers each month and I predict that one day before long the old "Appraiser to do this and appraiser to do that will be met with a resolute NO...take a hike! I know my office is turning down work almost each day because of fee, time frame, etc. I am sure most of you are doing the same!

I hate to be insensitive here Roy. My office is turning down work as well. Why? It has nothing to do with low fees or turn time although that happens once in a while. My problem is our 2 person shop can't keep up with volume of good paying clients. I had clients begging us not to turn off for the Thanksgiving holiday. We are not spending the break on vacation. We are catching up writing reports and I expect it to get even worse/better in the coming weeks. I am not going to feel bad about it. I hope those former appraisers find other meaningful work. I may be wrong but I believe the surplus of appraisers is a myth the worst AMCs have been feeding us. How many folks really believe it when their staff calls and tells you they have someone who will do it cheaper? No they don't. That is why they are calling you. They are just hoping to find an appraiser who will believe them and do it cheaper.

 

[Elliott]

I'm a self employed, independent fee appraiser, as are many, if not most
posters on this site. We aren't a 'employment' statistic. If my income is
up or down 50% in a year doesn't shown up in conventional labor statistics.

Maybe appraisers who work for AMCs and assessors have a 4% unemployment
rate....who knows, but that isn't us.

 

[Roy Courtney]

I hate to be insensitive here Roy. My office is turning down work as well. Why? It has nothing to do with low fees or turn time although that happens once in a while. My problem is our 2 person shop can't keep up with volume of good paying clients. I had clients begging us not to turn off for the Thanksgiving holiday. We are not spending the break on vacation. We are catching up writing reports and I expect it to get even worse/better in the coming weeks. I am not going to feel bad about it. I hope those former appraisers find other meaningful work. I may be wrong but I believe the surplus of appraisers is a myth the worst AMCs have been feeding us. How many folks really believe it when their staff calls and tells you they have someone who will do it cheaper? No they don't. That is why they are calling you. They are just hoping to find an appraiser who will believe them and do it cheaper.

I do not think you are beinig insensitive at all. Our office only has one AMC client and we turn down 80% of their orders. We do get quite a few calls from AMCs and those are ones I was referring to that offer cheap fees and want the report yesterday. When you tell those folks your office does not work with management companies their reactions are interesting! Thankfully our office has some great clients and we just mainly do repeat business with them.

 

[Motown Matt]

Be wary of reported numbers. I can't file unemployment if I wanted to, since I work for myself. If I stop appraising, I will not appear on in the reported numbers. Additionally, those who's unemployment benefits have run out are removed from the unemployment numbers reported by the states. So if you think the country is really at 9-12% unemployment and not more like <15%, you're really not understanding how the numbers are reported.

 

[Adios]

According to the wall street journal and other sources the real estate appraisal profession has the lowest unemployment rate of all occupations coming in at .04 unemployment rate. I just do not believe this is true, many of my appraiser friends are unemployed or have moved on to other occupations. Is this bull or do I have unlucky appraiser friends? What say you?




http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703791904576075652301620440.html

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011...ave-the-highest-and-lowest-unemployment-rates

That is a meaningless statistic. Most appraisers are self employed.Is it a sector that is hard hit? Heck yes! But the entire housing sector is comprised of small businesses that generally do not appear in the unemployment stats.

Warren Buffet last week said all of their businesses show growth except for those related to the housing sector. He said that sector is in a Deep Depression.

The suggestion that HVCC caused the markets to decline is an absurd one. Abuses by loan productive controlling appraisals contributed to the demise. HVCC was an effect, not the cause.

We have too many of the wrong kind of appraisers. We can only hope that we retain the good ones and the others move on.

Welcome to Walmart.

 

[smackodu]

That is a meaningless statistic. Most appraisers are self employed.Is it a sector that is hard hit? Heck yes! But the entire housing sector is comprised of small businesses that generally do not appear in the unemployment stats.

Warren Buffet last week said all of their businesses show growth except for those related to the housing sector. He said that sector is in a Deep Depression.

The suggestion that HVCC caused the markets to decline is an absurd one. Abuses by loan productive controlling appraisals contributed to the demise. HVCC was an effect, not the cause.

We have too many of the wrong kind of appraisers. We can only hope that we retain the good ones and the others move on.

Welcome to Walmart.

Joan please stop referring to appraisers as "WE". You are not a licensed appraiser in any state. You have not worked as an appraiser under the HVCC or Dodd Frank. As I have read in your group's white paper you do not want direct lenders to be required to use AMCs. You know that is a self serving position your group has. The quality of appraisals has not gone up because of the HVCC or AMCs.