USPAP Instructor Certification Course

[Bob Ipock]

I FINALLY got a letter from the Appraisal Foundation (AQB) that I passed the Course form 03/01/2002 in Atlanta, GA.

I passed and am amazed that I passed. Hope some of the rest of you got a similar letter.

Now, as soon as I actually LEARN some more about USPAP and take a few classes, I might feel qualified to teach. While I am LEGALLY QUALIFIED now, I have a lot to learn before I would feel good about teaching a class for mandatory CE credit.


Bob Ipock

 

[Austin]

Bob: Do you realize the implications of what you just said? An experienced appraiser takes the instructor’s class and is amazed that he passed. If USPAP is that difficult to understand, how the devil do they expect the rest of us to understand it? Last year I took the AI’s class on USPAP for about the fifth time. I don’t think anybody in the class had the same perspective on most of the rules. I thought about taping the class and if I was ever charged to play the recording of the class discussion to show that there was not a consensus on what the darn thing means. We had one of the most experienced instructors in the country and he spent 15 minutes explaining the new definition of market value in the new USPAP. I told him there was no new definition of market value that what he was describing was a discussion of the elements of market value. After about another 15 minutes he agreed.
To add insult to injury, in Virginia we have to take 3 hours of state law every two years. You should hear that discusssion. Even worse. Guess who teaches the class? Two former state appraisal board chairmen. I have had this law class about 5 times and I swear on a stack of Bibles I knew more before I took the darn class than I did after. 100% BS! It was so bad the present board no longer requires the class.

 

[Don Clark]

8)
Bob,

Just for the record, you probably know 95% more than anyone you would teach, and about 95% more than most posters on the forum. That is not a put down to anyone you would teach, or to any poster on this forum. Instead, it is a sad commentary on the misinformation, BS (to quote Austin), outright ignorance on the part of past "instructors", and the failure of the Appraisal Foundation to give us a clear, concise, understandable set of standards. As my sainted mother who has long since gone to her reward would say, "If you don't stop picking at that sore, it will never heal". If we don't stop screwing around with and changing USPAP every year, we will have an unenforceable, misunderstood, and totaly ineffective set of standards. We are already well on our way. BTW Bob, thanks for the help you gave me on the new NC appraisal and lender regulations.

Austin, the state did not discontinue the 3 hour mandatory course because no one understood it. They got rid of it so they can comply with the foundation requirement for a 7 hour USPAP update every 2 years.

Bob, congratulations. I encourage you to do some teaching. You will be surprised how much you know.

Don

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

Congratulation Bob!!!

I'll second both Austin's and Don's posts!

 

[Bob Ipock]

In response to Austin:

The implications of what I said refer to MY LIMITATIONS, not that USPAP is too difficult. Like MOST appraisers, I ignored and poo-pooed USPAP for too many years. Hell, I was a great appraiser, why did I needd to know all of that garbage. Well, I saw the light a few years ago and began to seek out and expand my knowlwdge of the appraisal field.

USPAP is tough, but the reason that most appraisers don't know USPAP is that they have not READ IT since they took their pre-licensing classes. I started reading and learning USPAP as well as reading the Limiting Conditions and Appraisers Certification that I had so casually signed for years.

Most appraisers see CE as a curse. I have learned that the more CE I take and the more I learn, the better off I am. Very few appraisers will spend a nickle to take MORE than the minimum required CE. If I was able to get credit for all the classes and seminars I have taken in the last few years, I would have enough CE for 10 years.

The course and test were tough.....but they had little to do with the CONTENT of USPAP. As I said before, it was a history lesson and a study in CONCEPTS, not a line by line study of the USPAP doccument. Sometimes one must jump thru a few hoops along the road to reach a goal or destination. I have jumped thru many hoops to become an instructor in NC. I have paid my dues and will continue to learn more. I will NEVER teach a class that I don't feel I am well versed in the subject.
At present, I will NOT be teaching USPAP until I feel a little more satisfied that I SHOULD be teaching. In order to become more proficient, I will be taking some more classes and seeking out other vessles of knowledge on the subject.


Bob

 

[bradellis]

Bob,

Congratulations. I am hoping for the same letter!

To Don, yes you are right. Time to stop messing around with USPAP. Leave it alone and we'll all figure it out.

To Austin, Bob was almost certainly referring to the exam which was quite rough- not because the questions did not cover the material but because many if not most had more than 1 right answer and picking the "best" from among more than 1 right one can be very difficult indeed.

Brad Ellis, IFA,RAA

 

[Doug Walters]

Congratulations on passing! As far as teaching the class, if you feel a little uncomfortable going it alone the first couple of times out, team up with another instructor. Team teaching has benefits for the instructors as well as the participants. I can't think of a time the Appraisal Foundation has put on a USPAP update that wasn't delivered by a team of two. I have been to three in the last four years.

By the way, was the instructors class presented by one or two folks?

 

[Tom Hildebrandt]

Bob

As I posted to you privately, glad to hear you passed. Congratulations!

I only hope I did as well. Won't know until Monday late.

Regards

Tom Hildebrandt GAA

 

[Fred]

Bob,
No notification of your actual grade? or just pass?

Perhaps a possible impending instrucor shortage has something to do with the mystery grading system?

 

[Bob Ipock]

Just PASS of FAIL. No grades are issued.

Th grading system is a mystery no doubt. Grades were supossed to go out in 30 days and it took almost 60 days.

The questions were difficult, but I do test well. Give me four multiple choice answers and I am pretty good at finding the best answer.

I am happy to accect the pass and will try to learn some more about USPAP each day.


Bob