What are your plans, goals and suggestions for 2003???

[USPAP Compliant]

What will YOU do in 2003? What needs to be done?


2003 is just a few days away. What needs to be done to improve our profession? How can these goals be accomplished? Are you hoping “someone” will do “something” or will YOU get involved? Will December 2003 find us still complaining, still disappointed and still looking for “some one” to do something?

I assure you that I do not have all the answers...or even all the questions! What practical, workable, enforceable suggestions do you have?

My plans and goals for 2003 include:

Spend more time on positive action and less time on negativity and fault finding.

Forget about MINIMUM requirements and take extra CE classes to learn more. (my goal for 2003 is 28 hours instead of the minimum 14)

Continued pleas for appraisers to attend state appraisal board meetings and see what is going on. Support these boards or work toward needed changes and improvements.

Work harder to “Change the system” as to how state appraisal board members are appointed.

Continue to write, fax, e-mail and call government officials and keep them informed about appraisal issues.

Spend some time adding names to e-mail lists for lenders, real estate agents and others who need to see some of the excellent articles and posts found on appraisersforum.com .

Adapt a “What you need to know” continuing education course for lenders, attorneys, real estate agents and others who need CE Classes and need to know more about appraisal issues, regulations, procedures and requirements.

Make a concerted effort to keep files and records of improper requests, illegal activities and evidence of anything detrimental to the appraisal profession.

Listen to others who have positive suggestions and ideas to improve the appraisal profession and do all I can to help them.

Issues high on my list for 2003 include regulation of AMC’s, disclosure to borrowers as to what valuation procedures have been used (AVM, drive-by, URAR etc.), more publicity by the media for appraisal issues, ( fraud, inflated appraisals, rogue appraisers & lenders, etc.).


Do you have some ideas for 2003 that would improve the appraisal profession ? If so, what are they and what can be done to promote them and get them implemented.

It sure would be nice to set some goals on appraisersforum.com , work together to accomplish them and then post our victories at the end of 2003.

I hope you all have a HUGE 2003, make lots of money, learn all you can, take an active role in the future of your profession and encourage other appraisers along the way.

 

[Don Clark]

8) Bob,

My goals are simple:

1. Work less, and earn more.
2. Teach more of what appraisers really want, if they will tell me.

3. Keep good clients, get rid of the bad ones.
4. Try something new, such as more consulting work.
5. Let regulators, the Appraisal Foundation, state politicians, congress, and my Senators know what I really think.
6. Push for elimination of stupid requirements such the seal required by North Carolina.

7. Relieve business pressure by taking more days off.
8. Treat everyone with more respect.
9. Revoke my membership in organizations that do me little or no good.

10.Attend at least one conference or convention of the National Association of Realtors.

11.Give my input into every change, modification, or attempt to change or modify USPAP, it's statements and advisory opinions,

12.Attend at least 2 meetings of the ASB and AQB.

13.Make more money, and do less work.

I'll stop. I am starting to repeat myself.

On a personal level, visit my children more. Have more one on one time with each of them. Say thank you to God each day for my family, friends, good health, and the ability to be able to work or not work every day. Give more to those who are not as fortunate.

Don Clark

 

[George Hatch]

My list will include some of the same items as Bob and Ben:

Try and allocate more of my efforts doing the type of assignments that make more money.

Increase my fee structure slightly to keep pace with my expenses.

Update my form and narrative report templates and addenda to better reflect the current version of the USPAP.

Start using that Adobe Acrobat program I bought and send at least some of my reports in PDF format.

Get my CE in early.

Work on incorporating business valuation with my RE appraisal practice (I do a lot of SBA appraisal work).

Check out the NAR and see if I can fit in there.

Take a stab at developing and getting ASB and ACE approvals for a USPAP course that most people will be able to understand. Shoot for a high pass ratio on the exams.

Cut the telemarketers off before they finish their first paragraph.

Cut the AMCs and mortgage brokers off before they finish their first paragraph.

Let the happy homeowners finish their first paragraph and then (politely) refer them to a couple local residential appraisers I respect.

Avoid all review work, except as a service.

Shape and glass more surfboards (I did about a dozen this last year). I'm working on a longboard right now.

Take a vacation. Out of state.


George Hatch

 

[Austin]

It is amazing how much appraisers around the country have in common. For example, a few comments on what George Hatch post.
1. Raising fees to cover increasing expenses: Believe it or not my expenses are going down and not up. Locally we are about to get the tax records on line, in which case I can double my work output. I drive about 8,000 miles per year going to the county seat to get records on property just outside the city limits and some times on the opposite side of the city from county offices.
2. George said he wants to make a USPAP course that people can understand and pass a test on! Whoa George, if we could understand it we would not need state appraisal boards to tell us when we didn’t do it their way. How boring that would be. If people understood the appraisal process we wouldn’t need appraisers.
I received an interesting assignment today: A medical office building in the hospital district. Attached to the assignment request was an appraisal done by a CPA on the property in 1988. All three approaches with each approach consuming one page making a total of three pages including site valuation. I understood it perfectly, it made sense, and it served the clients needs. All done by a non-appraiser that never heard of USPAP. Amazingly, the rent rate is about the same today as in 1988. What does that suggest about all the progress we have made in the last 14 years?

3. Given USPAP, I do not understand how an appraiser can comply and appraise a business enterprise that owns the real estate. I went to an AI, CE class once on appraising nursing homes. The instructor was the leader in the field. He told us how he appraised and reported the fixtures & personal property items in a break down. I asked him how he complied with USPAP in the report when putting a value on the personal property. He just smiled and never made me an answer. Some years ago at an AI report writing class someone in the class asked why the AI didn’t put out a model report showing on how to do it correctly. The instructor laughed and said: “Because the AI cannot come to a consensus as to what is the correct method.” In other words, nobody will put their name to it because some other jerk will turn them in for not doing it correctly. So, what is the correct method of preparing a report? Well, I will know one when I see it, but better still, I will know a bad one when I see it too.
4. Telemarketers, AMC’s, and homeowners calling: Today I answered my office telephone for the 1st time this year. Some idiot wanted me to appraise their furniture. I had two faxes in the Box from some company I have never heard of wanting me to collect at the door and call them back and let them know I received the order and set up the appointment. I ain’t about to call them back. A number of call-in-orders for commercial appraisals from people I don’t know, and if I don’t know you, you don’t get an appraisal. Too much risk involved. I did five residential appraisals yesterday and had one call from a Realtor on the machine wanting me to appraise something today for a loan on something they just sold. Had to be today because they want to close this year. I do about 3 Realtor sales a year, which is about 3 too many.
5. Same opinion of review work. Why bother. If you don’t trust the appraiser's answer, why not just ask for a limited appraisal on the same property for verification. Why waste time hashing over somebody’s ideas and methods? It is a total waste of time. You hired the idiot appraiser so what does that say about your appraiser selection process? If the client knew what they were doing, they would have hired an appraiers to do it correctly in the first place, so if a reviewer explains what the appraiser under review did wrong, will the client know what the reviewer is talking about? If I told them what I really thought, they would not know what the hell I was talking about anyway, so what is the point.
6. No surf boards for me. I like canoes and big farm tractors. I will spend this weekend on my big red chief diesel tractor with front-end loader and my 1-year-old grandson asleep in my arms. He loves to ride but it puts him right to sleep. He really gets mad when you try to take him off too. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!

 

[jtrotta]

Austin
only 8,000 miles a year - yer lucky, maybe I'll come work where you are; over the past several years, I haven't turned less than 40,000 miles a year and look at the size of me State 8O; thats why when a client calls & says, "I need it tomorrow" I sorta chuckle, as I immediately know they have not a clue :lol: :lol:

and a Review - more cluelessness (is that a word :lol: :lol: ) ifn ya can't a - above / how kin ya git ta b (review) :? :wink:

8)

 

[Michelle Shoven]

#1 Find someone willing to take on a trainee!!
#2 Learn all I can by example and by CE
#3 Stop and smell the roses
#4 Update this dinosaur computer
#5 Start brushing my dogs teeth!
#6 Get a rid of all the crap I no longer use
#7 BE AN EXCEPTIONAL APPRAISER!!!

 

[USPAP Compliant]

Boy did I screw up! I should have asked "What do you plan to do to IMPROVE the profession and help identify and solve APPRAISAL INDUSTRY problems and issues?"

I guess it is silly to expect a bunch of independent, self-employed folks like us worry about much more that OUR little corner of the world. I include myself in this.

I wish and hope that all of you meet and exceed your personal goals.

 

[Michael Giampa]

Hire more trainees. Grow my business at least another 50% this next year. Just passed my CREA exam last week for VA and will file in DC and MD by reciprocity in the new year. Continue to contribute to this forum by speaking the TRUTH and letting those who scoff to go by the wayside. Sharing profitable suggestions with those who are secure/intelligent enough to want to learn how someone else does the exact same thing. Assuming the question is asked first. Wish the happy and joyful among us a happy new year. :usa

 

[USPAP Compliant]

Michael,

Just curious....how many trainees do you have now and how many do you want to have total? No slam intended, just curious. Also, how many state do you intend to cover?

Also....what do you think of the NCAB rule limiting trainees to TWO per licensed or certified supervisor. I am all for the rule and expect to see most states adopt it. 75 % of the complaints in NC involve a trainee which mosty often meand lack of supervision. NC also now requires a supervisor to accompany a new trainee on the firts FIFTY appraisal inspections. Again, I am all for it. Train em' right and make sure they know what they are doing and how important it is do be honest, ethical and competent.

 

[jtrotta]

Bob

agree with you 100% on the trainee thing, but on the first 50 or the first ten, matters not, if they don't have any honesty in em; it's like anything else in life, no pride / short ride :wink:

8)