What Changes - Personally?

[xmtpedprl]

Excellent history there, my friend.

You know, 'Black Barts' SUCKS now, they don't even have that neat jail inside anymore, I mean, c'mon!!

And there was this guy who always came down for the Summer/Falls months,w e used to play guitar & sign in the restaurant together, man, it was a blast! Best rendition of the Allman Brothers 'Melissa' you ever heard! Now it, well, it sucks!

But all in all, the best get away for us Chicago folks that makes any sense, that's for sure!

Thank you, Ray,

Dave...

 

[Ray Miller]

Excellent history there, my friend.

You know, 'Black Barts' SUCKS now, they don't even have that neat jail inside anymore, I mean, c'mon!!

And there was this guy who always came down for the Summer/Falls months,w e used to play guitar & sign in the restaurant together, man, it was a blast! Best rendition of the Allman Brothers 'Melissa' you ever heard! Now it, well, it sucks!

But all in all, the best get away for us Chicago folks that makes any sense, that's for sure!

Thank you, Ray,

Dave...

That should be the Great, One and Only Kevin Murphy. When Kevin first interviewed with me to head up my entertainmet, about the only thing he could play on that 12 string was rock and roll, all he knew. Anyway I liked the pup and call him back for a second interview. Ask him if I bought him a song book with cowboy tunes if he could learn them. He said sure. He did and worked for me, tell I sold the business. I think he really wanted to another Elvis. He would slip one of those tunes in every so offten on the Dinner rides. Had to let the man have some fun. He was out to the house here a couple of years ago for my wifes birthday party. He played with KG and the Ranger that day.

 

[Oregon Doug]

The past year certainly has been chock-full of changes for both the appraisal trade and its practitioners. Professionalism continues to bleed out at an ever alarming rate in the craft’s spiral to the lowest common denominator. It long ago passed the point of no return and there’s no end in sight. This isn’t just hand wringing doom & gloom; it’s based on almost four decades of observation and my last 7 years as an appraisal regulator (board member.) All things have a beginning, middle and end – why should appraisal be any different?

The stroke I suffered a few years back left me partially paralyzed and made getting around to do appraisals difficult; so I already made the jump to a new career - as a writer. I don’t miss appraisal one bit. My license is winding down in a few months and I have no desire or intent to renew it. It feels good not taking or teaching any more CE classes!

One goal in 2008 is to bring my first novel to shelves by year’s end. It looks doable. I’ll get back to fly fishing (steelhead, out here) and my garden. I’m fortunate that Fiona, (a six year old black lab/pound puppy), is delighted to be my fishing buddy. I’ve already lost the weight and got the BP and cholesterol down (a stroke teaches a lot about that.)

For the first time in a long time, I’m enthusiastic about the coming year (not as an appraiser.)

Tight lines,
Oregon Doug

 

[xmtpedprl]

"And a river runs through it..."

Good luck with the book, Doug! Maybe you can write a horror novel next time around about appraising!

;^)

Dave...

 

[Judy Whitehead (Florida)]

Well, I'll add in my "vision" here. We scaled the office staff down to me, my son and two trainees - one of whom is trying to pass his test to become certified. He is struggling with it and I have sympathy for him - young children, including a new baby makes studying for him hard.

I never again want to handle the volume that we did over the last few years. I want to keep it small and simple but continue to make money, of course. We are soliciting (and getting) more attorney work, foreclosure work, Relos and I am finding the new scopes of work challenging. Also, the real estate people are referring people to us before listing their houses. All in all, the work has changed, it has become twice as difficult, but we are up to the challenge.

The saying around here is, if we are standing before the appraisal board, we want to make sure every single i is dotted and t crossed. These times make us put on our thinking and analyzation caps all day long and I find that I actually enjoy it, if I am not constantly getting calls from AMCs wanting to know how come we haven't finished the assignment that came in email at 10:30pm last night.

I am also in my early 60's and plan to semi-retire in a year or so. Hopefully we can keep the same people, but no more trainees for me, either.

 

[Lawrence R.]

Only a bit tongue in cheek.

I think I just realized that I am going to wait for you old geezers to kick the bucket. No wonder nobody is worried about skippy!! Thee gerryatric population will ease the supply and demand problem and that right soon!!

LOL

Other than that, I plan to become one of the best appraisers out there in my area, if not the best. I also plan to put one skippy in the soup line this year.

If he doesn't put me there first ,LOL.

 

[VolcanoLvr]

Up here in the wild northwest, I don't forsee any major changes. It has been a good year for me, the first full one as a single shingle shop. I'm hoping '08 will be just as good.

I will miss the experienced AF folks who are moving on to other pastures...riding off into the sunset...on one of Ray's horses it seems! The AF people experience is something I have come to value and respect, despite some of the negativism. But I'll continue to tune in, contribute tidbits, ask questions, and learn from a bunch of fine appraisers. Thanks for all your contributions.

I'm also hoping to meet some of you in person. Two appraisers from the AF have become personal friends this past year, and it's nice to have them to share war stories with or to learn from. This is a very satisfying aspect of this work....pen pals can evolve into friendships.

I'm also still interested in helping promote live education in our area 1-2 hours north of Seattle. We did that successfully in '07, but the alphabet soup appraiser organization chapter leader last year failed to help us promote live education in '08, so a different tactic will be employed. We may beat them, independently, at their own game.

Wife & I are also expecting our first closeby grandchild in the spring, so this will add a new dynamic to the family situation.

 

[Big ole Boy]

I flipped thousands of burgers this summer at Mc'D's .......

they paid me $6.85 an hour .....

go to college for 4 years ... get a finance degree ...

.... appraise houses honestly for 17 years and get forced out and go to Mc'D's ....

..... I finally found other work .....

.... humbling ..... and very hard work day in and day out .......

... I worked for the Florida State Prison this past summer for 8 hours (1 shift) ... it paid like $32,000 per year ....

...... I just was not able to sit there in a control room and watch prisoners go to the bathroom ...... it was too much for me ......

.... at that point I was thinking of going back into appraising .......

..then came McD's


.... now I am fixing up rental houses .....

 

[Tim Schneider]

The state meets Jan 24, and I am on the agenda for experience review. So the biggest change will hopefully be the change from trainee to licensed.

 

[Kevin A. Spellman]

I hope I can get my private MLS service up and running. I have been working on it for over five years. I’m so lazy.