Terrel L. Shields
Elite Member
- Joined
- May 2, 2002
- Professional Status
- Certified General Appraiser
- State
- Arkansas
Well, i have my own NSHO...
The cost of creating a class, a handbook, slides or handouts, and then the enormous cost of getting approved in each state individually makes for an enormous barrier to cutting edge, up to date, and interesting CE.
Instead, the for-profit providers have to offer the standard updates and top o' the news items like "frauds & flips" "New URAR" etc. Items us "old timers" took some version of for a decade or two. In otherwords, CE is dumbed down to the lowest denominator in order to attract the most students. Few classes can be offered with less than 10 people and still pay the bills. $300-400 for an instructor + expenses. Frankly, I consult out to the oil & gas biz for $500 a day plus expenses. Appraisers rarely can compete largely because the overall business simply doesn't pay well enough. I get lots of mineral regulatory offerings (landmen, etc.) that are $1200 courses and I will be taking a course in Oct that will push four figures. Cannot justify that for appraisal school.
Other expenses run say, $200 for a classroom. Some society wants a cut of the pay...etc. $150 a head doesn't go far.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, some of the old heads who were approved in the early 90's haven't updated courses in years or simply died off. When is the last time NAIFA offered a Farm Appraisal Course? I spoke with a USPAP approved instructor last week who doesn't really want to teach any classes any more. He simply doesn't like it and it's not profitable.
There is a tremendous barrier to good CE. It is the same barrier to good appraising. Lack of compensation. The states are required to certify schools, screen all offerings, etc. and it cost them to do so. There has got to be a better way. If you sought approval in 20 states to teach a relatively unique course that is unlikely to draw over 20 students avg. and charged $150, then it is likely to cost upwards $5000-10,000 to get it approved (particularly a 2 day certifying ed course) in 20 states. The book will cost $20 to publish probably. The teacher (20 days worth plus expenses) will run $10,000. The class room maybe $4000. Delays, approval costs, society taking their piece of the pie...there really isn't much left for the person who develops the course, writes the book, etc. To top that, the societies who would sponsor the class (but not any prep thereof) frequently want a cut and want the copyrights to the book...yeah. free.
Either courses need approved centrally (AQB?), or the standards should be such that approval of a class in one state should be automatic approval in another - neither of which will probably happen.
We can talk about 'better' CE; more 'interesting' CE; but the bottom line is that CE is for most of us, merely a "process", a hoop to jump thru which increases our knowledge base very little. Nothing the state boards, nor ASC, nor TAF has done or is likely to do will change that. Until instructors can create the class, the materials and do so profitably, you will just have to suck it up. I don't see that on the horizon.
The cost of creating a class, a handbook, slides or handouts, and then the enormous cost of getting approved in each state individually makes for an enormous barrier to cutting edge, up to date, and interesting CE.
Instead, the for-profit providers have to offer the standard updates and top o' the news items like "frauds & flips" "New URAR" etc. Items us "old timers" took some version of for a decade or two. In otherwords, CE is dumbed down to the lowest denominator in order to attract the most students. Few classes can be offered with less than 10 people and still pay the bills. $300-400 for an instructor + expenses. Frankly, I consult out to the oil & gas biz for $500 a day plus expenses. Appraisers rarely can compete largely because the overall business simply doesn't pay well enough. I get lots of mineral regulatory offerings (landmen, etc.) that are $1200 courses and I will be taking a course in Oct that will push four figures. Cannot justify that for appraisal school.
Other expenses run say, $200 for a classroom. Some society wants a cut of the pay...etc. $150 a head doesn't go far.
Meanwhile back at the ranch, some of the old heads who were approved in the early 90's haven't updated courses in years or simply died off. When is the last time NAIFA offered a Farm Appraisal Course? I spoke with a USPAP approved instructor last week who doesn't really want to teach any classes any more. He simply doesn't like it and it's not profitable.
There is a tremendous barrier to good CE. It is the same barrier to good appraising. Lack of compensation. The states are required to certify schools, screen all offerings, etc. and it cost them to do so. There has got to be a better way. If you sought approval in 20 states to teach a relatively unique course that is unlikely to draw over 20 students avg. and charged $150, then it is likely to cost upwards $5000-10,000 to get it approved (particularly a 2 day certifying ed course) in 20 states. The book will cost $20 to publish probably. The teacher (20 days worth plus expenses) will run $10,000. The class room maybe $4000. Delays, approval costs, society taking their piece of the pie...there really isn't much left for the person who develops the course, writes the book, etc. To top that, the societies who would sponsor the class (but not any prep thereof) frequently want a cut and want the copyrights to the book...yeah. free.
Either courses need approved centrally (AQB?), or the standards should be such that approval of a class in one state should be automatic approval in another - neither of which will probably happen.
We can talk about 'better' CE; more 'interesting' CE; but the bottom line is that CE is for most of us, merely a "process", a hoop to jump thru which increases our knowledge base very little. Nothing the state boards, nor ASC, nor TAF has done or is likely to do will change that. Until instructors can create the class, the materials and do so profitably, you will just have to suck it up. I don't see that on the horizon.
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Seriously, smaller states are limited in the # of schools available...which means the narrow selection of classes is even more focused. One of our schools was run by an appraiser who was killed in a car wreck a few weeks ago. We are down to maybe 3 USPAP certified instructors (the youngest is probably 60 yr old or close) in AR. One instructor in OK I know is over 75. The future of his school is a question mark. To get unique CE I have been to classes in Colorado and New Mexico as well as Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas offerings. Some places I just ain't going....either coast, class on some cruise ship [haven't seen an offering of that lately] etc. The expense of going can exceed the school cost by considerable.