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Many of these articles are old as I don't
update these pages very often.
I regularly write about many of these topics in my paid monthly Appraisal Today
newsletter.
$99 per year or $8.25 per month
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http://www.appraisaltoday.com/products.htm
Most Frequently Asked Appraiser
Questions
Index of Appraiser FAQs
How
can I become an appraiser?
- For general info, go to our Consumer
Q&A on appraising and scroll down to How do I become an
appraiser. Getting started in appraising is very difficult as few lenders
hire trainees (where most current appraisers got trained). Few fee appraisal
companies hire trainees. We don't recommend taking any classes until you
have a job. A good way to start is doing clerical support work in an
appraisal office.
- Search this
site for the word "trainee".
- Good advice at www.appraisersforum.com
- Check with your state's appraisal regulator.
For contact info, go to www.asc.gov
Appraisers - how can I find
the name and phone number of an appraiser?
- Go to the Appraisal Subcommittee Web
site, which has the National Registry of licensed and certified appraisers, or contact the
state licensing agency (information on the ASC site). Sometimes it is hard to find a name,
so try the "custom search" option, and try all appraisers in a city. If you
spell the name wrong, you can't find them. The data is case sensitive. Not all appraisers
are licensed or certified.
- You can also try appraisal association
Web sites, if the appraiser is a member.
- Also try phone book directories. For a list, go
to the Internet Tips page and scroll down to the
bottom of the page.
Books - where can I get
appraisal and business management books?
For books we recommend, go to Computer, appraisal,
and business books for
appraisers.
Collecting past due billings
This is one of fee appraisers' favorite topics.
Comps - where can I get them?
Closed sales for free are hard to get, as they are sold for a profit by vendors.
- For
commercial appraisers, the Comps.com site works well.
Listings are easier to find.
- Some commercial listings of sales and leases are online, and
most residential listings are online. Try www.loopnet.com
and www.comspace.com for commercial listings.
- Go to
the Commercial appraisal links for more information.
- Several
appraiser email mailing lists are excellent ways to get comps and assistance on unusual
properties. Go to the Appraiser communication page.
Digital photos
- One of appraisers' favorite computer topics.
Fannie Mae Guidelines - Go
to the Fannie Mae News page for the latest information
and download the Fannie Mae guidelines.
Flood maps - where can I get
them?
- The FEMA web site
has has a list of the most current maps but no maps are available.
-
Geocoded flood maps are only available commercially from one national company
and a few local companies (type in an
address, and the software program finds the location on the flood map).
- Lenders use flood
certification companies instead of appraisers to verify flood zones. If you are
a commercial appraiser and only do a few appraisals a month, you could use a
flood cert service online. Use a search engine to search for "flood
certification service."
- Scanned flood maps
are available on microfiche and CD-ROM for some areas.
- Go to the Appraisal
Vendors' page for more info.
Forms
software - what's the best? Every appraiser has a different opinion on this
hot topic.
Help with an appraisal problem or unusual
property The Web is a great way to get help. You won't get comps, but you can get
very useful information. For example, you're appraising a marina.
- You search at www.google.com, a search engine, for marinas. You
find the International Marina Association site with lots of info.
- Or, you find a book or
article on the problem. The Appraisal
Institute publishes many books and has an excellent library.
- Many of their books are reviewed on the Appraisal
Books page on this web site.
- For articles, the Appraisal
Institute's Lum Library is an excellent source of information.
- You can also post a
question on several email mailing lists and chat boards for appraisers. Go to the
Appraiser communications page.
Independent contractors
USPAP - Where can I get a copy?
-
Go to the Appraisal Foundation Web site
to read or order the latest version of USPAP, any proposed or approved changes,
and their monthly Q&As.
- Yes, you can download it section by section,
but its cheaper and easier to purchase the paper document for $25. The
online version is handy for searching.
Web site - How do I set one up
for my business?
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