How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser: Part Time Work, Full Time Pay

Real Estate Appraising.. Qualifications Set to Change

Dr. Judy Gay
Real estate appraising is an excting career that can earn you a good income. Did you know that a shortage of qualified real estate apprasiers exists? These are the professional who come out to inspect a home, tell it's worth.They work on a non- commission basis. This means that they receive thier fee whether or not the client decides to sell, refinance or even list thier property. Mortgage companies need qualified realty appriasers to value properties..and there are not enough of them to go around. I know of many apprasiers who do just one appraisal a day and earn a good living.

In most areas, 90 hours of classes is all that is needed to enter this field. The course work consist of a 30 hour small residential, a 30 house condo, 30 hours of elective (you choose the topic) and a 15 hour ethics course. That's it.

At that point the person becomes a "licensed appraisal trainee". If you wish to check about your local requirements you can check at the appraisal foundation but the majority of states follow these guidleines.

In many areas, a trainee is paid roughly one hundred dollars per appraisal. After 2,000 hours of experience and an additional 30 hours of schooling, the next step is to apply for the "certified residential certificate". In Central New Jerey three hundred dollars per mortgage appraisal is considered a reasonable fee for a certified appraiser.

Those who chcoose to take another 60 hours of schooling and do addititonal training hours can apply

to become "certified general appraisers". These "master apparaisers" can value homes of any worth and businesses.

The scarcity of general appraisers allows them to set fees far beyond the average. I know of one who charges five hundred per residential appraisal and even more for a commercial appraisal.

If this sounds interesting. I urge you to look into this career now.

In 2008 the qualifications to be a real estate appraiser will change. The ninety hours for licensed residential appraiser will rise to one hundred and fity hours of schooling. Certfied residentail appraisers will require two hundred hours of education and an associaes degree . The qualifiacations for a certified general appraiser go from one hundred and eighty hours to three hundred hours and will only be available to those who have a bachelor's degree or higher..

If you are interested in a career in real estate appraising why not consider taking the classes now? You'll be glad you did.

Published by Dr. Judy Gay

Retired special education teacher who enjoys writitng about many different topics...Hold one Ph d and am at work on another.  View profile

7 Comments

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  • c12/22/2010

    whet is with the misspellins? Don't you use spellcheck? It is as if a moron wrote this article.

  • David5/11/2010

    This so called "Dr." is an absolute idiot. I am a practicing commercial real estate appraiser and this information is horrible, to say the least.

  • Christina4/14/2010

    This article was informative, but did it not get to an editor or did the writer not use spell check? Your credibility goes down when you have spelling errors.

  • Dr. Judy Gay12/21/2009

    I happen to be an apprasier...%500 for one report to a mortgage broker...If you think appraising is such hard work Try getting a college degreee and teaching all week for $400...Continuing Ed? Try having to get a Masters degree with your $400 a week..
    I hear apprasiers belly ache all the time...I say go teach.

  • Tim12/20/2009

    Correction: This is semi-informative. Makes it sound like a walk in the park. They completely fail to mention the need to latch on as an apprentice or trainee with an established appraiser; the hours of continuing ed required every year; at least in my state, and the volatile nature of the business. Lots of legalities and ways to "screw up" or sidetrack your career efforts. I can assure you that whoever wrote this little "pie in the sky" peice is NOT a Certified or practicing R.E. Appraiser.

  • Oriley9/12/2007

    This was very informative.

  • Todd5/2/2007

    I am interested how should i proceed ? thank you

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