The appraisal industry relies on an experienced group of professionals to properly determine the value of properties. It takes quite a bit of training for appraisers to become qualified enough to start evaluating homes and this article goes through the process it takes to get to that point.
Classes
In order to become an appraiser, that person must be 18 years old and take the prerequisite courses which are over 150 hours of training and require you to take exams with a live proctor. The student is given 3 tries to pass the exam and if you fail all three then you must take the course again. 75 of those hours are needed to become a trainee through basic appraisal education, which are divided into three courses: National USPAP Course (15 hours), Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours), and Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours).
Experience
Once trainees in California have passed the initial courses and sent the necessary information to http://brea.ca.gov/ they must then gain over 2,000 hours worth of experience with a licensed appraiser and which encompasses no less than 12 months of training. The work must be reviewed and signed off on by the supervising appraiser, but it doesn’t necessarily mean one has to be with the same appraiser every time the trainee goes out into the field, he or she can acquire experience with separate appraisers at a time.
Upgrade License
Depending on the amount of experience a trainee gains with a supervising appraiser, the trainee can then upgrade their license to one of three options, the easiest option being Licensed Appraiser, the intermediate option of Certified Residential Appraiser, and the most challenging option of Certified General Appraiser. Trainees do not have to follow a linear progression with each upgrade, and can go straight from being a trainee to a certified general appraiser if he or she meets the necessary qualifications.
It should be noted that while a trainee does not have to have college experience in order to become a licensed appraiser, he or she will need to acquire it in order to become a certified residential or certified general appraiser. The extra effort may be worth it however as the appraiser will be able to appraise a wider net of properties without being restricted by the number of units or complexity. He or she will also have more control over their fees and a greater advantage in the local market by attaining a higher upgrade than the last. TriMavin maintains great relationships with all of our appraisers and we look forward to working with everyone looking to get ahead and evaluate properties for us! For more information on the requirements the state of California requires from trainees, see this link.
