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My New Appraisal Organization

By Michael Zollo

Real Estate Appraiser

November 27, 2009 01:41 AM

Hello all!

I'm starting a new appraisal organization; it will be called National Association of Broke Appraisers (NABA). Unlike other Appraisal organizations, the fee will only be $50.00 for a life time membership. And you say what do I get for my $50.00? You get to put the NABA designation at the end of you state id number that should get you a ton more work and nothing else. Just think you don't have to spend a lot of money on high priced CE courses, from NABA, because we don't have any!

You'll never find an ad from AMC's that wants 50% of your fees, or any of the Z companies (that were running 4 page ads), in my news letter or magazine, because I will not have one. If any legislation comes out of any government office I'll do like most other Appraisal Organizations do, take a wait and see approach (in other words, stick my head in the ground like an Ostrich)!

The only thing you need is a valid State Certification, as a General or Residential Appraiser, and don't forget your $50.00!

Michael Zollo, CFO, Secretary, Treasure, Head Money Spender, Hell I do It All!

A subsidiary of the firm of Me, Myself, and I that's a subsidiary of the firm of Dewey, Cheatham and Howe!

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Jeana Cowie

RE/MAX Real Estate Limited - Paramus, NJ

Broker Associate, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES

Hi Michael,

My husband is an appraiser & I know how badly you all were affected with recent changes. It is a completely different arena for appraisers now. More work for less pay. Hang in there.

Jeana Cowie, Broker Associate/Real Estate Agent, Re/Max Real Estate Ltd, Oradell (Bergen County, NJ

Nov 27, 2009 01:50 AM

Michael Zollo

Coral Springs, FL

Certified Residential Appraiser, South Florida, FH

Thanks Jeana, sometimes one needs to vent! I hope your husband is getting some work. I find in life the more people try and re-invent the wheel, the more they screw it up!

Nov 27, 2009 02:19 AM

David Mescon

DAVID B. MESCON REAL ESTATE APPRAISER AND CONSULTANT - Kailua-Kona, HI

Hey Michael, don't forget the "executive" level memberships for realtors and other RE professionals, (for only $40), and the "associate" level memberships for the general public for $30. Of course, this will have to be an NPO, and 100% tax deductable!

Nov 27, 2009 04:05 AM

David, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nov 27, 2009 06:13 AM

Oh, I almost forgot, for an extra $25, you can offer the "Independent Directory of Irrelevant Old Timers," or IDIOT, designation, for those of us not smart enough to have just become doctors or lawyers originally. :)

Nov 27, 2009 10:42 AM

Sara Goodwin

Estimation Nation Corporation - Portland, OR

Portland, Oregon Appraiser

:-D

Nov 27, 2009 12:29 PM

Hey David, you trying to move in on my scam, I mean organization!

Sara, good hearing from you, glad you had so much to say!

Nov 27, 2009 02:06 PM

Ed Walter

Ed Walter, Realtor-Appraiser - Safety Harbor, FL

St. Cert. Res. REA #RD1571

Bids from soup kitchens around the country could be accepted for the annual convention sites and maybe the ex-CEO of WAMU could be the first guest speaker. Can I get a loan for the membership fee?

Nov 28, 2009 12:33 AM

From what I read, the appraiser convention a few weeks ago was mostly attended by the AMC's Sharks and Killer Whales! They should have held it at Sea World!

ED, your asking me to do WAY TOO MUCH WORK!!!!!!!!!!!! All I want is everyone's $50.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I guess I'm starting to sound like an AMC, I want something for nothing.

Nov 28, 2009 01:58 AM

Marti Winkler

North Coast Appraisal Service - Sequim, WA

Certified Residential Appraiser

Michael... you're killing me! Very funny... and sad... and true!

It seems that each report takes so much longer to complete now, with all the minute, client specific idiosyncracies, and nothing is easy any more.

It's getting to the point that it's just no longer any fun... and where's the love?

I finally finished an enhanced field review today for a client that goes by the moniker that sounds like 'Tragic', thru an AMC, from an appraisal in 2006, and I had to add 3 new comps, and there were at least 5 revision requests, and several phone calls and follow-up emails, all for only $225.00! No joke!

And the revision requests had nothing to do with value, as I tentatively agreed with the original value, it was just SPECIFIC CLIENT REQUESTS throughout the entire form, including scans of each MLS data sheet for subject, every comp (old and new), and a complete CMA. Give me a break!

Homey don't play that way... but what's an appraiser to do?

I guess I can't complain... at least I have work!

Please send me an application for NABA ASAP! :)

Dec 02, 2009 11:54 AM

Marti Thanks, the sad truth is, down here in South Florida we have way too many appraisers and trainees! That job you wrote about, sounds like a company that wanted to pay me only $90.00 for a condo field review, for a file 2006!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also a little word to the wise, I wouldn't take any review jobs that client wants part of your work file, including MLS sheets. They want to get around paying appraisers expert witness fees, if the report being reviewed goes to court, because they already have the ammo (your MLS sheets or Work File)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank God our MLS only keeps listing for 2 years.

Another sad statement of our times, I had to attend a Church meeting for my Daughter. There was a table with pray cards and other paperwork we needed, when I sat down with the other parents, I was reading the pray card to myself and at the bottom it said printed in CHINA!!!!!!!! I was like great, now the Church is outsourcing!!!! It's freaking NUTS!!! How many people are out of work or working for 50-75% of what they made 3 years ago.

Dec 02, 2009 02:37 PM

Michael,

Luckily, my husband works for an appraisal company that works for over 500 lenders. Most of them have weathered this storm so luckily, he has been steadily busy. I really do feel for you because I know you are workling so much harder for a fraction of the $.

If you need to brainstorm, you can always email my husband, Doug at rmsnorth@optonline.net.

Dec 04, 2009 03:18 AM

Tom Horn

Thomas Horn, Real Estate Appraiser - Alabaster, AL

Appraising The American Dream

Sometimes we have to keep our sense of humor or we would all go mad!!

Jan 14, 2010 01:25 AM

My New Appraisal Organization

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