Why are you "Surprised" I'm here?

Hi Jeremy -- Thanks for your post, and I am curious.  How did you go from health care to being an appraiser?  Aloha

And why?

I'm appraising in the wrong state -  Yours sounds so much more exciting!

As agents, we run into some interesting situations as well, but none as noteworthy as the ones you've listed.  I'm glad I'm on this side of the fence.

Here are a few of mine...

Chased out of Compton by a guy who decided he didn't like me taking pictures in his neighborhood.  The appraiser who went back after I returned the order had chunks of cinder blocks thrown at his car

Made an appointment for a reverse mortgage transaction and asked the homeowner the general condition of the house...he said good.  I guess I should have been more specific since the garage had burned down recently

Found some stragecially placed naked pics (not hidden) on a desk in a woman's house...in one she was wearing deer antlers as a top

Appraised an artist's house in Pasadena...apparently his naked wife was his favorite subject since there were portraits of her all over the house.  I know way more about her than I ever imagined I would

Almost had a gun pulled on me in Watts...mom told the guy it was alright and to "leave him be"

Had a person run outside in Compton after I shot the house as a comp...she thought I worked for her landlord and started cursing and screaming at me that I'd better get him to "fix her @#%@&% kitchen sink"

Escorted by police into a house because the soon to be evicted tenant wouldn't allow access.  Some giant guy (think "Haystack Calhoun") was stationed outside and said he was the brother in law and that the tenants weren't home.  When we got in we found them hiding in a bedroom.

Appraised a house that had motorcycles in the living room and the kitchen was being used as a machine shop...engine blocks and car parts everywhere

I'm sure there are countless others, but this is all I could come up now.  Got to love appraising...if anything, it sure is interesting.

OK...  here are a few from my fellow appraisers:

Had to take the comp picture through the front windshield of the car between the legs of the big dog that had jumped on the hood - The picture has the comp property in the background with legs and tooth bearing dog in the foreground - Apparently the loan officer got a big kick out of it as I'm sure did anyone else that saw the report.

Went to appraise a house of a guy that was just on the news for exposing himself to young girls.  The wife was careful to follow the (lady) appraiser through the house while the husband was a safe distance away.

Had a 'porn studio' set up.

I did run across a house with an active grow room, but assumed the gentleman had his medical maurijuna card. I've run into plenty others where there was evidence of growing activity that had been discarded by the time of inspection.

There have been a couple of houses that I've reported for suspicions of dog-fighting, although in all cases, they were the neighbors house, not the appraised house.

I guess I don't think so much about the naked pictures and whatnot since I worked in a photo lab many moons ago and what I see in the houses I appraise is tame in comparison.

So far, I haven't gotten the feeling that I need to throw one of my dogs in the car for protection, but I suppose I always have that option.

I do love this job :-)

 

 

WOW - ......and wow again!  Funny!  Thanks for sharing.

I am an appraiser in las vegas. Seen almost everything that has been written in the other blogs however a little more drugs. Homes with growing rooms, 4500 sqft homes with nothing in them but a keg, bongs,and a couch with all drywall tagged. 700sqft homes with three refrigerators and 19 matresses up against the walls. Have to love being an appraiser! I don't know about you but it makes me feel a little better about myself and that my family is not all that crazy.   

I must at admit that some days I come home not feeling so bad about my housekeeping abilities (disabilities?), William :-)

I just did one with a huge padlock on the fridge and a Hookah on the counter..guess whoever owns the food didn't want the smokers to eat it in a pot driven munchie haze.