Turn in my application to the State Board of Appraisal this year for the Certified Residential Appraiser Classification, have my application accepted and then pass the Examination . . . whew!!!

This is an email that I sent to the Appraisal Board today as I actually do not know if I have time to get this done without having to go back to college and complete my degree. That is what the new licensing conditions would require me to do.

The email read . . .

I have a question regarding application for becoming a Certified Licensed Appraiser. I am currently a Licensed Residential Appraiser. I have all the necessary education requirements and appraisal hours to qualify for the Certified Licensed Appraiser and had these all in place prior to December 31, 2007.

Of course I have procrastinated and here it is August 19, 2008 and I have done nothing with all of this information. So, my question is this. If I were to get everything together and get it to the board within the next week, it is possible to still become Certified before the October 31st deadline? I understand that this would of course be assuming that the review committee finds nothing wrong with my application. Does the test have to be taken and passed by October 31 or just the application approved? I regret that I have procrastinated like this, but would still like to make the transition to Certified Residential if still possible.

^{what a dope I can be}

This afternoon wasn’t too bad. It was 4 hours of “Scope of Work and Appraiser Due Diligence”. I only almost fell asleep once.

I have the worst class tomorrow from 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m. – Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and Procedure (USPAP) . . . dry stuff, I mean “seriously” dry. I have to take 8 hours of USPAP every two years.

I will be in classes until Friday at 5:00. Please oh Please let these instructors be even remotely interesting . . . .

I printed off the application for the “Certified Residential Appraiser” License from the Appraisal Board’s website. Seems they have added yet another requirement. We now have to be finger printed. I am glad I found out now . . . it seems that the Board’s website is stating that it takes 3 – 4 weeks to get the results back. That would certainly be problematic if I waited until the last minute to do this (as is my nature).

On the application there has always been a question as to whether or not you have ever been convicted of a felony. If you have a felony conviction, they will not allow you to be licensed. We never had to be finger printed before . . . I guess they are thinking that someone might “lie” on the application and deny a felony conviction . . . LOL.

Since I have never been convicted of a felony or even a misdemeanor (boring Hippiechick) I have no worries . . . just another piece of crap to deal with . . . and oh yes . . . additonal fees to pay!!! ($30 charge for the finger printing thing)

Guess today I will go to the Appraisal Board office and get the finger print card crap and find out where I am supposed to go.

I wonder if this will jack up my manicure?

I was at a NAIFA meeting and it just so happens that one of the Board members belongs to our chapter. She was at a table behind me and I heard her discussing the number of new applications being submitted at this time (evidently astronomical) and that the board is overwhelmed with applications and having to read all of the appraisal samples . . . great . . . a stressed board . . . that’s just super!!!

(1) collect three recent Multi-Family (2 – 4 Units) Residential Appraisals that I have completed – copy them for submission with my application (probably have another appraiser or two review them in case I (blush) inadvertently had any USPAP violations in them. would be a real drag to submit an appraisal to the Board and have USPAP violations—bad, bad, bad.

(2) make a work log with 500 hours of appraisal work since I was first licensed (500 hours – NOOOOOOOOOO problem, work log—big fat hassle)

(3) fill out application

(4) get cashiers check for $400 (non-refundable) payable to “The Arizona State Board of Appraisal”

(5) Submit packsage – and hope for the best

(6) Attend Board meeting on the day they review my application

(7) assuming they approve my application – wait for letter to come in the mail saying it is O.K. to schedule exam, even though they approve it at the meeting, you have to wait for the letter.

(8) take exam – bring cashiers check for $100 payble to whatever testing place the Board is using at the time (non refundable and good for one test only – if you fail and have to retest that’s a new $100)

(9) asuming I pass the test the first time (I always have before – should be able to this time) wait for Board to issue my new license

(10) Celebrate – with lots of food and alcohol!!! (and notify all clients of my new license status)

It doesn’t sound like a whole lot when I write it down, but it is very time consuming and stressful . . . I still need to do it though.

Not being Certified actually is becoming more and more problematic as under my current license, I can only appraise properties up to $1,000,000 and 2 – 4 Multi-Family Rentals up to $250,000. With Real Estate Prices as they are currently, I am having to turn down more and more assignments as they are outside the scope of my current license. I hate having to refer someone to another appraiser . . .

because the people on the Board scare the crap out of me.

I need to make my application and get my license moved up to Certified Residential before January 2008 as that is when all the licensing requirements will change across the nation and the requirments become more stringent, and I’m talking way more stringent. It is really in my best interests to upgrade my license, I just get pretty skittish when anything involves the Board of Appraisal.

I am not afraid of the Examination, although it is pretty long, I passed the first one when I got my initial license and I passed the FHA examination. I am not uncomfortable with the work samples I will have to turn into the board . . . I am just uncomfortable with the Board itself.

I need to do this though!!!