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Come on in, the water is just fine

The only similarity between real estate appraisers and insurance adjusters is the subject, buildings residental or commercial. Holding an adjuster's and aprasier's license and going thru the 115 hours of initial training for appraisal I know. Real estate appraisal is highly manipulated by the lenders/buyers and is EXTREMELY SUBJECTIVE. Never have I been asked to do an apprasial without the requestor first stating the value necessary for the loan to go thru and sale to happen. It is obvious from many appraisals I have seen thta the appraiser had not a clue as to what a true comp is. And the appraiser cannnot be held accountable for a crappy appraisal they argue it is opinion only when questioned. The main question I have for you is how do you expect to get into the adjusting business if you don't even know who your client is and how to effetcively market the entitiy where you get assignments.

No experience the best bet is a large event. Large event will most likely not occur at or near your home and then the jobs you might have as an appraiser will be lost to someone not away from home and you may lose a client.

If you passed a real estate appraisers license, you have enough brains to estimate storm damage. I would get an $18.00 book from a big box store on framing and learn how to build a house. I would then drive and watch people build houses. I would then walk around a large store in the lumber and fixture, trim department, shingle, doors and window and get sf prices in your mind, then add cost to get to site and then figure $20.00 per hour to do all the work and see how much it cost ters how many o build a house. As the workers, how many sqs per day, paint how may rooms per day, everthing that goes into a house put a unit price to it.   Then try to estimate what it would cost if a large tree crashed through your kitchen. This is about 2-3 weeks work. Then get a license, then send out resumes to the hundreds of catastrophe vendors in the USA. Then learn axctimate and hope you get called if a major hurricane hits the USA. Have a credit card with a $10.000 line of credit and a good car and an 16 foot ladder. Good luck. You will get about 30 losses to turn in or turn back in about 2-3 weeks. No cure..... No pay.

Have you new people practice writing an estimate this week. You are wasting everones time, if you have not!   I thing it takes 10,000 hours of study to be a complete adjuster, thats 2000 per year for 5 years, kinda the industry standard.

Actually appraising is very similar in many ways to adjusting. I am an appraiser and adjuster also. I'm surprised to hear some appraisers say that is nothing alike. Then again every appraiser does not know how to write a good estimate either. Any appraiser that works alot of REOs must have some estimating skills. In the appraisal industry it's called "cost-to-cure." Basically it means the costs to bring the property back into marketable condition that is typical for the area. Also, some may have never did much rural appraising where you have to estimate costs on a regular basis when there is little market data. Just because one holds a license does make him an appraiser. Besides the itemized estimating, there is a cost approach that goes into every report. Generally appraisers use Marshall & Swift Cost Handbook, however, there are many more choices such as Craftsman etc..This is different than a cost to cure or insurance work because these costs are for replacement cost purposes. Replacement cost new differs from reconstruction costs that the insurance industry uses. Also there is reproduction costs. That is for a different day. An appraiser says that they are not similar probably either is not experienced, doesn't take the work seriously or covers cookie cutter suburban areas and has probably never did much REO work.

There are many things besides that that are similar. Well how about diagramming areas, dealing with angry homeowners, anal underwriters, completing reports that are under review and scrutiny, the constant analyzing, writing narratives about property...etc..

The biggest difference is of course learning coverage. I think a successful adjuster can excel and be a successful appraiser and vise versa. However, the average appraisal takes much more time to complete than an appraisal. Sometimes you have to deal with cost estimates AND always determine market value whereas an adjuster has to write estimates and determine coverage. One that is experienced in either would can a fairly smooth transition into the other.

Actually appraising is very similar in many ways to adjusting. I am an appraiser and adjuster also. I'm surprised to hear some appraisers say that is nothing alike. Then again every appraiser does not know how to write a good estimate either. Any appraiser that works alot of REOs must have some estimating skills. In the appraisal industry it's called "cost-to-cure." Basically it means the costs to bring the property back into marketable condition that is typical for the area. Also, some may have never did much rural appraising where you have to estimate costs on a regular basis when there is little market data. Just because one holds a license does make him an appraiser. Besides the itemized estimating, there is a cost approach that goes into every report. Generally appraisers use Marshall & Swift Cost Handbook, however, there are many more choices such as Craftsman etc..This is different than a cost to cure or insurance work because these costs are for replacement cost purposes. Replacement cost new differs from reconstruction costs that the insurance industry uses. Also there is reproduction costs. That is for a different day. An appraiser says that they are not similar probably either is not experienced, doesn't take the work seriously or covers cookie cutter suburban areas and has probably never did much REO work.

There are many things besides that that are similar. Well how about diagramming areas, dealing with angry homeowners, anal underwriters, completing reports that are under review and scrutiny, the constant analyzing, writing narratives about property...etc..

The biggest difference is of course learning coverage. I think a successful adjuster can excel and be a successful appraiser and vise versa. However, the average appraisal takes much more time to complete than an appraisal. Sometimes you have to deal with cost estimates AND always determine market value whereas an adjuster has to write estimates and determine coverage. One that is experienced in either would can a fairly smooth transition into the other.

How much have all you new people learned or improved your adjusting skills since June2010. If you really think it will help, but the hands thing is a waste of time, give me a call and we will have a cup of tea(green) and I will lay my hands on our head.