Nov 20, 2016
Dustin is constantly being contacted by appraisers who are struggling to find any time to even have a life anymore. A better life is possible. Dustin's appraisal business is set up so he can have as much freedom as possible. Here is what it looks like.
Dustin, you are so right about use of technology and the power of delegation. Having operated a commercial/eminent domain appraisal office for many years, delegation was essential in order to maintain production schedules and provide timely report delivery. Now that I have moved to the residential side,technology and delegation have enabled me to work 3 or 4 days a week and earned a professional hourly rate after expenses. Life is good.
As my prior post vanished while uploading, I will say to read my past comments and as always seek the truth.
After listening to this podcast I have a bad taste in my mouth and have never been more ashamed to call MYSELF an appraiser. You can comment and say that you have talked to USPAP instructors, the state board, etc. and there is no moral or legal violation with your business, but if your secret is to have schedulers, office managers, and a write up quean do the work for you, etc., etc., etc., (minus the inspections), than you should be embarrassed to offer such coaching techniques. With your soapbox, posting of your blog on other sites, your booth at the Valuation Expo, and association with the likes of Joan Trice (listen to the Congressional hearing where NO APPRAISER WAS ON THE PANEL), you are absolutely doing more harm in destroying this industry than good. You represent the top 1% of the 1%, but yet it seems the powers that be want to use you and similar appraisers as the norm instead of the acceptation. I could drag this out for the entertainment of others, but my previous posts speak to the volume of my disagreements with you. Seek the truth.
Hi Dustin, Listening to your podcast reminds me of how I used to be before the crash. I had 8 appraisers in my office and we had more work than we could handle at all times. My days were similar to yours except I was only doing 1-3 per day, plus reviewing ALL other appraisers' work (since my company name was on the reports, as well as supervising apprentices from time to time. A local newspaper reported once called and asked to shadow me to see what a day in the life of an appraiser was like. I informed her that I didn't think mine was like most appraisers, but she was welcome to shadow me. She was stunned at how much I accomplished in a day and said she was tired just following me around. There was a 'method to my apparent madness' as she put it and it worked for me. Much like your days as you describe them here. I was still home for dinner every night, although I must admit I would go into the office on Sunday mornings just to 'get things done and caught up' on occasion. But since the crash, I have shied away from getting back to that, partly because we cannot go out and 'court a client' nowadays and most lenders do not seem to care about quality, which is what I had built our reputation upon. All that being said, I'm currently working for myself out of my home, like most, but am seriously thinking of taking on an apprentice or at least an assistant to increase my volume and income.
Don
Thanks for responding, but I am not sure I understand your question entirely. Are you asking me to share some ideas that could help someone without staff be more effective? Would love to do a show on that topic if I understood you completely.
Justin hide on Schaefer here Mid-Atlantic North Carolina calling in. Listen. I heard your entire podcast today and I was really hoping that you might say something for us within the rank-and-file that are still independent the appraisers with no staff the ones that are I don't know in the beginning two years down the road before we have a staff on something and if it might be helpful to us at this point I heard your 3 commercials that you had I did hear about the Ala mode and over and datamaster both but beyond that other than you're talking about your staff and and how they do most of the work I really didn't hear anything that would be necessarily usable to me at this point.
Joel:
Thanks for your comments. They are similar to comments I have received in the past; which is why I have talked to three USPAP instructors, my state board, and a USPAP attorney about my business model. Each of them (independent of one another) have confirmed that - as long as credit is given for significant assistance - there is no ethical, moral, or legal violation. If you know something I do not know, I would love to be taught. It is clear to me that, based on your comments, you do not fully understand my business model (as you make accusations that are untrue). Give me a call (208) 745-9330 and I would love to talk to you about it. Look forward to hearing from you.
This episode just confirmed my fears about what you're doing. You are violating ethics rules. Based on your schedule, you are not doing the work that is absolutely required by YOU and only you to do. There is no possible way you are taking all comp photos yourself. You aren't even doing the paperwork at all which includes YOU doing all approaches to value. You literally just inspect houses and that's it. Recent confidentiality changes would prohibit your staff from doing what they do. You have personnel who never inspected the subject completing all approaches to value and picking comps. I'm sorry but this is so wrong on so many levels.