Depending on the certification sought, qualified applicants will take different exams to become either a certified resident or certified general appraisers. A passing grade is a score of 75 or better. You will qualify to take either exam only after you have fully and adequately completed all the steps outlined earlier to become a certified residential appraiser or certified general appraiser.

Articles in this series:

• The First Step Toward Certification
• The Basics On What Appraisers Do
• What Kind Of Appraiser Do You Want To Be?
• Gaining Field Work Experience
• Taking The Certification Exam

The post Appraiser PA: Taking Certification Exams appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Depending on the appraiser certification desired, several hundred hours of fieldwork experience will be required. Although Appraisal Qualifications Board documents refer to licensed residential appraisers, the state of Pennsylvania offers no such license.

A certified residential appraiser must complete 1,500 hours of fieldwork experience in no fewer than 12 months.

A certified general appraiser must complete 3,000 hours of fieldwork experience in no fewer than 18 months.

Fieldwork by licensed appraiser trainees can be performed only under the direct supervision of an individual who has been a certified residential or certified general appraiser for at least five (5) years and has completed the relevant supervisory trainer course required by the Appraisal Qualifications Board.

It can be difficult – but it’s not impossible – to find an available and qualified supervisor. Many appraisers who qualify as direct supervisors usually work with one licensed trainee at a time. However, board regulations allow licensed appraiser trainees to have more than one supervisory appraiser, and supervisory appraisers have the ability to supervise up to three trainees.

All fieldwork must be documented in an appraisal experience log. The supervisory appraiser and the licensed appraiser trainee share the responsibility to ensure the appraisal experience log is accurate, current, and complies with the state’s requirements.

Articles in this series:

• The First Step Toward Certification
• The Basics Of What Appraisers Do
• What Kind Of Appraiser Do You Want To Be?
• Gaining Field Work Experience
• Taking The Certification Exam

The post Appraiser PA: Gaining Field Work Experience appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Steps to Get a Pennsylvania Appraisal License

All individuals interested in becoming a certified residential or general appraiser must first become a “Licensed Appraiser Trainee,” under regulations from the Pennsylvania State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers

PA Trainee Appraiser Livestream (Zoom) Courses

PA Appraiser Trainee License Guide

1. Take Pre-License Courses

To become an appraiser in PA, you are required to first become an appraiser trainee, sometimes referred to as an apprentice appraiser or registered appraiser.

To become a trainee, you must complete and pass 79 hours of basic appraisal qualifying education (4 courses):

1. Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours)
2. Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours)
3. National USPAP Course (15 hours)
4. National Appraising for Supervisor & Trainee (4 hours)

NOTE:

• Each of the four courses is accompanied by a final exam. All four courses must be documented as completed and passed before applying for an appraiser trainee license.
• No experience is required to start your qualifying education.

2. Apply for Your Trainee License

Submit an application to become a licensed appraiser trainee to the Pennsylvania Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers. The application must designate an intended certified appraisal supervisor. You will need to find a certified appraiser to gain supervised training experience before applying for your license.

1) Submit your application and fees to the state board
2) Submit your fingerprints and background check information
3) Receive your license from your state’s board

3. Gain Work Experience

Learn the business and grow your understanding of the appraisal process from a certified appraisal supervisor. Once you have completed your coursework and applied for your license you can begin your training with your supervisory appraiser.

The certified appraiser supervisor and the trainee must document any completed work, which will be submitted and reviewed by the PA regulatory board when the trainee applies for another license.  Applications must include documentation that the intended supervisor also has completed the 4-hour National Appraising for the Supervisor and Trainee course.

You may find it valuable to also read about the qualification criteria (minimum education, experience, and examination requirements) for real property appraisers, as issued by the Appraiser Qualifications Board.

Articles in this series:

• The First Step Toward Certification
• The Basics On What Appraisers Do
• What Kind Of Appraiser Do You Want To Be?
• Gaining Field Work Experience
• Taking The Certification Exam

The post Appraisal Licensing in PA: Earning an Pennsylvania Appraiser License appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Two types of appraiser certifications are available in Pennsylvania:

A certified residential appraiser is qualified to appraise properties of between 1 and 4 residential units of any value or complexity, including vacant or unimproved land that is used for – or for which the highest and best use is for – 1-to-4 family purposes. A certified residential appraiser CANNOT appraise a subdivision where a development analysis or appraisal is necessary.

A certified general appraiser is qualified to appraise all types of real property at any value.

Then, Complete The Necessary Additional Appraisal Courses

Once licensed appraiser trainees have completed the specified 79 hours of initial course work, and while obtaining the required appraisal field experience, they simultaneously can continue to complete the remaining education necessary for certification.

To become a certified residential appraiser, they will take a total of 204 classroom hours in the designated appraisal curriculum (below) outlined by the Appraisal Qualifications Board:

• Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours;
• Basic Appraisal Procedures, 30;
• National USPAP Course, 15;
• National Appraising for the Supervisor and Trainee, 4;
• Residential Market Analysis and Highest-And-Best Use, 15;
• Residential Site Valuation and Cost Approach, 15;
• Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches, 30;
• Residential Report Writing and Case Studies, 15;
• Statistics, Modeling and Finance, 15;
• Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies, 15; and
• Appraisal Subject Matter Electives, 20.

To become a certified general appraiser, 304 classroom hours:

• Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours;
• Basic Appraisal Procedures, 30;
• National USPAP Course, 15;
• National Appraising for the Supervisor and Trainee, 4;
• Statistics, Modeling and Finance, 15;
• General Market Analysis and Highest-And-Best Use, 30;
• General Sales Comparison Approach, 30;
• General Site Valuation and Cost Approach, 30;
• General Income Approach, 60;
• General Report Writing and Case Studies, 30; and
• Appraisal Subject Matter Electives, 30.

Post-Secondary Education Requirements

The Appraiser Qualifications Board also has specified post-secondary education requirements for appraisal license candidates. Read them here (an Adobe Acrobat document will open in a separate window, and can be saved to your computer).

Articles in this series:

• The First Step Toward Certification
• The Basics On What Appraisers Do
• Gaining Field Work Experience
• Taking The Certification Exam

The post Appraiser PA: What Kind Do You Want To Be? appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Punctuality is important. Learners should be on time and attend all class sessions of their courses.

• Minimum attendance of at least 80 percent of any state-approved course (usually 7, 15 or 30 hours in total length) is required to attain a satisfactory attendance record. Learners with less than 80-percent attendance will not pass.
• Limited opportunities may be available to make up for missed classes. Excused absences are permitted in emergency situations only as determined by Polley Associates.
• Timed record-keeping begins and ends when the instructor designates a class starts and ends.

There are reasonable limitations intended to benefit you and minimize distractions.

• Using a recording device of any kind in classroom sessions is prohibited.
• Battery-powered, hand-held, noiseless calculators without an alphabetic key pad ARE permitted.
• All cell phones, smart phones, pads, tablets or other mobile devices (even if they have noiseless calculator capabilities) must be turned OFF during class. All pagers, too.
• Smoking is NOT permitted in any Polley Associates’ facility.
• Because of insurance limitations, children under age 18 are NOT permitted in Polley Associates’ classrooms.
• Polley Associates does NOT permit students to audit or monitor classes.

Got questions? Go ahead, ask!

• Instructors encourage questions from students during class sessions. Questions should be brief and pertinent to the subject being discussed.
• Personal questions, or those of length or requiring lengthy answers, must be held for the end of class.

Yes, there is homework.

• The learning experience is a shared responsibility between the student and Polley Associates’ instructors. Students are urged to complete all reading and math assignments prior to the class sessions.
• Failure to complete assignments will result in a slower classroom pace, reduced learning and possibly failing course exams.

Have a special need? Please let us know in advance.

• We intend our classrooms to be open to all. From time to time we may need to make accommodations. Please let us know if you have special classroom access needs due to a handicap or disability.

What if I miss a live class?

We sure hope you won’t. Each live class lesson in your courses has been specifically designed to move you forward with knowledge you need. Besides, to pass either course the state demands that you must meet specific attendance requirements.

If you can’t avoid missing one or two class hours, we might be able to suggest how you could make it up elsewhere. Miss too many class hours, and you can’t be passed, no matter how well you do on the course-ending tests.

Find Courses For:

• Pennsylvania Appraiser Certification

The post Appraiser PA: Live Course Attendance appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Pennsylvania-certified residential and general appraisers, certified evaluators, Pennsylvania real estate broker licensees who still retain the now-unavailable broker-appraiser certification, and Pennsylvania licensed appraisal trainees are required by the Pennsylvania State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers to become re-certified (the term for renewing their licenses) every two years, by no later than June 30 during odd-numbered years.

Polley Associates provides a full complement of 28 hours of required appraisal continuing education, also known as appraisal recertification, for Pennsylvania licensees. Its current courses include:

• the biennial and required 7-hour update for Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP);
• required 2-hour “Pennsylvania Mandated Law;”
• 14-hour Residential Construction Refresh
• 5-hour Unique Properties

Once a certified appraiser has completed all necessary appraisal continuing education, he or she can renew their certifications (licenses) online at a state-specified website.

Have questions? E-mail us at polley@polleyassociates.com; call 1-800-220-2789, or fax 1-888-941-9500.

Important News For PA Licensed Appraiser Trainees

If you’re a Licensed Appraiser Trainee in Pennsylvania, you may be required to complete between 14 and 28 hours of appraisal recertification courses – or none whatsoever – depending on the date your license was issued. Appraisal recertification must be completed in Pennsylvania on or before June 30 of an odd-numbered year (for example, 2019 or 2021, or 2023).

The post Appraiser PA: Appraisal Continuing Education (Recertification) appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Pennsylvania real estate brokers who offer drive-by estimates of a property’s value, sometimes called broker price opinions (BPOs), are likely violating state law, state legal experts indicate.

Consumers occasionally ask licensed brokers for a BPO to determine how much a home or other real property is worth for tax or estate settlement purposes. Some brokers charge a fee of between $30 and $75 to informally review the property and surrounding neighborhood and supply a written document stating how much they think it would sell for in its market.

BPOs are most common in rural areas and represent an additional source of income for some brokers. They are probably also illegal.

Pennsylvania-licensed brokers and agents, under amendments to the state Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (RELRA), can legally provide consumers with a “comparative market analysis (CMA).” The CMA also is a written pricing statement, but under the law is offered only to help a represented seller or represented buyer (those under contract with a licensee) to determine an asking or offering price or as an inducement to a property owner to list the property for sale with the licensee.

The expectation of getting a listing agreement from an owner separates the legal CMA from the illegal BPO. Without the anticipation of a listing, attorneys advise, providing a written estimate of value constitutes an appraisal.

Under the state Real Estate Appraisers Certification Act, appraisals can be performed only by state-certified appraisers.

Appraisals adhere to strict and objective guidelines known as “uniform standards,” which could take several weeks to complete, and usually cost 7 to 10 times more than a BPO. To save time and money, consumers may seek a BPO without ever intending to sell the property. Brokers would be wise to avoid such situations because the State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers can take enforcement actions for appraisal violations.

Although licensees conceivably could charge a fee for providing a CMA, attorneys also suggest avoiding that practice. In crafting RELRA, they say, legislators reasoned that the commission from a property’s sale, which may have resulted from a CMA, would be sufficient compensation. Charging a fee begs the question of the broker’s motivation, and creates the appearance that getting a listing was secondary.

Interpretations of state law indicate licensees are primarily responsible for determining the purpose behind a consumer’s request. If a BPO is requested by name, but the legitimate opportunity to obtain a listing is available, then licensees could reasonably provide a CMA without legal consequences.

Other, related advice:

Experts caution that CMAs prepared by licensees should always be dated; be identified as having been performed pursuant to RELRA, and conspicuously carry a required statement that their pricing process was not conducted in accordance with Uniform Standards of Appraisal Practice and Ethics and so is NOT an appraisal.

They suggest that, if licensees charge a fee for providing a CMA, they have the consumer sign a written fee agreement as required by RELRA.

It is recommended that licensees who provide a CMA by electronic means (via a website form or e-mail), send the recipient a separate e-mail that includes the appropriate statements from RELRA, and ask the consumer to send a reply e-mail that acknowledges having received it.

In This Series:

• Certified Appraisers: Biennial Renewal
• Certified Appraisers: Broker Price Opinions In PA
• Certified Appraisers: How Do You Become One?
• Certified Appraisers: What They Do

The post Appraiser PA: Broker Price Opinions In PA appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Under regulations from the Pennsylvania State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers, all individuals interested in becoming a certified residential or general appraiser must first become a “Licensed Appraiser Trainee.” An earlier trainee position formerly recognized by the state, that of “appraisal assistant,” has been eliminated. Former appraisal assistants are no longer qualified to provide “significant real property appraisal assistance.”

Individuals interested in becoming a licensed appraiser trainee must:

1. Submit a licensed appraiser trainee application to the state Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers;
2. Complete 75 hours of course work (specifically, National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP), 15 hours; Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours; and Basic Appraisal Procedures, 30 hours) before they can begin to obtain required appraisal field experience; and
3. Document that have completed 30 semester credit hours of college-level education from an accredited college, junior college, community college, or university, or graduated with a minimum of an associate degree in any discipline.

Then, You Must Complete Additional Appraisal Courses

Once licensed appraisal trainees have completed the specified 75 hours of initial course work, and while obtaining required appraisal field experience, they simultaneously can continue to complete the remaining education necessary for their certification. To become as a certified residential appraiser, they will take 200 classroom hours in the designated appraisal curriculum; or to become a general appraiser, 300 classroom hours.

A College Degree – An Bachelor’s Or Better – Also Is Required

The board also has set post-secondary education requirements that must be met by certified appraisers. To earn either residential or general certification, candidates must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a bachelor degree in any discipline.

Those who have yet to meet the board’s post-secondary education requirements may pursue completion of their college or university classes while they also complete their field work and appraiser-related educational hours.

You’ll Need Practical Field Work Experience

Depending on the appraiser certification desired, several hundred hours of field work experience will be required. Field work by licensed appraiser trainees can be performed only under the direct supervision of an individual who has been a certified residential or certified general appraiser for at least five (5) years. Most appraisers who qualify as direct supervisors usually work with one licensed trainee at a time. It can be difficult, but is not impossible, to find an available and qualified supervisor.

Field work experience completed by former appraisal assistants before Oct. 1, 2010, is considered valid. All experience obtained by former appraisal assistants after that date can be credited only if they become licensed appraiser trainees.

Finally, You’ll Take A Certified Appraiser Examination

The last step in becoming a certified appraiser in Pennsylvania is to take and pass the appraiser’s exam with a score of 75 or better. You will qualify to take the appraiser’s exam only after you have fully and adequately completed all the steps outlined above.

In This Series:

• Certified Appraisers: Biennial Renewal
• Certified Appraisers: Broker Price Opinions In PA
• Certified Appraisers: How Do You Become One?
• Certified Appraisers: What They Do

The post Appraiser PA: How Do You Become One? appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.

Certified real estate appraisers are specialists in estimating the value of real property, such as land or buildings. Estimates of value, known as appraisals, usually are made when a property is bought, sold, assessed, taxed, condemned, insured, or mortgaged. They may also be required in divorce actions, when partnerships are dissolved, and when a property is listed as a business asset.

Some certified appraiser jobs include giving expert testimony in court, and they may also act as consultants.

Appraisers of other items exist, of course; those who deal with antiques are an example. However, only a state-certified real estate appraiser is qualified under state law to offer an appraisal of real property value.

Appraisers’ activity often closely follows that of the real estate market. The demand for new appraisers is greatest, and appraisal staffs are busiest when real estate sales are booming.

Different Types of Appraisal Certification

An appraiser’s certification is issued by the Pennsylvania State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers, a professional agency that is part of the Pennsylvania Department of State.

In Pennsylvania, there are two types of certified real estate appraisers: residential, who are certified to appraise only residences of one-to-four living units; and general, who are certified to appraise all real estate, including open or undeveloped land, and commercial and residential properties. It takes longer and involves more time and study, to become a certified general appraiser.

A third type of certification, that of broker-appraiser, was discontinued by the state many years ago. However, those who were certified as broker-appraisers at the time the title was discontinued were allowed to remain in that role so long as they were re-certified (took continuing education) every two years. Their practice under state law is limited to specific tasks. The number of broker-appraisers remaining in Pennsylvania continues to decrease every year.

Articles in this series:

• The First Step Toward Certification
• The Basics On What Appraisers Do
• What Kind Of Appraiser Do You Want To Be?
• Gaining Field Work Experience
• Taking The Certification Exam

The post Appraiser PA: What They Do appeared first on Polley Associates School of Real Estate.