The Appraiser Coach Podcast

Jim Stafford spent many years on the other side of the desk. He has some critical insights, after reviewing over 20,000 appraisal reports, on what Fannie and underwriters want to see in your appraisal reports.

Jeri asked Dustin a great question about what to fill out on site when you are at the observation and doing mobile data input. That question and more is answered today.

If you ask an appraiser if this is a good career, the chances are she will tell you to run far away. But, if you are interested in becoming an appraiser, are their other opinions on the matter?

Jonie asked a question about using a smartphone for inspections. The answer is, "yes you can," and Dustin shares some tips today on how to do it better. You do not need a tablet to do appraisal inspections.

There is a (false) notion that increasing your volume will decrease the quality of your work. Dustin dispels that myth with a few dichotomies of real estate appraisal.

It is a common problem, you have a great trainee or appraiser employee that just cannot write well. Otherwise their skills are pretty good, but you cannot have them representing your company and putting out a product with less-than-professional writing. Well, don't give up. There are other options.

What does a hard working farm boy from Kentucky sound like on a microphone? Join Dustin for another Appraiser Stories and find out why Jarrett almost shot up a puzzle. Seriously. He did.

Why do we do what we do? Can you take a break in the middle of the week and your office still keep working as normal?

Maybe the most important episode to date. Dustin breaks down the financial benchmarks that he usually reserves for coaching or Mastermind clients. Bring a notepad and be prepared to take notes on this one.

Dustin Recently tweaked his back, but did nothing about it til it became a bigger problem. Are there warning signs in your appraisal business that you should be heeding now?

This old axiom can easily be applied to your appraisal office. Do not just assume that if someone has a great resume and interviews well that they will make a great part of your team. There are some skills tests you can send them through to help boost the possibility of finding the right appraiser or staff member.

Dustin recently taught his son about sourcing his material for a school paper. What does this lesson have to do with more credible appraisals and appraisal reports?

No, this is not about terrorists or even health and welfare checks. This episode addresses how to manage your appraisal office team. Dustin shares a few dos and don'ts when it comes to training and management of your employees.

It sounds nice. It makes you look like a compassionate boss, but open door policies suck. Dustin shares why and what you can do instead.

Dustin has been criticized for hiring VAs and paying less than $5 per hour. How does that salary really translate though in places like the Philippines?

We have all been busy. Have we lost sight of the bigger picture, however? Remember you can only focus your attention in one area at a time. Where is your focus, appraisers?

Using conservative numbers, Dustin has done the math. How many hours will you spend over the course of your career appraising houses? How many years will you spend in that technician role? Is it time to make a change?

Believe it or not, Dustin has stooped so low as to teach you how to get dressed in the morning. There may even be a few nuggets of wisdom when it comes to your appraisal business too.

You heard it right, this time Tim is interviewing Dustin for his YouTube channel The Appraiser's Advocate. What does Dustin think appraisers should be doing to remain relevant in today's changing valuation world?

Due to the pandemic, Tax Day was changed this year, but it is nearly here again. Do you have a big tax bill you did not anticipate? Dustin will solve that problem for you once and for all.

What can the painter Bob Ross - may he rest in peace - teach us about our lives and our business? Is it time you took just 30 mins to paint the picture of your life?

Dustin was recently traveling in Australia and had a need to look at a report on his server back in Idaho. No problem, he was connected within seconds via his mobile phone. How does that work?

Josh Walitt, a friend to the program, joins us again to talk about state board investigations. How do you prepare so you don’t have to go through the process, and what do you do when the state comes looking for your work file?

There is a false notion out there that in order to get something done right, it must be done by you personally. We, as business owners, spend way too much time working on and not in our businesses.

For many, the pandemic has not been fun. It has been a challenge, but what lessons have we learned? More importantly, can we take those lessons and apply them long-term?