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There is so much writing in an appraisal report! So, what does an appraiser do when it comes to USPAP and clear & persuasive appraisal reports? Thanks for asking! Please keep reading, too!
It is no secret appraisers are not trained writers. But USPAP and clear & persuasive appraisal report are not an appraisal requirement, are they? Do you remember all that report writing you did in appraisal school? I don’t either. That’s because we did not do any writing in appraisal school! We learned to fill boxes and spaces on reporting forms. That talent, by the way, is effectively passe’. When the new appraisal reports debut, box-checking and space-filling will be obsolete talents. Instead, writing clear, concise, persuasive narrative will be necessary.
Anyway, USPAP and clear & persuasive appraisal reports are not part of the training appraisers receive currently. In the future, such training will not be a hallmark, either. Appraisers will have to get that training via their own initiative. But how and where? Appraisal entrepreneurs may step into that breach with such classes. But a 7-hour CE class on writing is really a waste of time. You cannot learn to communicate clearly and persuasively in 7-hours. And, no, templates will not work, since the reporting forms are almost an historical relic.
When it comes to USPAP and clear and persuasive appraisal reports, learning the secrets of clear and persuasive writing will not come from CE. Rather, it will come with university-level writing classes, private tutoring, and/or private mentoring. To quote the late founder of Faber College, Emil Faber, “Knowledge is Good”. And knowledge of communication by writing is even better!