Posts Tagged ‘Home Inspection’

Real Estate Appraisal Courses

Friday, May 6th, 2011

There are three types of appraisal that appraisers employ – the VA, FHA and conventional appraisals. Professional real estate appraisers have real estate appraisal licenses that allow them to practice their profession. To be able to get this license, potential appraisers must attend classes and take and pass the state exams. However, even after getting their licenses, appraisers still need to take more classes to become certified appraisers for VA loans, FHA loans and others. Apart from state accredited schools that offer courses on different subjects on real estate appraising, online courses are also available on the Internet.

Real estate appraisal courses offered by schools on the Internet include different areas of study, which usually includes the National Standards of Professional Appraisers (USPAP), lessons on how to use the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report, Real Estate Math, FHA Appraisal, OREA Information, State Appraisal Licensing Information, and License Renewal Information. Other additional courses offered by some schools also include Residential Real Estate Appraisal, and Legal Considerations in Appraisal.

Review courses to help future appraisers pass the state exams are also offered by the schools, which come in the form of practice exams and tutorials. These courses are often delivered through various software, CDs and virtual tutorials that future appraisers can access on their personal computers right at the comfort of their homes. As with other real estate courses offered online, future appraisers are also given the opportunity to study the different appraisal laws and principles in other states.

Real estate appraisers are also required to renew their licenses and they do so by taking another set of exams. Online schools also offer help in this process by helping the appraisers upgrade their skill by offering additional courses like Income Property Analysis and Home Inspection. Given all of these, it is clear that online real estate appraisal courses offer a wealth of information for appraisers that can help them practice their profession.

The Essential Home Inspection Checklist

Monday, September 20th, 2010

Having a home inspection checklist is an essential tool for any new homebuyer. Whether it is your very first home or your fiftieth, having a home inspection checklist can be an invaluable aid. Aside from hiring a home inspector to go over your potential purchase with a fine tooth comb, you can conduct your own inspection as long as you know what it is you are looking for. Unless you have previous experience working for a home inspection service, it is not likely that you will know all of the details that need to be addressed when buying a house.

Getting a pre-written home inspection checklist is one of the smartest ways of gaining the secret knowledge for which people usually pay home inspectors lots of money. Although hiring an inspection service to conduct the final inspection of any home purchase is always a necessity, you can always do your own preliminary check with your checklist. Another very good reason for having a home inspection checklist is that you will know whether the home inspector you hire is covering all of the areas that he or she should be checking.

It is never a guarantee that you will get the kind of in-depth inspection that you require when you hire a home inspector or a home inspection service to go over the property on which you are making an offer. Depending on the home inspector’s experience and the manner in which he or she was trained, it is very possible that the inspection may be lacking in certain areas. However, if you have a home inspection checklist then you can follow along and make sure that what should be checked is actually being checked.

Buying a house can be a very tricky process. Sellers always do their best to show their property in the best light in order to get a quick sale. However, that does not mean that every home is in perfect condition. There are always little problems that will need to be addressed – that is just perfectly normal. What you need to find out is if there are any big problems that will require big money to repair down the road. Going over the plumbing, electricity, foundation, insulation and structure is not just wise, it is essential. However, unless you are a trained home inspector, you will be hard pressed to know exactly what you are looking for – and that is where a comprehensive home inspection checklist comes into play.