State Goes Into High Gear to Test Real Estate Appraisers

There won’t be much holiday in the holiday season for the employees of the California Office of Real Estate Appraisers.

The women and men in the office are working overtime and weekends to meet an end-of-year deadline to license and certify the state’s real estate appraisers.

New federal requirements mandate state certification for all appraisers who perform appraisals on federally related real estate transactions, including transactions financed by federally regulated banks and savings and loans.

“We will do everything possible to get the appraisers licensed by the end of the year,” said Loretta Maxwell, office administrator of OREA. “Our big fear is that too many appraisers are waiting until the last minute and we won’t be able to handle the paper flow.”

“It’s vital that appraisers get their applications in as soon as possible and that they begin scheduling appointments to take the exam. There’s no need to procrastinate, it’s a fair test,” Maxwell explained. “We’ve found that appraisers with the required education and experience do very well on the exam.”

Maxwell added that financial institutions and real estate agents should encourage the appraisers with whom they work to complete the accreditation process as soon as possible.

To become a licensed appraiser there are three steps to follow. First, contact the Office of Real Estate Appraisal by calling (916) 654-5525 to get an application package. Second, complete the application and return it to OREA.

The application will be reviewed to ensure that requirements for state licensing are met and applicants will be sent a letter entitling them to take the test.

Third, make an appointment and take the test. Scoring is electronic and applicants know immediately if they pass or fail. The test may be retaken an unlimited number of times.