Online Home Appraisal Courses

What Online Home Appraisal Courses are Available?

Home appraisal courses fall into the category of real property appraiser education. The courses begin at the trainee level and require a specified number of hours to complete. Coursework covers basic appraiser principles and procedures as well as ethics. You may also choose an area of specialty such as agriculture, commercial, or residential property. For licensure, a proctored exam is required that can often be completed at a location near your home.

Once you've attained the real property appraiser trainee status, you will need to take online continuing education courses to maintain the license. These are typically set up to meet state licensure requirements. There are also additional licensing levels obtainable once additional criteria have been met.

There are a variety of courses available depending on your area of interest and your level of experience. Courses you might find online include:

Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice or USPAP

By the end of this course, students should understand the USPAP requirements and be able to apply them in their work activities. Classes will look at new revisions, case studies, and situations to learn how to interpret and apply the requirements.

Laws and Regulations

This is a state-specific course that covers the laws and regulations that must be followed by real estate appraisers. Students will learn about the state board functions, penalties for violations, and compliance with the laws. They will also explore the critical terminology and standards of practice.

Appraisal Review

As the need for reviews has increased, so has the need for appraisers who are adept at conducting the reviews. Students will learn how to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of appraisals, how to apply state laws, and the steps required for bank-owned properties and foreclosures. They will also examine value of opinion, lending principles, and ethics.

Basic Principles of Appraising

Basic principles cover the general concepts in appraising. This can include topics such as understanding the housing market, legal considerations, types of value, concepts that affect and relate to appraising properties, economic considerations, and an introduction to valuing properties.

Residential Report Writing

The appraiser needs to understand how to correctly and ethically complete a report for the client. This course will teach you the procedures for writing residential appraisal reports including the different report forms, minimum USPAP standards, grammar rules, writing techniques, and narrative report basics.

Should I Take Continuing Education Courses?

Continuing education (CE) courses are required to renew your license. Each state's regulatory agency will determine the number of CE's required and how often the renewal period is, which is typically every two or three years. Either appraisal ethics, Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice or USPAP is commonly required every renewal period.