Fighting the price

Appraisers appraise.

"Oh they just put those together to match the contract price." said a buyer of mine.

Sigh. If only.

Here in Illinois, Southern Illinois especially, if you have a business practice that, shall we say, swings loosely on the hinges? Some will use your services just to get the number they want but sooner or later these shenanigans will catch up to you. This goes for licensed inspectors, appraisers, contractors, mold mitigation....expands into other licensed professions like doctors, nurses, cosmetologists, Realtors. We are all licensed by the Great State of Illinois. We paid for college, training, fees to get to take the test, more fees to get the gosh-darn license printed and sent by the state then more fees to boards and associations to be recognized and legal. We then pay dues, required monthly or quarterly rents/deposits, and, last but not least, insurances. Sure. Easy as pie. Commit a felony for you just to collect a fee, sure, I'll get right on that.

Sure. Yes. It can be done. Just like you can find a licensed physician to write any or all 'scrpts for you; you can find a licensee to mock-up an appraisal for you. Money always finds the ones who will.

Putting those licensees into that category with Dr. Nick or Conrad Murray shames all with the M.D. after their name and a Caduceus on their business card. Lumping me in with frauds bothers me, too.

Because that's what that phrase "match the contract price" means to me; that these appraisers are all frauds and real estate is a racket. We're all in kahoots to swindle poor suckers out of their money; little better than used car salesmen. Little faith is put into the collective education. We are not one of those states that allow the weekend diploma mills to set up in hotels, where candidates are given the answers for a "proctored - rhymes with doctored" test Saturday night.

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fraud  

/frôd/

Noun Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. A person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities.

Synonyms cheat - deceit - deception - swindle - humbug - fake

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Holy crap!

Is that what the general public really thinks about Realtors? I can lose my license, be criminally charged with felony activity and be sent off to jail. So I can sell you a house?? Believe me. If I was the type person to do this type of illegal enterprise I would not be setting up shop in SoIL where the average price of a house is about $120,000. (Yahuh...with a split on six or seven percent commission -- or less!! -- in some cases because there are some unbelievably cheap bastards out there). You'd really need to put another zero in that loop and then I'd still have a problem because...see? That behavior is wrong.

I've always been of the opinion guys like Dr. Nick and Conrad Murray get swept up in the fame. They aren't famous but enjoy being around the famous. They get off on being needed and on call to a celebrated figure. I get it. These guys are groupies!! Just like the girls/boys who shag the boys/girls in the band. I had a modicum of success in radio -- people seek you out when you are top-of-mind news. They send you flowers, food, free tickets to their events, invitations that wouldn't be sent if I'd been just plain ol' Rosie from SoIL. Hell, I even had a stalker!! So I get it.

Now take that back into SoIL real estate reality. No one sends me flowers unless its my birthday or it was a lovely date night. Free food comes from vendors who want to curry favor for my business referral and invitations to events come with a sponsorship fee.

Appraisers and inspectors make even less per transaction than I do. They have more transactions per week than I do but they make a set fee not a commission of the whole of the sale. All are heavily regulated and, in this little marketplace, governed by their peers! Oh, yes! There is nothing quite as tasty as the gossip about a misstep made by one of your brethren. Fabulously titillating! Oh my!

Even Realtors or inspectors who are working within the law, collect sneers from those who watch their tiptoed steps along the ledge of misrepresentation. Gossip, gossip, gossip...what the heck to you think we do in our down time?

So...

"Oh they just put those together to match the contract price." 

Ouch.