Appraisal Education - Continuing Education and Workforce Development

To receive a discount, register for 28 (or more) hours in one transaction and the discount will automatically be applied.

*All times are Eastern Standard Time.

**These are the books that are required for the new 2024-2025 USPAP Course. You will need to purchase the NEW 2024-25 7-Hour National USPAP Student Manual ($35); NEW 2024 USPAP ($35); and the NEW 2024 USPAP Reference and Guidance Manual ($75) All of these materials are required.  To purchase the materials, contact The Appraisal Foundation.

PDF/Electronic versions are permitted as long as they are searchable:

NEW DIGITAL 2-Book Set: 2024 eUSPAP + eUSPAP GRM ($110)
NEW DIGITAL 2024-25 7-HOUR NATIONAL USPAP STUDENT EMANUAL ($35)
NEW 2024 DIGITAL USPAP ($35)

Here is the link to the Appraisal Foundation.

For two-day Appraisal Zoom classes, you MUST attend both days to receive credit.

Questions? Please call 906-227-2103

Mandatory 7 hours C.E. every license cycle. This is the 7-Hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) Update Course, as developed by The Appraisal Foundation (Foundation). The course focuses on changes to USPAP for 2024-25 and on appraisal issues that affect daily appraisal practice. The Course is developed by the Foundation and is revised on a periodic basis to stay current with the latest edition of USPAP.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours, you MUST purchase your own books. See the above schedule for the required books and links to the Appraisal Foundation website.

This two-hour course will discuss licensing laws at every level, the occupational code, and the governing boards, Michigan Consumer & Industry Services’ Board of Appraisers and the National Appraisal Foundation.

Cost: $43 if registering for under 28 hours; $37 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course familiarizes the student with the review procedures available to the State when a complaint is filed. It begins by exploring the make up of the State Appraisal Board both from a procedure and a current personnel perspective. How to prepare, what to expect, discussion of the penalties and fines available to the State. Upon completion, the student will be more familiar and better to handle a review if presented with the situation. 

Cost: $107.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $92.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course is designed to familiarize the appraiser with the nuances of the appraisal for the non-regulated client, including: Problem Identification, Appropriate Valuation Methods and Appropriate Reporting Formats. 

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This class begins with a historical overview of the industry, followed by a discussion of proper terminology and definitions. The following sections deal with building codes and their effects on the different types of factory-constructed houses. Recognizing differences between site-built and factory-constructed homes is discussed, with special emphasis on distinguishing between manufactured homes and other types of factory-constructed housing. Quality issues are addressed, stressing proper observation techniques. Succeeding sessions focus on specialized assignment conditions, title issues, valuation, and reporting. Participation by class members is strongly encouraged, since much can be learned from the collective experiences of the participants. 

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course seeks to discuss and understand the commonalities and differences in the systematic processes used in professional appraising and assessing.  We will compare and contrast the viewpoints of appraising for property taxation purposes and that of appraising for a client. Additionally, this course will give appraisers a better understanding of those appraisals completed by assessors and will provide the student with a set of best practices tools and insights for dealing with property tax appeals.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This class will take a step-by-step process aiding the student in understanding The Appraisal Desk Review process and discuss its need and use in today's secondary mortgage system. Additionally, we will explore how to best identify the distinguishing differences between The Desk Review vs. The Field Review and its need and use in the lending process. With a better understanding of the desk review, the students will learn to examine the appraisal, its accuracy of data and credible support for its value conclusion results. Particularly when there is no geographic competence. The class material shares a pre-printed sample Desk Review form as a sample of what is currently available in the field. The class will go through the review process through the eyes of a Desk Reviewer using a section by section discussion with a specific focus on what flags an appraisal for review and what tools the appraiser should have for The Appraisal Desk Review.

Cost: $107.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $92.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This class is designed to assist residential appraisers in the appropriate use of disclosures and
disclaimers to promote clear communication and reduce liability. While the primary focus of the seminar is directed at dealing with disclosures and disclaimers when reporting assignment results on the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report Form (URAR), there is much in the way of general information that will assist appraisers when dealing with issues of liability found in other appraisal assignments that do not require the use of the URAR form.

Actual and hypothetical accounts of common residential appraisal situations are used to illustrate both the potential liability involved, as well as possible preventative measures. Dozens of disclosures,
disclaimers and other suggested statements are included for the participant’s consideration. 

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course focuses on the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR 1004)with respect to its compliance to USPAP. It will specifically navigate the 14necessary compliance points from the USPAP handbook relating them to the URAR appraisal, section by section. Further, all discussion of the URAR will include most recent form changes to include the Hybrid and Desktop style appraisal format.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

After all segments, the student will be exposed to the Collateral Underwriting program and be able to better understand the origin, history and basic concepts of the Fannie Mae Collateral underwriting (C/U) program and process. In varying segments, the C/U process and system of automated review will be examined. This will lead the appraiser to be better prepared when completing the FNMA URAR 1004 mortgage appraisal and process. A better understanding of guidelines, explanations and rationales will result in a more comprehensive and a higher review score is hoped as the result.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

Class will discuss all concepts of land value and its application to the appraisal process within the context of the 1004 URAR. 

Discussions and examples of methods of estimating value for land. Discussions of actual definitions of Highest and Best Use and how it applies to Excess/surplus land. 

Will further discuss both USPAP and FANNIE MAE guidance and conformance to both.  When does excess land become surplus? How is it handled in the mortgage appraisal? 

Case studies are examined, each offering variations and demonstrating both excess and surplus land and an in-depth application of Highest and Best Use. 

Cost: $107.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $92.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course is designed to help appraisers understand and sort out the areas of liability exposure, both criminal and civil, when completing an appraisal to facilitate the mortgage process. In addition to these liabilities, the penalties and possible actions through the State Licensing Entities and the secondary market will be discussed. This course is designed to help appraisers understand and sort out the areas of liability exposure, both criminal and civil, when completing an appraisal to facilitate the mortgage process. In addition to these liabilities, the penalties and possible actions through the State Licensing Entities and the secondary market will be discussed.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course studies the use of the appraisal in the secondary mortgage market. A focus on how the appraiser and the appraisal process has functioned in the past, present and the intent for the future. It studies a timeline from the inception of FNMA, mortgage-backed securities, the S & L crisis of the 1980’s/90’s through the mortgage crises of 2007-2008 and finishing with the proposals for the future.

Learn how the appraisal profession is poised for change in March of 2022, to include insights and discussion of the following changes:

• The Hybrid appraisal product 1004P – proposed in the modernization effort.
• FNMA to sanction the use of the “Desktop Appraisal” (to include a floor plan). A look at the new desktop 1004 rev 2020 & discussion of scope and certification.
• How the “Desktop appraisal” differs from the Hybrid.
• FNMA requirement of appraiser measuring using ANSI standards.
• Current political environment regarding the accusations of appraiser bias, devaluation of neighborhoods along with bias and inclusion will all be examined.
• How all the above will affect the appraisal profession in general.

**If you are currently doing mortgage appraisal work, this class is a must to help adapt for the future.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course is intended to benefit appraisers of various skills and experience levels.  All appraisers can benefit from an enhanced awareness of architectural style and construction design as well as keeping abreast of current market trends in housing floor plans and amenities buyers say they want.  The course manual consists of seven parts, which are a mixture of lecture, discussion and in-class illustrations.  The illustrations are meant to solicit judgment calls and effective solution processes because one answer may work well in one appraiser’s market and may not work well in another appraiser’s market.  Participation by class members is vital to the success of this seminar since more knowledge is shared from the collective experiences of the participants than from a single instructor.  

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

The intent of the course is to help the student understand the flow of an appraisal assignment and the importance of each of the steps from the acceptance of the assignment to the completion of the report. The course begins with defining the appraisal problem and determining the nature of the assignment and an appropriate scope of work. The Scope of Work determines the flow and complexity of the assignment and allows the appraiser to make an informed decision with regards to accepting or declining the assignment due to competency issues. Each segment of the work flow is a building block to the completion of the assignment. Each segment is discussed initially in general appraisal terms and expanded to specific assignment types by class interest and experience. The primary focus of the course is the development and support of the appraiser’s opinion of value. Discussion regarding reporting requirements is included as it pertains to areas of work flow.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This appraisal class is designed for those appraisers involved with lenders preparing the appraisal for in use in the mortgage lending process, with specific attention given to the URAR Mortgage Appraisal form 1004.  The appraisal form is taken section by section discussing traditional problem areas between appraiser and underwriting to better understand myth from fact.  The goal of this course is to decrease the revisions requested by U/W saving both the appraiser and lender time in the mortgage process.  Further, to help underwriters and appraisers this course will enhance their understanding of our respective goals. 

This class will include additional discussion and updates on the current GSE/lender/appraiser climate to include regulations effecting the appraisal profession to include:

•  The expected role the GSE’s plan to play in the coming year
•  new and existing AMC regulation including the most recent federal oversight of the State AMC regulation
•  FNMA recently released Collateral Underwriting and risk assessment as its impact.
•  Discussion of the direction FNMA has taken in 2015 with regard to support for adjustments and its effect on appraisers.
•  Update on current numbers for the FNMA exclusionary list of appraisers

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.

This course provides an in depth look at the assessing process in Michigan. Major topics covered are property tax law, abatements, exemptions, the equalization process and the calculation of taxable value. The material will provide a frame-work to allow fee appraisers to evaluate and understand the assessing process and how assessed and capped values are calculated. Participants will also be exposed to the methodologies used by assessors and equalization departments to complete annual appraisal studies. The course will conclude with a detailed examination of how Taxable Value is calculated.

Cost: $150.50 if registering for under 28 hours; $129.50 if registering for at least 28 hours.