Illinois Real Estate Appraiser License Courses Get Your Illinois Appraisal License the Fast and Easy Way

In order to obtain an Appraisal Trainee License in Illinois you must complete a total of 75 hours of course work as follows: The Principles Course (30 hours), The Procedures Course (30 hours) and the USPAP Course* (15) hours. * (The State of Illinois does not allow the USPAP course to be taken online). But learning to become a Licensed IL Real Estate Appraisal Trainee has never been easier or more effective now that you can tap into these popular online Illinois approved Appraisal License Courses from RealEstateExpress.com. And don't worry! Your online instructor will show you how to sail through the required coursework faster and easier than ever from the comfort of your own home or office. Get started now with Appraisal Principles and Appraisal Procedures and take the USPAP course later in a live school. You can order the Illinois Appraisal Principles course or the Illinois Appraisal Procedures course separately, or save even more by doing what most do, and group Appraisal Principles and Appraisal Procedures together for even more discounts.

Diamond Package - Principles, Procedures Retail $790,    Now Only $349! And Save $441! The Cheapest Way to a New Career as a Illinois Appraisal Trainee. Choose this package if you are just starting out on your career as a Illinois Appraiser. Get started now with Appraisal Principles and Appraisal Procedures. $349! This Package Contains: 1. Appraisal Principles Course - $345 2. Appraisal Procedures Course - $345 3. "How to Write Business Correspondence" 240+ page e-Book - $25 4. "Golden Rules for Making Money" 70 page e-book by P.T. Barnum - $25 5. "How to Write Business Letters" 300+ page e-Book - $25 6. "Successful Public Speaking" For all who sell to the Public 100+ page e-Book - $25 7. Candidate State Testing Handbook - FREE Retail $790 - Special - Only $349! Ruby Package - Appraisal Principles Course Retail $395,    Now Only $199! And Save $196! Select this package if you are just starting out and only want the Illinois Appraisal Principles Course. $199! This Package Contains: 1. Appraisal Principles Course - $345 2. "How to Write Business Correspondence" 240+ page e-Book - $25 3. "Golden Rules for Making Money" 70 page e-book by P.T. Barnum - $25 4. Candidate State Testing Handbook - FREE Retail $395 - Special - Only $199! Jade Package - Appraisal Procedures Course Retail $395,    Now Only $199! And Save $196! Select this package if you are just starting out and only want the Illinois Appraisal Principles Course. $199! This Package Contains: 1. Appraisal Procedures Course - $345 2. "Business Letters" 300+ page Classic and Invaluable e-Book - $25 3. "Successful Public Speaking" For selling to the public 100+ page e-Book - $25 4. Candidate State Testing Handbook - FREE Retail $395 - Special - Only $199!

Why More Illinois Appraisal Professionals Choose Online Learning

Illinois Licensing Requirements

The Illinois Office of Banks and Real Estate has established minimum educational requirements for an appraisal license. The minimum educational requirements include the following:

Associate Real Estate Appraiser (157)
Courses in the following topics are required to take the Associate Real Estate Appraiser examination:

• At least 75 hours of appraisal education and training, including 15 hours of ethics and standards of practice, and passing the Level A licensing examination.
• No appraisal experience is required.
• College-level requirements: None

Certified Residential Appraiser (156)
Courses in the following topics are required to take the Certified Residential Appraiser examination:

• At least 200 hours of appraisal education and training, including 15 hours of ethics and standards of practice; 2,500 hours (including 1,500 hours non-residential) of appraisal experience across at least 30 months; and passing the Level B licensing examination.
• Twenty-five hundred hours of appraisal experience during no fewer than 24 months
• College-level requirements: Associate degree or higher. In lieu of the required degree, 21 semester credit hours covering the following subject matter courses: English Composition; Principles of Economics (Micro or Macro); Finance; Algebra, Geometry or higher mathematics; Statistics; Computer Science; and Business or Real Estate Law.

(If an applicant is upgrading from a 154 or 157 license, they only need to submit proof of curriculums 4 and 5 above.)

Certified General Appraiser (153)
Courses in the following topics are required to take the Certified General Appraiser examination:

• At least 300 hours of appraisal education and training, including 15 hours of ethics and standards of practice; 3,000 hours (including 1,500 hours non-residential) of appraisal experience across at least 30 months; and passing the Level C certification examination.
• Three thousand hours of appraisal experience during no fewer than 30 months, of which 1,500 hours shall be in non-residential appraisal work
• College-level requirements: Bachelors degree or higher. In lieu of the required degree, 31 semester credit hours covering the following subject matter courses: English Composition; Principles of Economics (Micro or Macro); Finance; Algebra, Geometry or higher mathematics; Statistics; Computer Science; and Business or Real Estate Law; and 2 elective courses in accounting, geography, ag-economics, business management, or real estate.

(If an applicant is upgrading from a 157 license, they only need to submit proof of curriculums 4 through 9 above. If an applicant is upgrading from a 156 license, they only need to submit proof of curriculums 6 through 9 above.)

IMPORTANT: For detailed information on understanding the 2008 Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria, please follow this link to the Appraisal Foundation.

State Regulatory Agency

Illinois Division of Professional Regulation
Mr. Michael Brown: Appraisal Director
310 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 2130
Chicago, IL 60604-4278
(312) 814-4500
Click for State Website

What does a Illinois Real Estate Appraiser Do?
When the value of a property in Illinois needs to be established, the real estate appraiser goes to work. Real estate appraisers estimate the value of property for many reasons. For example, appraisals are necessary to determine a sales price or to determine the amount of a loan that could be given on a residential or business property. A real estate appraiser may be asked to determine the worth of any type of real estate, from a vacant lot to a city airport, but they often specialize in determining the value of only a certain type of real estate such as residential buildings or commercial properties. The role of the appraiser and the assessor is different. Assessors settle on the value of all properties in an area for property tax purposes while appraisers determine the value of properties one at a time for a multiplicity of purposes, such as to establish what a good sale price would be for a home or to clear up an estate or help in a divorce resolution.

The values of all types of real estate are made using comparable methods, regardless of the kind of property or who the appraiser works for. Real Estate Appraisers work in Illinois communities that they know well so they have a good understanding of any issues that might have an impact on the value of a property. They pay close attention to any unusual features of a property and of the community, such as a certain style of a building or a major roadway next to the property. They also consider other aspects of a property like the quality and condition of the building foundation and roof of a building or any changes that may have been made since the building was originally built. They may take photographs to document a certain area or feature, as well as taking pictures of the outside of the structure. After making a visit to the property, the appraiser can establish the fair value of the property by considering home sales in the area for comparable properties, public records, the location, previous real estate appraisals, and the potential for income. Once they have completed all of their research they will put together a detailed report which presents the value of the property along with the reasons that justify the value they arrived at.

Illinois appraisers work for individual clients and focus on evaluating one piece of real estate at a time. Real estate appraisers frequently specialize by the type of real estate they appraise, such as residential properties, shopping centers, or office buildings. Often, commercial appraisers have the ability to appraise any real property but they choose to appraise property only used for commercial purposes, such as shopping centers or restaurants. Residential property appraisers work on appraising houses or other family residences and only appraise those that accommodate 1 to 5 families. Then there are other appraisers in Illinois who serve in a more general way and can value any type of real property.

Real estate appraisers develop a detailed summary report for each assignment. Putting these reports together has become faster and more efficient as a result of the use of laptop computers which allow appraisers to research data and complete at least portions of the report while on-site. Digital cameras make it simple to document the physical appearance of a property during the appraisal, and the photos can be used in the citations of the report.

Appraisers spend much of their time researching and writing reports. However, with the improvement of computers and other technical advancements, such as wireless internet access, actual time in the office has gone down as so much of the required research can be done more quickly at the actual appraisal site or from home. Obtaining records that used to require a visit to government offices can often be found online. This has positively affected self-employed appraisers, frequently referred to as independent fee appraisers, allowing them to spend much more time on-site doing research and less time in their office.

Independent fee appraisers tend to put in a standard forty hour work week and in addition, commonly work evenings and weekends preparing reports. Visits to properties commonly take place during the day, and are based on the client’s schedule. Privately employed appraisers, on the other hand, normally work a 40-hour week. Appraisers normally do their on-site appraisal work alone. Their office may be made up of only themselves or a small support team.

Helpful Links
National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers
National Association of Real Estate Appraisers