Becoming an appraiser first

[Geoffrey Lessel]

I posted this in another forum, but wasn't sure which topic it should be under. Hopefully I'll get some responses here:

I am just getting started in the whole REI thing (excited!!) and some of the people I have talked to have said that becoming a licensed realtor is a good way to learn areas and start out. I'm not a fan of that idea at all. The whole point of me going out on my own is to be more flexible and have my nights and weekends reserved for my family. The idea of tromping around town with buyers at a moment's notice 7 days a week is the opposite of appealing to me.

So that brings up the question -- would it be just as good to become an appraiser? What is the life of an appraiser like? Don't they have the same MLS access that realtors do to allow them to do their work?

If anyone is an appraiser, knows an appraiser, or just generally knows more about the profession that I do (that would be about all of you), I would love your input.

Thanks!