Dogfish, I appraise quite a few REO properties and I cannot believe the amount of trash, etc. that there is in alot of these homes. Sometimes it is just flat out gross.

To answer the question: I have two jobs. I am a full time residential real estate appraiser and I also drive a school bus part time. The school bus gig became necessary 4 years ago when the sub prime bomb went off and appraising came to a stand still. As I started to did out of the hole, the HVCC regulations went into effect and I lost all my clients so I got to start over again.

Today, my appraisal business is doing quite well and I still drive a bus for the University Place school district. The appraisal industry is pretty much the same as being in sales, some months are great others less so. However, on the whole it was a good choice for me. The job has allowed me to work from home and therefore we have not needed to use day care as I can work my schedule around our 2 kids. Some days I definitely wish I had an office somewhere else to go hide in but overall I have a good career , good wife, good kids, house, nice truck and a restored 1987 Olympic Hardtop that is the love of my life. I can honestly say that I have been blessed.