Appraisal News and Appraisal Tips For Real Estate Appraisers - Your source for appraisal industry news, appraisers' opinions, and discussions of appraisal issues
The NFHA is feeling the heat as their funding evaporates, putting a major kink in their anti-appraiser crusade. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) has found itself in a precarious position as their funding well runs dry, jeopardizing their ongoing legal battle against Maryland appraiser Shane Lanham. This development is a ray of hope not only for Lanham, who has been unjustly accused of racial bias in his appraisals, but for the entire appraisal community who have been unfairly targeted by NFHA’s relentless smear campaign. The NFHA, in cahoots with the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)...
Over the past four years, I have been subjected to a relentless, unjust investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – not because of any wrongdoing on my part, but simply for conducting an honest, independent real estate appraisal. What began as a false racial discrimination claim by a disgruntled homeowner has now escalated into a coordinated effort to suppress evidence, manipulate legal records, and intimidate me into silence. If the disturbing allegations made by Ken Mullinix are indeed true, they paint a chilling picture of corruption and abuse of power within the U.S. Department of...
Rocket Mortgage and the AMCs actively conceal this fee skimming from borrowers, never disclosing the proportion of the “appraisal fee” that is pocketed by the AMC rather than being paid to the appraiser. The class action lawsuit, Timmins v. Clear Capital, et al., filed on November 1 in the Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus, sheds light on the deceptive and unfair business practices allegedly perpetrated by ClearCapital.com, Inc., Core Valuation Management, Inc., and Rocket Mortgage, LLC in relation to the appraisal fees charged to borrowers in home mortgage transactions. The complaint asserts that these defendants engaged in a...
Morgan & Morgan, a prominent law firm, is currently investigating the practices of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) and their potential role in driving up the cost of appraisals for consumers. The firm is actively seeking input from individuals who believe they have been overcharged or misled about the allocation of their appraisal fees between the AMC and the appraiser. At the heart of this investigation lies the concern over a lack of transparency, inflated costs, and questionable value that AMCs bring to the appraisal process. The Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council (ARCC) has conducted extensive research on this matter, revealing alarming...
Join me in this class action lawsuit and help take a stand against HUD and the wrongful persecution of appraisers. Nationwide Call to Action: Seeking Legal Representation for Class-Action Lawsuit Against HUD Investigations For over two Years I have been subjected to systemic abuse, unwarranted investigations, and procedural violations at the hands of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). My name is Kenneth Mullinix, and I am an experienced VA-approved appraiser who has been targeted in a series of baseless investigations that have severely damaged my career, reputation, and personal well-being. Despite being cleared by other authorities after...
They have created the phenomenon known as “data cancer” which reduces an appraisal to a rubber stamp that contaminates the comps used for future sales. The ability to do an appraisal for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac is getting rarer these days now that the GSEs are waiving appraisals on the majority of transactions. Despite drones being everywhere and the GSEs being in receivership, the latter is desperate for higher loan volumes to feed their origination infrastructure. Higher mortgage rates have crushed refinance loan volume and slowed sales volume. What can the GSEs do to increase mortgage volume? Remove appraisals...
This bold move immediately resulted in the removal of all appraisal bias propaganda from the official whitehouse.gov website. With a few swift strokes of the pen, President Trump has dismantled the divisive and misguided diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) apparatus that had taken root across the federal government. On just his second day in office, Trump ordered the closure of all federal DEI offices, placing their employees on paid leave and signaling a decisive end to the era of government-sanctioned social justice activism masquerading as fairness and equality. This bold move immediately resulted in the removal of all appraisal bias...
The hidden costs of appraisal management companies (AMCs) in the real estate industry have faced growing scrutiny, as highlighted by a recent Business Insider article titled “The Hidden Middleman who cost homebuyers $12 billion dollars and counting.” The article examines the opaque practices of AMCs, which frequently charge exorbitant fees that can exceed the amount paid to the appraiser. As highlighted by former Appraisal Institute CEO Cindy Chance, this issue has faced significant resistance from entrenched interests, mirroring the challenges faced in other industries such as the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) sector, which ultimately led to an FTC investigation. The...
In a recent article, John D. Russell, JD explored the potential impact of the new Trump administration on the appraisal industry. With Republicans set to control the legislative process, Russell analyzed various documents and comments to distill expectations for how appraisal-related issues may be handled going forward. He noted that the Trump administration’s efforts will likely reflect much of the Project 2025 platform, and that its approach to the GSEs and FHFA in the first term could mirror that of the previous administration. Late first-term efforts on housing finance reform may also provide insight into second term priorities. Regarding the...
Hybrid Appraisals, Appraisal Waivers and Appraisal Management Companies are the new Con. Last month marked the 7-year anniversary of Appraiser Fest. The conference was truly like nothing that had been done before. It was organized by appraisers for appraisers. The agenda was more about bringing the profession together and protecting the public trust. Appraiser Fest was not about promoting the profit of others at the expense of appraisers; nor was it about hiding the unchecked facts of fraud and ill doings against consumers. It was about public awareness and trust. It all started with a renewed sense of energy with...
The recent announcement from Connect by ValueLink has sparked outrage among appraisers. Effective January 1, 2025, the company plans to institute a new $19.99 monthly user fee for all appraisers utilizing their portal to receive and submit appraisal orders. This fee will be in addition to the existing technology fees already charged on a per-appraisal basis. Understandably, many appraisers are up in arms over this development, viewing it as yet another “junk fee” that will only serve to erode their already-thin profit margins. What makes this particularly galling for appraisers is the fact that it is often appraisal management companies,...
