A shift of regulations intended to prevent lending companies from influencing — or worse, inflating — home values during the appraisal process nearly put an entire industry of people out of work during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, according to industry experts. But what happened to independent home appraisers is a topic that almost no one talks about outside the real estate industry. After a parade of subprime home loans and shoddy lending practices by mortgage lenders brought the real estate market to its knees, the real estate-appraisal process was targeted in an effort to protect consumers....
Client Kickbacks No, it’s not what you think. We’re talking about when a client kicks your report back to you because you did something wrong. Or did you? I was looking over a recent ServiceLink order that came in on a complaint. There were 32 requirements spelled out for the appraiser to follow. A four page order sheet with an 8 hour turn time for $200. Eerything was laid out from who could inspect to “your report must include photos of all 4 sides of the subject dwelling” (which is a cute trick for an inside rowhouse or townhome). Let’s...
The more clever title would be the nickname of this farm animal or the first three letters of assessment. Your choice. Real estate values have gone down, everyone knows that. Just ask the homeless man on the street who a few years ago was more than likely the town’s leading real estate agent, who back then could sell ice to eskimos and to top it off and really cash in, could franchise his venture through the funding of a Worldwide bank that had it in their business plan that if we get to big to fail then the tax payers will...
