FTC "Price Fixing" Allegations Hearing Update On Thursday, Feb 22, 2018 there were oral arguments presented in the Federal Trade Commission building at 2 pm. The meeting adjourned just before 3:30 pm. There were 55 to 65 people in attendance, which we were told is an extraordinarily larger crowd than typical. This is a very unique case. On the FTC side there were two lawyers – one male, one female. On the Louisiana side there were four males at the head counsel table and three or four other attorneys. I have never attended one of these hearings, so I really did...
Folks, I wanted to wait to send info about this until the AQB actually published a document showing the actual ‘new’ Qualifications Criteria for Real Property Appraisers. When first announced a few days ago, no official document was posted – only a news release. These take effect May 1, 2018. See the attached 4 page PDF. Due to ‘states rights’ issues in 54 jurisdictions (states & territories), implementation may not actually happen on 5/01/18. The document says this: “Because state appraiser regulatory agencies are only required to adopt minimum AQB Criteria, it is crucial that candidates contact their state to determine if the state intends...
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Don Machholz for his willingness to assist appraisers… Appraisers, A well respected appraiser who has voluntarily helped many of us has decided to hang up his clipboard, and remove the batteries from his laser measurer. I first became aware of Don Machholz back when the screwball GSE designed MC form was introduced in 2009. Don was one of the first appraisers who used his skills with Excel programming to design and distribute an Excel computation spreadsheet for the MC. Many appraisers have been using that, and his other Excel spreadsheets, ever since....
BREAKING: David versus Goliath Redux: Skapinetz versus Coester VMS – Case Direction Favors Underdog Court Refuses to Dismiss Lawsuit That Coester and His AMC Hacked Appraiser Mark Skapinetz’s Emails My colleague and friend, Georgia appraiser Mark Skapinetz, sued COESTERVMS.COM, INC. and BRIAN COESTER in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland last year for hacking his email account. Here is the evidence submitted. Coester subsequently filed a motion to dismiss. On February 9th, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis Denied The Motion to Dismiss for 3 of the 5 claims and the lawsuit will move forward. I find this whole matter very compelling – especially...
Appraisers, I have another ‘observation’ to discuss, based on separate reports where I found the same type of subject location reporting by different appraisers working in different areas, nowhere close together. This ‘observation’ concerns the reported physical location (on form page 1 Neighborhood comment section) of the appraised property verses its street address and ZIP Code. This is especially relevant to appraisers who work in Suburban and Rural areas. Street addresses and ZIP Codes are assigned by the United States Postal Service, for THEIR convenience and operations. Those addresses and ZIPs may extend far from city limit lines which is the primary...
I am not “JUST” a residential appraiser! There is no doubt that moving to obtaining a certified general appraisal license opens doors to varied and interesting work. If it is in one’s capacity to obtain this level, it is a great idea. That said, the idea of being “just” a residential appraiser has got to stop. A good professional residential appraiser who studies the market, knows how to analyze and solve a problem, and can communicate effectively and succinctly, is a very valuable appraiser at that! As professional residential appraisers, we constantly work at honing skills. We work at becoming...
This will be better than your favorite band’s concert! Watch the oral arguments in the FTC vs LREAB case live in Washington DC on Thursday February 22, 2018! “The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC” or "Commission") will meet on Thursday, February 22, 2018, in Room 532 of the FTC Building for an Oral Argument In the Matter of Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board. The public is invited to attend and observe the open portion of the meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. The remainder of the meeting will be closed to the public ” VaCAP will be there...
The appraisal profession has never experienced an economic and valuation education forum like AppraiserFest 2018. This is the only national appraisal conference that is “appraiser centric” with a true advocacy for the profession. There are no hidden agendas, only appraisers sharing their knowledge, experience, skills and wisdom with other appraiser colleagues and peers from all backgrounds of membership, designations and levels of certification. Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel, Inc. and highly respected appraiser from New York recently stated in his Housing Notes Newsletter, “This isn’t an event, it’s a happening!” In just one phrase, Mr. Miller captured the integrity...
…it will be the appraisal management companies that are going to be held to the fire, not the appraiser… In the spring of 2002 my wife and I bought our third house; an older cape cod in a great school system where our son would start kindergarten in the fall and his sister the year after. This house literally was 1970 inside. It had deep red shag carpet in the family room and sculptured avocado green carpet upstairs. Not to worry, it blended well with the sunshine yellow stove, bright orange counter top and turquoise and pink bathrooms. After 3...
Kudos to Congressman Member Jeb Hensarling! House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) is one of the few federal watchdogs that ‘gets it’ on Fannie Mae’s & all GSE’s operations. All appraisers that have watched Fannie Mae’s changes in policies over the past 3+ years knew it was only a matter of time before they would need another taxpayer bailout. What we didn’t know was that it would be this soon. Most of us assumed it would be after the next crash that their reckless policies trigger. Reading the recent press release from the House Financial Services Committee, my...
