Author: Dave Towne

September 10, 2021

No Mandatory AMC Use

When you work with UWM Appraisal Direct… if a borrower pays $500 for an order, the entire fee goes to you. UWM doesn’t make $1 on the order. No appraisal management fees… This announcement just popped into my email, from HousingWire: UWM launches AMC-free appraisal program UWM to coordinate appraisals in-house United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) announced today that it will no longer require its brokers to use appraisal management companies to complete appraisals. The Pontiac, Michigan-based wholesale lender will instead coordinate appraisals in-house, contracting with appraisers directly, offering appraisers and brokers a way to bypass AMCs altogether, which UWM CEO...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

September 9, 2021

2022 7hr USPAP Update Course

Appraisers, if your license renews in 2022, you will need to take the ‘new’ USPAP 7hr Update course. See below. The Update class you have already taken for the 2020-21 book, which has been extended to Dec. 31, 2022, cannot be used for CE credit again. However, I’m somewhat confused as to the effective dates of this ‘new’ Update class. It says “2022-23” which implies it will be valid through the end of (or into?) 2023. But the ‘current’ USPAP is presently undergoing Exposure Drafts for the proposed changes, which will be effective as of Jan. 1, 2023. Normally, the Update...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News / AQB / ASB

August 9, 2021

Objective Terminology

Appraisers should avoid using words that lend themselves to bias judgments. Instead, the appraisal report should document objective facts. “Bias” in appraisals has been a ‘hot topic’ around nationwide water coolers since about 2018, and even earlier. The GSE’s are particularly wary of any commentary in appraisal reports that appear to inject ‘bias’ into the value conclusion. In the June ’21 FNMA Appraiser Update newsletter, there is this article: Avoiding problematic phrases Stories in the media about racial bias in appraisals have been on the rise. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) expects appraisers to “not perform...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Fannie Mae - Freddie Mac / Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice / USPAP

Secret HUD Meeting on Valuation Bias... Input of Appraisers Is Unwanted

August 3, 2021

Secret HUD Meeting on ‘Appraiser Bias’

The exclusion of the appraisal profession from events looking at valuation bias sends the message – intentional or not – that the input of appraisers is unwanted by those seeking to address issues relating to valuation bias… This was in a news release put out on Aug. 2, 2021 by the American Society of Appraisers which reveals the ‘secrecy’ behind the government’s efforts to attempt to continually help smear real estate appraisers: “RESTON, Va., Aug. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ –The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) held a virtual event today looking at bias issues surrounding the home valuation process....

American Society of Appraisers / Appraisal / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News / ASA / CFPB

August 2, 2021

Commonly Noted Deficiencies

Completing Today’s FHA Appraisal – Commonly Noted Deficiencies The last one ‘sold out’ quickly. Register today if you want to take this training: August 12, 2021 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Mountain) This training covers FHA appraisal requirements, including FHA appraisal protocol and policy as outlined in FHA’s Single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1, the Appraisal Report and Data Delivery Guide (ARDDG), and relevant Mortgagee Letters. The training addresses common deficiencies noted in appraisal reviews performed by HUD staff appraisers for FHA forward mortgages, Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) and Real Estate Owned (REO) properties to determine areas of...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Federal Housing Administration / FHA / HUD

Low Appraised Value & Allegations of Racial Discrimination

June 30, 2021

Low Appraised Value = Racial Bias?

When the appraised value didn’t meet the sale price, the first assumption was that the appraiser conspired to lower the appraised value based on ‘race’ only. When interviewed by the TV reporter, the appraiser (off camera) was incredulous about that accusation… I’m getting tired of accusations of race bias in appraisals, which ALL have alleged the ‘low appraised value’ is caused by the presumed built-in systemic racial bias of the appraisers involved. Here’s another one: EXCLUSIVE: Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs fights home appraisal he says delayed the sale of his house – ABC7 San Francisco (abc7news.com) Even the President...

AI / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

June 17, 2021

Independent Fee Appraisers Under Attack

Appraisers, I have reached my boiling point about the negative press ‘we’ Independent Fee Appraisers have been receiving for many months – concerning supposed ‘systemic racial bias.’ It’s been done on purpose by a particular group of individuals whose main strategic objective is to keep many citizens teetering on their toes, always on the defensive, while the perpetrators claim they’ve been oppressed. It’s part of a new ‘culture’ of divisiveness promulgated by negative promoting people hell bent on disrupting society. There is no ‘unity’ in what they are doing. Only attacks. These stories make it seem like ‘we’ Independent Fee...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News / Automated Valuation Models / AVM

June 4, 2021

A Biased Line of Thinking

This ‘new’ bias story really ticks me off. Click the link below to read it: When My Home Appraisal Came Back Low, I Realized We Need to Change the System (goodhousekeeping.com) It was written by a notable self-promoter, the so-called “America’s Favorite Financial Educator”, also known as “The Budgetnista,” — Tiffany Aliche. I used to be in marketing. Those are clever. Perhaps even memorable. I question the first one, though, as I’ve never heard of Ms. Aliche until seeing the story and researching her. But I’m not black, either, so I guess that’s my problem. Most of the story is...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

April 28, 2021

FHA Temporary Partial Waiver

FHA Appraisers, on April 26, 2021, FHA issued this Temporary Partial Waiver, which is active for one year. This temporary partial waiver is effective for the 12-month period between April 26, 2021, and April 26, 2022. It is found in FHA INFO #21-25 April 27, 2021: Temporary Partial Waiver of the requirements of the single Family Housing Policy Handbook 4000.1 Section II.D.4.c.iii.(F)(2) Required Analysis and Reporting that the Appraiser must include, analyze and report a minimum of two active listings or pending sales on the appraisal grid (in addition to at least three recently settled sales) in an Increasing Market...

1004MC / Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Fannie Mae - Freddie Mac / Federal Housing Administration

Truisms - Taxes, Death... and Anti-Bias Training - Appraisers Blogs

April 20, 2021

Truisms – Taxes, Death… and Bias Training

…other states will also modify their appraisal license renewal CE class requirements to include some form of anti-bias training… Folks, I attended the ACTS Conference in Bay St. Louis, MS, sponsored by National Association of Appraisers, last week. While there, enjoying the interactions of ~150 attendees, a primary topic of conversations and presentations was the impending impact to appraisers regarding anti-bias training and bias attitudes. The onslaught of negative news articles, and legislation at state and federal venues was a direct result of the ‘hijacking’ of the Congressional Hearing in 2019 which was supposed to focus on “Appraisal Modernization.” Instead,...

AI / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News