Category: AMC

AMC Exposed inflate values 37

AMC Exposed… Getting the Value Needed

Are AMC appraisers pressured to inflate property values? We stumbled upon this article yesterday from WSB Atlanta and thought it was worth sharing. Jim Stickland, a Channel 2 Consumer Investigator with Atlanta TV News, covers the story of a lender colluding with an AMC to inflate property values. Stickland reports that John Laymac, a new homeowner was denied a mortgage on his $390,000 home when the appraisal came at $365,000. Consequently, the builder, SR Homes, had Laymac apply with its preferred lender, Brand Mortgage, claiming that they will get the value needed to close the deal. In an email to...

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

Transparency… Where is it? 38

Transparency… Where is it?

Is transparency with the lender? Did the lender explain to the borrower the fee they (the borrower) are paying to the AMC and the benefit they are receiving? Oh wait, what benefit is the AMC to the borrower? Was this fee disclosed verbally, in writing or anywhere? Did the lender disclose any relationship they have with the AMC? Is transparency with the AMC? Did the AMC disclose their fee to the borrower? Did the AMC disclose how much the appraiser is being paid? Did the AMC explain any benefit of their service to the borrower? Did the AMC explain how...

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

Requests from Lenders with Specific Statements 4

Requests from Lenders with Specific Statements

Lenders’ Requests, C&R Fees, Email Blasts, SOW, Unlicensed AMCs and more… What is the best way to ensure you receive a customary and reasonable fee for an appraisal? Answer: Only accept assignments with a customary and reasonable fee! That being said, here is a reminder of a USPAP requirement to consider before you respond to that email or text blast…. Scope of Work Rule Identify the problem to be solved. Determine and perform the scope of work necessary to develop credible assignment results. Disclose the scope of work in the report. Comment: Scope of work includes, but is not limited...

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

VREAB board meeting - VaCAP Call to Action 34

Call to Action

Board meeting about AMCs hiring staff appraisers, email blasting, non C&R fees, & background checks. VaCAP understands you are busy with lots of orders, but it is important for you to attend the VREAB Board Meeting on Tuesday April 26th. There will be a public comment period during the meeting. Every independent fee appraiser needs to voice concerns about AMCs hiring staff appraisers to complete appraisals, email blasting, the continuation of non customary and reasonable fees, and background checks. The public is not protected with any of these practices. The Virginia Real Estate Appraisers Board Meeting April 26th,@ 10:00 AM...

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

Appraisal Fees Do Not Tell The Whole Story 19

Appraisal Fees Do Not Tell The Whole Story

Is it possible that the company with the lowest bid will also do the worst job? If you are on social media platforms where appraisers hang out for any length of time, you are bound to see a version of the following, on a regular basis: “I was just offered $275 to do a full appraisal in my hometown. Before I had time to email the AMC and tell them how ridiculous a fee like that is here, some other appraiser accepted it! Can you believe that? What kind of low-life appraiser does a full 1004 for $275?” This kind...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Home Valuation Code of Conduct

AMC staff appraiser positions and the lack of public protection and trust 1

Virginia Appraisers in the Spotlight Again

AMC staff appraisers are not independent If you have not already done so, please listen to the Voice of Appraisal with Phil Crawford. Once again, Phil has brought Virginia into the spot light. This is the third show Phil has talked about AMC staff appraiser positions and the lack of public protection and trust. Thank You Phil and Kevin! Listen to the show at the bottom of this article. Please attend and speak against AMCs hiring staff appraisers to complete the appraisal reports. By definition, an AMC and an appraiser have two very different functions. Even the National Association of...

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

The 1004D for Disaster Inspections 8

The 1004D for Disaster Inspections – Advice

When Disaster Happens… Appraisers, The phrase “disasters happen” is, unfortunately, all too common. Fires, floods, vehicle accidents, wind storms, hurricanes, tornadoes are all factors that can affect real property. When a local disaster happens, and is officially declared, lenders often ask appraisers to observe the current condition of their mortgaged properties. The assignment date may be days, weeks or months after the declared disaster. The hiccups, hang-ups and head scratching occurs when the lender or AMC asks for a ‘Disaster Inspection Condition Report’ to be done on the wonderful 1004D form. Something it is not designed to do. And this...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice

Non-USPAP states - appraisers liability limited to appraisal fee 6

Is this the END of USPAP?

Non-USPAP States – Is this the END of USPAP? I recently got an email from an appraiser I have high regards for. He asked me a simple question that got me thinking. It was: “Why don’t a group of appraisers get together and form an AMC?” I found that an interesting concept. It has been done. Coester was an appraiser and now he is just an AMC. Allen Hummel, an Appraisal Institute icon, has an AMC. Why not? We know it better than anyone. But the devil is in the details. Appraiser’s liability for mistakes or omissions in this appraisal...

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

Independent Appraiser Takeover by AMCs 34

An AMC Takeover is Coming!

AMCs completing appraisal reports in direct competition with the independent appraiser As an appraiser, you have probably seen or heard that AMCs are hiring staff appraisers to complete appraisal assignments in local markets. What does this mean for independent fee appraisers? Here is some background information to consider. 54.1-2020 of the Code of Virginia states: An Appraisal Management Company is “a person or entity that (i) administers a network of independent contract appraisers, receives requests for appraisals from clients, and receives a fee paid by the client for the appraisals and (ii) enters into an agreement with one or more...

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

College Degree Requirement Misguided & Elitist - AppraisersBlogs 12

College Degree Requirement Misguided

The college degree requirement seems more like a forced attempt at elevating the status of the profession by closing the club, and that strikes me as elitist. I know about half of you disagree but the college degree requirement for Certification was a wrong turn for the industry. To its credit the Appraisal Foundation (TAF) is on the right track in trying to find a way out of the corner it has painted the profession into but it doesn’t look like it intends to go far enough in fixing the problem. As we all know by now, veteran appraisers as...

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

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