Category: Appraisal News

Appraisal Profession: Open Letter to AMCs 116

Open Letter to AMCs

AMCs have failed the appraisal profession, the financial industry and the consumer Dear AMC, Thank you for your interest in our profession. The trial period we have conducted is over and the appraisal profession has determined your services are not needed. The reasons for our decision are as follows: The use of an AMC is not required by any federal or state law. The use of an AMC does not provide any benefit to the appraiser. The use of an AMC does not provide any benefit to the consumer. The use of an AMC has not protected the consumer. The...

Unintended Use & Misleading Appraisal Reports 13

Unintended Use & Misleading Appraisal Reports

Unintended and Potentially Misleading At what point do we ALL say enough? When they insist on unlocked PDF, XML or ENV formats that facilitate recipients in removing portions of appraisal reports they don’t like? Too late. When they blacklist appraisers for refusing to make post effective date contract analysis changes? When they set the fees we charge? When they change the scope of work after assignments are completed? When they LIE to borrowers about how much the ‘appraisal fee’ is? Now we have several that think THEY own MY professional work product? Like HELL they do! Any, repeat, ANY appraiser...

AMC Vendor Agreement Controversies - Bad, Worst & Ugly AMCs 43

Vendor Agreement Controversies & Worst AMCs

AMC Vendor Agreement Controversies – Bad, Worst & Ugly AMCs And the winner is… According to a recent non-scientific survey conducted by AppraiserNews, the World’s Worst AMC Alive is Clear Capital. Honorable Mention goes to Coester VMS and Streetlinks. And the Worst Vampire AMC title goes to AppraiserLoft which is no longer operational. Excerpt: We’d also like to note the passion with which appraisers made their votes, describing the many ways that these AMCs deserved their titles! One final remark: It is sad that so many appraisers still hesitate to go public with their comments about AMCs, (justifiably) fearing that...

Agents Blacklisting Appraisers 47

No I Won’t Work With This Appraiser

How much power do agents have over the appraisal process? The lender gets a call. Agent tells them that appraiser “X” just called to set up an appointment to do the appraisal for 123 Main St. That darn appraiser killed my last deal and if he is appraising this house, I will have my clients find another lender. I flat-out refuse to work with this appraiser. Whether it’s the listing or buyer’s agent, who put this person in charge of the appraisal process? Does the banker have to listen to them and risk losing the loan? It depends. What’s his...

STOP the Idiotic Constant Parsing Changes in All Areas of USPAP 14

It’s Time to STOP the Foolishness

STOP the constant parsing changes in all areas of USPAP I encourage ALL appraisers in the DC Metro area to attend the upcoming ASB Public Meeting on October 21, 2016. In a nut shell, my strong belief is that they need to STOP the constant parsing changes in all areas of USPAP. NOT ONE of the proposed changes is a necessary change. NOT ONE! No wonder state regulators no longer comprehend USPAP! If they need the extra money that selling new versions of USPAP produces, then just CHARGE US DIRECTLY! The purpose of FIRREA was to preserve the public’s trust...

Social Media Spies & the Appraiser- Guess Who's Watching! 18

Why Not the Appraiser? Guess Who’s Watching!

No Time to Spare & Social Media Spies! Business has been crazy! We are hearing from appraisers how swamped they are; 2-3 week backlogs, working late and report writing at 4:30 AM. We are also hearing how tired and stressed they are. AMC and lender demands, updates, scope creep, and revision requests, are all taking a toll. An appraiser posted on Facebook she “broke down in tears” last Friday because she did not know how it was all going to get done. Life is too short to allow this… Take control of your time and your schedule. Spend some time...

Housing Notes: AMCs Running Out of Appraisers 37

Housing Notes: AMCs Running Out of Appraisers

Housing Notes on Appraiser Shortage, Coester AMC Lawsuit… In a recent article, Jonathan Miller, author of Housing Notes, points out several key factors in the appraisal world today. Pat Turner, President of VaCAP, reached out to Jonathan about sharing his information. Here is what Jonathan had to say… “This is a great moment to expand insights on what is really happening. AMCs have run out of appraisers to work for half the market rate. And those that might take less of our fee are still costing us another 30% of lost productivity with ever expanding scope creep. Brexit has pushed...

ACI Sky Causing Distress for Appraisers 49

ACI Sky Causing Distress for Appraisers

Are you giving in to ACI Sky? An appraiser who will remain anonymous tells us… “within the last week, I have had two issue of concerns with “UAD” compliance and ACI Sky Delivery ( I can hardly write that; as, it is a significant source of stress when I have to deal with it). I have tried to submit reports, with issues that prevented the upload (no surprise with “Sky”). The first involved the 1004MC form. The comparables that were available for the subject were extremely minimal – something like 4-6. The last period only included 1 comparable (no valid...

Donation Relief for Louisiana appraisers 5

Donation Fundraising for Louisiana Appraisers

Donation Fundraising for Louisiana Appraisers Affected by the Great Flood of 2016 Folks, I have received word today that the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Coalition (LAREAC) has started a fund raising campaign using PayPal, which will be used to equally provide donated funds to affected appraisers who are suffering as a result of the massive flooding last weekend. PayPal is being used because its administrative fee is less than another more-well-known crowd funding web site. There are approximately 8-10 presently known appraisers who have had their homes nearly destroyed in the flood. Here is the LAREAC announcement and the link...

George Mason Mortgage Ends Coester Appraisal Management Beta Test 36

George Mason Mortgage Ends Coester Appraisal Management Beta Test

George Mason Mortgage going back to Mercury Network On Thursdsay August 18, 2016, two days after we published the post titled “Coester Allegedly Engaged in Fraud Sued by Former Senior VP“, George Mason Mortgage LLC (GMM) emailed its GMM Appraisal Partners announcing GMM Transition for Appraisal Technology. Based on this announcement, George Mason Mortgage is going back to Mercury Network effective Monday, August 22, 2016. Be sure too look at their fee schedule below. Thank you to each of our valued Appraisal Partners who participated in the George Mason Mortgage (GMM) Appraisal Management Beta Test. After evaluating six months of...

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