Tagged: The Appraisal Foundation

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...

Experience, Education Criteria Input Request & AGA Open Letter 18

AGA Open Letter Regarding Changes to the Criteria

Request for appraiser input on current and future educational / experience requirements… The AGA sent the below letter to the AQB in response to their outreach asking for comments. Please write them and tell them YOUR views. If you agree with what we have said, then just copy it and add your name to it saying “we agree”. Or don’t copy it, and just say “We agree with the AGA letter”. If there are any significant parts you disagree with, then please ‘except’ those. If you have additional thoughts or suggestions for them (civil ones), feel free to add them....

The Decline of Appraisers 26

The Decline of Appraisers

The problem is not simply that too many appraisers are retiring. Very few appraisers are entering the profession. In Illinois, the drop in real estate appraiser trainee applications went from 1,231 in 2005 to only 55 in 2015. That’s an over 95 percent decline. This drastic reduction in new entrants is being seen in states across the country. Many appraisers welcome the shortage, which has already driven up fees in many areas. But many believe the celebration is shortsighted. A decline in the number of appraisers threatens the integrity of lending and undermines the stability of the real estate market…

First American Financial and ACI software 13

Software Provider Conflict of Interest(s)?

ACI software & “restricted appraisals” that suffer from schizophrenia… It’s been awhile since I reviewed or researched influences affecting products offered by appraisal software providers. It’s hardly been a number one priority lately. However, I just noticed something I’ve missed for I can’t even begin to guess at how long. Like many appraisers, I use a variety of software providers. Some do some things better than others, or easier. It’s usually been a matter of preference. I started out back in the 1980’s with Formfil PC+, back on my old DOS based system. It was a decent appraisal software. Pretty...

Board Member Says Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease 2

Board Member Says ‘Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease’

Board Members reported a shortage of individual appraisers offering suggestions, complaints and concerns… Legitimate ‘complaints’ should never be referred to as whining by any professional in my opinion. To do so diminishes the importance of the concerns being addressed. I attended the Las Vegas Public Hearing of the The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) / Appraisal Practices Board (APB) last Friday. No Appraisers Guild or member funds were used in any way for this. There was lots of good information. Board Members reported that there really is a shortage of individual appraisers offering suggestions, complaints and concerns to them as a Board,...

Appraiser Engaged in Mortgage Fraud Remains Licensed with California BREA 15

Appraiser Engaged in Mortgage Fraud Remains Licensed with BREA

…BREA thinks it is acceptable to let an appraiser who engaged in mortgage fraud remain licensed… The Inmates Must Be In Charge of This Asylum The California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers is sadly yet another example of a state agency that does not really understand what the taxpayers expect of it. The taxpayers probably assume the agency in charge of licensing appraisers in California would certainly not renew the license of an appraiser who not only is indicted in a multiparty, multi-million dollar mortgage fraud case, but actually pled guilty to at least one count of the crime. Unfortunately,...

A Contrary Response to The Future of Valuation - Imagecredit Flickr - Simon Cunningham 6

A Contrary Response to The Future of Valuation

Recently an article appeared in WorkingRE about the Future of Valuation. The author is the President of a large and highly respected Appraiser  Peer and Educational Organization.  My own contrary response was either too lengthy, or deemed too critical of a big advertiser for publication in WorkingRE. I thank the hosts of this blog for granting the space. My concern with the author’s views starts with the description of our Real Estate Appraisal profession as ‘valuation.’ The concern is more than mere quibbling over semantics. Valuation is the phrase preferred by the Business Valuation community. They have long been dominated...

An Open Letter to the Valuation Profession from the Appraisal Foundation regarding the rift with the Appraisal Institute 2

An Open Letter to the Valuation Profession

An Open Letter to the Valuation Profession from the Appraisal Foundation regarding the rift with the Appraisal Institute Value. Appraisers grapple with this concept daily as they analyze data and information to arrive at an opinion that is credible. Some information found is valid, some is tainted, and appraisers work diligently to separate the good from the bad to arrive at their conclusions – opinions that can withstand future tests. Likewise, The Appraisal Foundation (TAF; the Foundation) remains constantly attuned to what is going on in the valuation realm, conscientiously analyzing information and working to uphold the appraisal profession so its actions...

Another Win for Appraisers - California 6

Another Win for Appraisers – California

Cooperation between appraisers and multiple appraiser organizations wins the day in California! When is the last time you heard of a State bill that was already passed by both State Houses (Assembly & Senate) in any state, being quashed short of a Governor’s veto? Especially a “consent calendar” item that legislators automatically vote to approve for each other as a legislative courtesy. In less than two months? Let me share a quote from Rey Cano’s regular appraiser newsletter (www.Malibuappraisal.com). Rey, along with George St Johns, was an original co-founder of the California Coalition of Appraisal Professionals (CaCAP), where with full...

Calling on Licensed & Certified Residential Appraisers - Be the Change - Imagecredit Flickr - Simon Greening 0

Calling on Residential Appraisers

Calling on Licensed & Certified Residential Appraisers Appraisers, The Appraisal Foundation seeks candidates for its Boards. We need a diversity of ‘license types’ to serve on these Boards. Your service time and travel expenses are covered. I just completed an analysis for the current members on the Appraiser Qualifications Board. Individually, they are all nice and very qualified people, but they are ALL Certified General appraisers. In the US there are fewer CG’s than there are License or Certified Residential appraisers. The composition of the AQB has been largely dominated by CG’s for years. These are the folks who have mandated...

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