Jesse, we will never know since what passes for ‘free market’ today isn’t free. It really means “Insider’s Market.”

As a concept, nothing has proven remotely as successful for a nation’s long term economy as a reasonably regulated ‘free market’ (not a contradiction).

An unrestrained “free market” that is allowed to engage in criminal activity, lie, cheat, steal, defraud and misrepresent to the detriment of the society that supports, embraces, and protects it-isn’t free at all. Economists have already carried this debate to all reasonable possible conclusions. Some protection is critical.

The biggest problem for what we refer to as our ‘free market’ is that it takes so much time; usually triggered by catastrophic events for the market to self regulate.

Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) has a new bill before Congress. It remains to be seen if this move to reduced regulation promotes insider preferential dealing; OR eliminates taxpayer corporate welfare & promotes corporate sanity. I think it’s at best a 50/50 proposition right now.

To answer your questions George, which brain do I use? That’s easy. The one with integrity.

Being hungry does not give one a right to steal. It does not give a right to lie or to deceive. Being hungry does not mean where Maslow’s hierarchy exists, integrity suffers.

It means that Men and Women with integrity find other options. Hungry people to whom integrity is important can always seek different jobs.

IF you perceive bias & dishonesty has become so commonplace in appraisal that only big data can replace it, then you need to associate with different appraisers (or clients).

As long as American real estate itself remains an imperfect market, then the ART of professional real estate appraisal can never be replaced by science alone. Evidence takes many forms. Appraisers with integrity already know that. We can’t be bought.

Hey Baggins, can you confirm if Housingwire still allows comments? After I made some 1,200+ posts, with 700+ up votes, they blocked me some time back. After being blocked, I was able to read other parties comments, but as of late, from my view I no longer see ANY COMMENTS. Perhaps they’ve only individually blocked me from reading comments, or have stopped allowing comments all together.

Seek the truth.

https://www.housingwire.com/articles/47040-jpmorgan-chase-lays-off-400-mortgage-banking-staffers

Factor in a fifth volume downturn on top of the tenth volume loss in waivers, and who knows what portion lost to hybrid. Those new guys whom got into this business in the past few years are about to have a reality check. The push by ancillary companies to retain market share by eliminating the licensed appraisers comprehensive detailed role will be in full swing soon.

Save your socialist dogma for the peanut gallery. You don’t know what you’re talking about. If you love socialism so much, move to China. The FED has been in control for nearly that amount of time. You’re not as well fake news informed as you think you are.

The past 120 years have proven this false.

The free market is the ultimate regulator, as consumers allow companies to fail or succeed based on their merit. We are dealing with restriction of trade and access as companies lobby and create regulatory restrictions to open market access. In the absence of taxpayer backing these companies would behave very differently. aka the moral hazard of fdic insurance for mortgage loan products.

You are correct. Only in the very high-end of our field (i.e. complex litigation work) does anyone seem to care about quality.

Nice comment……but they don’t care if your talented or not.

Hybrids, Evaluations, Appraisal Waivers, and AVMs will keep making inroads. The mantra is faster and cheaper. What are appraisers getting for Hybrids, $50? The talent our industry has will slowly drain away…