Monthly Archive: January 2012

On Appraisals, Should You Follow the Money? 6

On Appraisals, Should You Follow The Money? Asks Kenneth Harney

Follow the Money Some appraisers are being paid less than half the fee, while the balance flows to an appraisal management company. Washington – The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is working on a real estate issue that gets to the core of the agency’s purpose: Bringing clarity and better disclosures about the often opaque and costly fees that homebuyers, sellers and refinancers are hit with at closings. One of the disclosures now under review might surprise you: appraisal charges. Why do they need clarifying? Doesn’t just about everybody who applies for a mortgage, whether it’s to buy a house...

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Appraiser Liability Claims – Why Do Claims Get Settled?

The article below comes from the most recent Claim Alert published by LIA Administrators & Insurance Services — Why Do Claims Get Settled? This article describes why and how lawsuits and other claims against appraisers in our E&O insurance program are settled. Appraisers should take heart in knowing that most claims against appraisers defended in our program do not result in any monetary payment to the plaintiff. Additional Claim Alerts from LIA are available here in the Loss Prevention section of LIA’s website. The article was written by Claudia Gaglione of Gaglione, Dolan & Kaplan, national claims counsel for LIA’s...

American Guild of Appraisers Files Request with Federal Reserve Board Seeking Documents Related to Regulations on Customary and Reasonable Compensation of Fee Appraisers 1

American Guild of Appraisers Files Request RE C&R Fees

American Guild of Appraisers Files Request with Federal Reserve Board Seeking Documents Related to Regulations on Customary and Reasonable Compensation of Fee Appraisers WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ On behalf of the American Guild of Appraisers, today the law firm Garvey Schubert Barer filed a request with the Federal Reserve Board under the Freedom of Information Act seeking a wide variety of documents related to the regulations on customary and reasonable compensation of fee appraisers that were issued by the Board in October 2011. In announcing this action, Guild President Peter Vidi said, “It is clear that appraisal management companies...

Appraisal Institute Seeks Separation of Appraisal and AMC Fees 2

Appraisal Institute Seeks Separation of Appraisal and AMC Fees

The Appraisal Institute continues to represent the interests of its members in ongoing rulemakings resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act, including the separation of appraisal and appraisal management fees in order to provide transparency to consumers. Last November, AI and the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers urged the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to separate appraisal fees and appraisal management fees. Last month, Appraisal Institute representatives met with CFPB officials about a new Consumer Disclosure Form slated to replace the current HUD-1. The Dodd-Frank Act authorizes, but does not require, separation of appraisal and appraisal management fees on these...

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GAO Report on ASC Hits the Street

On January 18, 2012, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released their report on real estate appraisals “Appraisal Subcommittee Needs to Improve Monitoring Procedures” as required per Dodd-Frank. GAO was tasked with 1) determining how the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) is carrying out its Title XI responsibilities, 2) ASC’s plans to implement Dodd-Frank provisions, and 3) regulatory dollar thresholds for determining when an appraisal is required. GAO reports that one of the challenges faced by ASC is in the area of resources and planning. GAO cites the creation of a national hotline as one example of a Dodd-Frank requirement that could...

The Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board Holds the First Hearing for AMC’s Not Following the Laws and Rules for Determining Minimum Reasonable and Customary Fees - Imagecredit Flickr - GotCredit 0

CFPB Appraisal Fees

ASA has repeatedly stated its belief that the Fed’s interpretation and the massive loophole it created ran contrary to the plain language and clear intent of Dodd-Frank. CFPB Reissues Interim Final Rule On Valuation Independence, Eliminates Federal Reserve Commentary Permitting AMCs To Include Their Own Payments To Appraisers To Comply With Dodd-Frank’s Customary and Reasonable Fee Requirement. On December 22, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released an Interim Final Rule dealing with the valuation independence requirements imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act, including the law’s “customary and reasonable” fee mandate. The CFPB’s rule was republished to reflect the transfer of...

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Putting Your Licence in Your Appraisals?

Why I refuse to put a full size copy of my appraisal license in reports This story appeared in the Columbus Dispatch, Columbus, Ohio on Jan. 14, 2012.  I have ‘clipped’ excerpts: Durk Reese’s efforts to launch an appraisal business were nearly destroyed when his name was used without his knowledge on inflated appraisals as part of a mortgage-fraud scheme. Mark Harmon is still trying to recover from the damage to his reputation after his name was used in the scam two years ago. Both were victims of identity theft committed by Daniel J. Nichter, a former Franklin County development...

Factoring your cash flow 3

Where Is My Money? Factoring Your Cash Flow

Factoring is the solution! Appraisers have shared a common concern with me when I visit with them and learn more about their businesses  – “When am I going to get paid?”  Many tell me that on average they do not collect their fees for 45 to 60 days. You have financial obligations to meet: payroll, taxes, travel expenses, etc. Cash flow delays can cause great stress for you and your appraisal business. You must understand and be aware of the importance of cash. Cash is the lifeblood of any business and without it your business will fail. One of the main challenges...

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“Public Trust Betrayed”

Congresswoman Jackie Speier letter to author of “Public Trust Betrayed” James E. Manning, author of “Public Trust Betrayed”, an appraiser in California who began his career in 1973, received a letter from Congresswoman Jackie Speier in response to his book and the state of the appraisal industry: December 30, 2011 – Mr. James Manning Dear Mr. Manning: Earlier this year you offered me a copy of your book, Public Trust Betrayed.  After some delay, I have finally had an opportunity to briefly review it. I agree with many of your conclusions. For example, you indicate that existing laws created after...

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2012-2013 USPAP Now Available On-Line

The 2012-2013 edition of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) is now available on-line. The 2012-13 edition of USPAP is valid for two years, effective January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013. According to a TAF press release “the new edition includes the standards of professional practice for all appraisal disciplines as well as guidance from the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) in the form of USPAP Advisory Opinions and USPAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), featuring a compilation of more than 300 questions and answers.” To access the 2012-2013 USPAP on-line

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