AMC Sucker Punches Appraisers
Class Valuation sucker punches appraisers! Class Valuation has been celebrating completing 1,000,000 orders and sent a Tweet thanking their clients and staff. There is no mention of the boots on the ground licensed professional appraisers who actually completed those appraisals. Is this the true feelings of Class Valuation? Do they not realize not one order would have been completed without appraisers? Not one simple thank you…
Meanwhile VaCAP has learned InHouse Solutions, the AMC division of Get Connexions, Inc. is ceasing all operations as of February 28th. Appraisers on their panel across the country have been getting this email:
Jan 31, 2020
To whom this may concern,The purpose of this email is to notify you that InHouse Solutions, the AMC division of Get Connexions Inc. is closing for business effective Feb 28, 2020. Concurrent with ceasing to carry on its AMC operations, Solutions will eliminate its appraiser panel entirely. All appraisers will be removed from the InHouse Solutions panel effective Feb 28, 2020. Portal access will continue to be available for the following 90 days in case of conditions or clarification on previously completed orders. Thank you for your past business and support. We wish you all the best for continue success in your future endeavors! For any additional questions or concerns please contact appraisers@inhouseusa.com.
Olde City Lending has merged with Nationwide Property and Appraisal Services. Going forward, all orders will be processed under the Nationwide Property and Appraisal Name.
We are pleased to announce that Olde City Lending Solutions has recently merged with Nationwide Property & Appraisal Services. All order engagements from Monday 2/3/2020 and forward, will be under Nationwide as the AMC of record. So any new orders received 2/3 on, must have the following AMC Name appearing on the signature page of all form types, under Lender/Client – Name:
NATIONWIDE PROPERTY & APPRAISAL SERVICES
Order engagements prior to 2/3 are still under Olde City, and should still be completed with OLDE CITY LENDING SOLUTIONS as the AMC Name on the report. Olde City management and staff have not changed, and at this point, there will be no immediate changes to our process. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call 1-888-877-6533. As always, we appreciate your partnership and look forward to working with you as Nationwide Property & Appraisal Services!
Fannie Mae tells lenders “Do your Job”
Fraud is fraud! In a recent article published in HousingWire, Fannie Mae has found lenders are not performing their due diligence in underwriting mortgage loans being submitted to Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae has cited a growing number of loans submitted with falsified employment information. Verification of income and employment is a key component in the borrower’s ability to repay the mortgage. Relying on submitted documents without any type of verification is just as bad, if not worse than those stated no doc loans.
What we must realize, the lenders are only following the lead of Fannie Mae on the need for speed and the use of aggregated data sources. We can only hope Fannie Mae’s own due diligence in risk management leads them to see the error of their thinking. See the article here.
VaCAP cannot encourage you enough to work with people who know and appreciate your value. The value and experience of a professional licensed appraiser should never be compromised.
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Thank Dodd-Frank that they actually have a company.
Who cares what they think
Where’s the regulation of 3rd party companies? they’re forming a company, ordering appraisals, and dissolving before you can collect.
And that’s why Class Valuation has earned the nickname ClassLESS!
Look at the dress code! It looks like there ready for a day at the beach. Bankers have you sent them a letter on how they should dress?
I can’t wait to hear from Classless Valuation rep. Julie Jones on this matter. Julie, why does your website under the appraiser link say “Be valued, Bring Value, Know your value”, when it’s obvious you and your company see the appraiser as NO VALUE (no mention of a thank you)?
Seek the truth.
Bill
Your’e just bitter you didn’t get the “Appraiser of the Month Award”!!!!
https://www.classvaluation.com/category/appraiser-of-the-month/
:^)
I’m holding out for their “Appraiser of the decade” reward, but considering I don’t work for them my chances of winning are thin. That being said, supposedly in their all star voting I’m in 2nd place just behind someone who calls himself an appraiser couch. Not sure what furniture has to do with appraising, but who am I to argue against the people. Apparently, their only waiting on some results from Broward County in Florida.
Seek the truth.
Class is the worst! Nasty people to deal with!
Are we absolutely sure they are not confusing Cheeseburgers with Appraisals?
The appraiser who completed the one millionth appraisal order was contacted on Friday, so we could obtain permission to highlight his contributions and share his name/photo on our social posts.
The intent from our Marketing team was that both social posts go out in tandem, but unfortunately the first one was inadvertently posted without the other being scheduled with it. This was truly an honest mistake and we take full ownership of it.
Just as Class recognizes our clients and consumers, we view our appraisers as partners and work every day to speak with them directly to resolve issues/concerns, highlight their achievements, and promote their success. While the intent of your blog was to yet again spread negativity to your readership, I am happy to report that the silver lining has been that it prompted several of our appraisers to reach out to me directly and express their opinions. My door and my phone lines remain open for anyone who wants to solve problems and advance the future of our industry.
Mr. Small, perhaps you’d like to sit down at the San Diego AQB meeting to express your concerns in person?
jjones@classvaluation.com
248.955.9316
I call BS!!!!
Looks like they edited their social media’s posts to include appraisers and deleted the tweet.
Julie Jones can spin it all she wants, but the truth is appraisers were an afterthought.
Julie Jones has not now or ever been an advocate for appraisers. If she really had half a clue, she would whole heartily know it was each and every appraiser that made 1,000,000 appraisals happen. Highlighting on one is just wrong
Michael, just imagine what could get accomplished if you redirected your passion into actually working together for the greater good.
We are over 17,000 appraisers strong at Class and it’s my top priority to ensure they are happy and heard. We have acknowledged the Marketing oversight and addressed it with our team. We certainly don’t believe that just one appraiser should be recognized, but the 1M order was a milestone that we wanted to celebrate. In hindsight, we missed the mark and all we can do is apologize for it and work diligently to do better.
In 2020 we will continue to celebrate our appraisers and improve their experience through our online campaigns, local events, training seminars, and feedback committees.
In closing I’ll just point out that saying hurtful things about me or anyone else doesn’t make any of it true. We can have differences of opinions and still remain respectful. Throwing dirt doesn’t advance your cause – it only makes you lose ground.
Your new name from now on is Baghdad Julie. The minister of disinformation for Classless Valuation.
Let’s all pretend for a minute that Julie Jones doesn’t know VaCAP is located in Virginia and that flying out to meet someone with zero decision-making authority was feasible.
The problem would, of course, be that whatever airing of grievances took place would still result in ZERO positive changes in Class’ operations. Like paying C&R fees; recognizing pragmatic average turn around times and ceasing appraiser intimidation and retaliatory actions.
I’m an hour and a half to two hours away and would normally jump at the chance to meet in person. However, I’ll also be working this weekend…to meet reasonable commitments already made. More than four days notice of a challenge to meet would be appropriate if it were seriously meant. When Charles Baker, SRA of AI invited me to participate in a SoCal GRC Mtg of AI he extended more than two months advance notice. It was informative and hopefully productive for us all.
THAT is the difference between sincere outreach and corporate face-saving challenges.
The day Julie Jones makes 1/10th the effort that Mike Small does toward assuring appraisers are fairly compensated in accordance with both the spirit and letter of the law required under Dodd-Frank, and that her firm actually pays more than lip service to Appraiser Independence, is the day I will urge others to respect them.
In the meantime, most of us that are aware of Mike’s efforts on behalf of ALL appraisers already know who has earned our respect. I don’t agree with Mike or VaCAP 100% of the time. But I do know that 100% of the time he and VaCAP are working to improve appraisers working conditions as they believe appropriate. They are hardly purveyors of negativity except when negative conditions are found that they must bring to our attention.
By ad hominem attacks on Mike Small, Class continues to prove how unreceptive and unwilling they are to change the things that matter most to appraisers. Fair treatment.
Julie Jones said, “we view our appraisers as partners”.
Truth be told Julie, AMC’s and appraisers are COMPETING for the same clients, and we will never consider you a partner but rather you are our competition / enemy.
Seek the truth.
Will the San Diego AQB be held at the same location as the San Diego Class Valuation / Landmark meet and greet (880 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego CA 92101 – 4 to 6 P.M.?
Seek the truth Julie.
Real estate investment industry would come to a grinding halt without the use of appraisers’ risk analysis. We are truly under appreciated and UNDERPAID!
Roflmao!!!
Losers All
There is a lot of hostility coming from this post and I can’t help but wonder is a bit is being mis-directed towards Class due to the general anger towards the majority of AMC’s. Appraisers have been taken advantage of and pitted against each other for fees and turn times for a long time. I understand the value of lenders using AMC’s but the value of the appraisers is always disputed. But I will say this….our company has worked with class for more than a year. Every single step of the way they are professional, kind and courteous. We feel valued by them. Do I think their fees could be a little more generous, slightly, but we are working on that. It is so refreshing to work with a company that is not constantly beating you up. Inundating you with unnecessary phone calls, treats and respects you with professionalism. I’m in the Chicago area. Maybe we just landed on a very excellent team at class or maybe this is just their corporate culture. I like them and I like what they are doing for the industry and I like that when they admit they need to modify their process and are going to make changes, they put things into place to do just that.
Class Valuation is one of the worst AMCs and seem to be getting worse each year.
A colleague of mine completed an appraisal for them a few months ago. Their first revision questioned the value. Then there was a second revision request followed by a phone call that had additional pressure as to why they thought the value should be higher. There was a third and 4th request to increase value. In the last phone call, the AMC rep told the appraiser that if the value was not met, they would lose the lender as a client and added that the appraiser will not receive any additional assignments from them. When the appraiser responded that this was undue influence, the rep stated they will file a complaint letter to the appraisal board. And guess what, they did. They filed a bogus complaint to the board!
No Wendy, big picture Class is at the top for being one of the worst AMC’s.
Not hostile, just seeking the truth.
You of course, are entitled to your feelings. Our office has had a different experience and we have a mutually beneficial relationship with them. My truth may be different than yours. Have a pleasant and prosperous day !
“Mutually Beneficial”. What would happen if overnight your clients ordered the appraisal from in-house versus going through any AMC including Class Valuation and you received the full fee? Other than you getting $200 to $300 more per appraisal, your forms would look 100% the same minus inserting a “No AMC” statement.
With AMC’s paying $250 to $350 in my area, and in working a VA assignment today ($650), I will be prosperous, but I’m still working on being pleasant.
Have a good day, and good luck bidding on those Class orders.
Seek the truth.
I’m happy you have VA work that adds generously to your bottom line. Unfortunately we are in a market where conventional loans are more prevalent and every big bank utilizes AMC’s. We don’t have the same opportunity as you. But if a lender wants to start ordering $600 appraisals we will take them all day long and give them the same service we give our $300 per appraisal clients. Because regardless of what some think, we build relationships and partner with our clients. If they choose to think of us as a name and a number THATS their character not ours. Class only bids work for super rush or highly complex assignments and the due date is their target not the fee. I’m not on board with slanderous 3rd party stories like some of these replies are. If you don’t like them … don’t work for them. But I’m old school. If someone treats you well, speak up. We live in a negative enough society. We don’t always need to complain. We can compliment just as well. :). Now go get em tiger. I’m cheering you on for all those VA appraisals you can handle. im Truly happy for your success.
Between training, becoming an appraiser, and applying annually for VA acceptance (they rarely add people in my area), the process took a long 17 years. I’m blessed to have the opportunity, but understand most don’t for a variety of reasons. As it relates to AMC’s, every city, county, region, and state are different for them, and thus appraises will get treated differently depending on their need for us. Working in San Diego County (3.3 million population), there are over 900 licensed appraisers in the county (all within 30 miles of me), so I understand all about competition and the big banks utilizing AMC’s. As it relates to Class, per my knowledge locally every single order regardless of complexity is bid out, and again if they have 50% of every appraiser in my county on their panel, the result is your competing against 450 other appraisers. It’s a terrible game of lowest bidder.
As it relates to working for banks, are there any small banks, credit unions, direct lenders in your area? The best time to go knock on a door (old school), is when they are busy, which is today.
As every real estate agent has a local loan person or three they steer their clients to, have you pushed for their contact information? Having an in (the agent) will greatly increase your chances to join a local panel of appraisers if they have them.
As it relates to being negative, I prefer to call it like I see it. Try engaging with the agent and expose the truth of the appraisal industry before asking for that lead. If the agent doesn’t give you a name, what till the loan closes to get a company name. Hell, it took two years of weekly / monthly nagging for me to land my second biggest client (a credit union). Old school baby!
Did you say, you were on the VA panel? Regardless, if not apply and get on ASAP. Work those VA point of contacts (your lead / front door to the lender) for their conventional loan panels.
Good luck, keep seeking the truth, and as my good friend Dustin would say, “go make up a value”.
Hey!
Do you know how most AMC s are lying??
Guess what
My lines are open all the time
1 million times $250 equals??
Hey all, I wouldn’t worry about too much about AMC’s. They are no more than sideways talking “used car” peddlers that will bring about their own demise, hopefully, real soon. As long as they have been around, without exception, they still have no clue what they are doing…just think, no more hemorrhoids…
Where did they find so many young degenerates?
a) Drug rehab
b) A GED registration facility
c) Homeless shelters
d) All of the above
It certainly confirms my suspicions about the low IQ AMC employees I once chewed out on a regular basis.
Systemic deficiencies in valuation training are the new norm.
People like myself whom learned over time, through friend and family connections, without requirements for acquiring hours within a very limited time window will never again be seen in this industry. That is to say that people whom were more interested in ethic than profit will no longer qualify. People whom took the time to actually read and learn all regulations rather than grinding out reports all day with automated processes would have to work well over double time to actually get a license in the future. I read and re read complex regulatory and training materials for many years before I ever picked up the pace. 15 years ago there was still a possibility one could face criminal charges and jail time for even being remotely complicit in mortgage fraud. Not today. Puppy mills are back. CO DORA actually had to post a realtor informational blurb the other day, reminding sales agents appraisers are not supposed to be advocates for the contract price.
Chaos by design. The C&R rule should have resulted in 10k daily, 20k daily recurring fines for every single instance of an amc operating in this manner where they played appraisers against each other, sought lower than established market rate appraisal fees, and pocketed the difference. Still has a chance to be the largest class action in history. Now REEVA is fighting appraisal fee transparency legislative proposals from 2019 which would require amc’s to bill separately for their services. That’s the bill to watch out for in the future. It will render hiring superfluous pr people for amc’s rather unaffordable and will certainly stop the unprecedented business growth from amc’s, which came directly out of mine and yours pockets to stop.
It seems Class Valuation has acquired the Brian Coester play book! They are doomed for failure!
Subject: RE: Class Appraisal- Preferred Panel (CO)
The only time we ever send out quote request are if an order has sat with us for more than 24 hours then we’d send a request out to several people seeing who can get it done. We still don’t always go with the lowest price in that case either, speed and communication mean more to me than saving a few dollars. We have appraisers on board in Adams County doing Conventional in the range of 275-285 and 285-300 for FHA. We have some even lower than that and they get a good amount of work. If this is something you’re interested in let me know, I appreciate you getting back to me.
Thanks,
Vendor Specialist
_____________________________________________
When Class AMC acquires an appraiser at a lower fee than expected, are the cost savings returned to the borrowing consumer or does Class AMC pocket the difference as a financial incentive to drive consumers fees up and vendors fees down?
If a licensed mortgage banker or any number of other properly regulated companies engaged in such unearned junk fee skimming it would be a clear case of mortgage billing process fraud. Please advise when the fictitious cfpb interpretation of C&R payment compliance in DF regZ on Appraiser Independence will be rescinded.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/class-valuation-troy
https://www.bbb.org/us/mi/troy/profile/real-estate-appraiser/class-valuation-llc-0332-90015044/customer-reviews
Recently acquired by Narrow Gauge Capital.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/narrow-gauge-capital-acquires-class-appraisal-300619783.html
https://www.mpamag.com/news/pe-firm-acquires-class-appraisal-96161.aspx
https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/20859510
https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-jones-33a7b359
https://themortgageleader.com/press-releases-3/listing/ex-fannie-vet-joins-class-appraisal
Julie, don’t pretend it’s all about the pr, you’re more experienced than that.
I’ll be happy to work for Class, or any other amc. As soon as;
1. Orders are assigned directly in a fair rotational fashion.
2. Fees are clearly established and all vendors in any given location can rely on that fee without any undercutting potential from other vendors.
3. The amc bills separately for their services and eliminates the financial incentive to drive down appraisers fees.
Julie is a long term experienced appraiser, salesperson, reviewer, and pr exec. She knows exactly what’s going on and what junk fee and unearned fee billing are all about.
Hold on the feelings. Feelings and positivity have nothing to do with this. This is about right and wrong. This is about transparency in billing and ethics in vendor engagement.
Julie, Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) went into effect on May 1, 2009. Class Appraisal, (sorry you took the appraiser out of your name), Classless Valuation was started on May 28th 2009.
AMC’s including yours were and are nothing more than opportunist who were sprung from at the time Andrew Cuomo’s position as chairman of AMCO’s advisory committee on governmental and regulatory affairs and his membership on the company’s board of directors. AMCO was or still is a Cleveland based AMC.
Seek the truth.
Biggest problem with CLASS may not necessarily be the ineptitude and inexperience of their employees but that they are owned by a Private Equity Company …. Narrow Gauge Capital.
They were acquired in 2018 via a leveraged buy out that was facilitated by Trump Tax cut. I would bet they are on CoreLogic’s acquisition radar screen which means Class employees have a VERY SHORT future ahead.
Just like CoreLogic…..A greedy Private Equity company is not going to give a damn about about their employees…much less Appraisers.
Walk into any SAFEWAY grocery store and you will see how Private Equity has completely destroyed Retail.
Classless