I never set up a profile for outsourcing (anywhere). I personally don’t believe in it. Others have to decide for themselves.

At AGA we want to promote appraisers helping other appraisers to do good or better quality work. Most older appraisers have and continue to ‘borrow’ from other reports they see. I certainly have. I have also provided templates for others. Either for free or special request & focus (fee). Often I am simply impressed with the manner in which another appraiser has treated a recurring issue and will update my reports based on that. It’s called ‘learning’ rather than plagiarism. I don’t copy their unique intellectual work verbatim. If it really is unique, then it’s not likely to apply from one report to the next. Form, or format? Most certainly.

AGA recently trademarked (technically a ‘service mark’) the abbreviation AGA™ in the state of Md (fully completed); and submitted a replacement application to USPTO (well in process) for the same thing though that one (national) may be expressed as either AGA™ or AGA®. We didn’t do it to prevent others from using it; but rather to avoid having it usurped from us by others for their exclusive use to our exclusion (AGA has been known by AGA in excess of 17 years).

So as far as I am aware, Accredited Green Appraisers (AGA) will likely be allowed to continue that use. Our Executive Board has not formally concluded future policy for it; though it was never an expressed intent to prevent its use by others.

American Guild of Appraisers Members may use “AGA” or AGA™ or AGA®. There are numerous other companies that have used AGA in the past as well. The list is quite long. They are in unrelated fields and we don’t see their use being detrimental to our own members’ use. At least as long as no one out there is damaging our image through their misuse or abuse of it.

It’s one thing to hold a registered trademark or service mark. It’s another to enforce prohibitions against its use. Do we really need more protectionism against each other with all the other bigger issues going on? Shouldn’t our focus be on greater cooperation rather than dissent?

Appraisers that want to protect their work should copyright it. Much easier. Each individual report. Not to prevent other appraisers from using the format, but rather to keep FNMA and Corelamode from stealing the data and results of analyses to build their own products to directly compete with us.

AI has long published ‘suggested’ sequential information. By itself, it is not copyrighted. It’s considered generally accepted sound appraisal practice. Effectively in the public domain. They have taught it in the past. I like that it is broadly taught rather than kept secret, like some kind of secret handshake.

Reproducing an exact replica of their newer (alamode) commercial form would likely be problematic; though I’d love to see them do that. It’s a great replacement for the outdated UCIAR-SP and EP.

But does Dustin realize that every single appraiser in this country might be using Dustin’s template, if they are using the same Indians as Dustin? And that you can’t be held for plagiarizing Dustin’s work, if you’ve never seen Dustin’s work identified?

So 9 appraisals a day in a rural area and still has time to write blogs? Fascinating. Makes one wonder the depth of concern for mineral rights, soil types, wetland issues and changing regulations. Just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day for all of that. Oh but I guess templates solve these issues, cause they are easier to ignore that way.

Keep in mind Marion, Dustin has only a couple other appraisers in his home county, and only a few hundred in his entire state (I have +/- 950 in my single county). Being of such a small circle and with his output of 4 to 9 appraisals a day, its probably only a matter of months before he cycles through (reviews), most appraisers in the state. In this example, and this environment, he can in a way monitor who is doing what with his data.

In my example, if an appraiser provides a template to a foreign data processor who works throughout the states, the odds of knowing what they are using from your report (profit off of), will never be known. The sharing of your data is not with a few appraisers, but could be in the thousands.

My point is, after our reports leave our hands there will never be a shortage of people looking to profit from our work.

Seek the truth.

But then doesn’t your response, beg the question of the original author, Mr. Dustin, of, how an appraiser can tell if a former trainee / employee / co-worker plagiarized your work, or if a foreign data processor did? Or is the article here to further backstab the profession without research and verification of the allegations?

Unfortunately Bill, too many do not “seek the truth” as you note.

If it wasn’t true Marion it would almost be funny. I 100% know appraisers who have set up profiles with appraisal teams in India that often do 80% of the work if all was done by a single appraiser. These teams take orders directly from the appraisers e-mail, do a pre-write up with the appraisers credentials (MLS, Datamaster, etc.), before sending it back to the appraiser. The appraiser or office staff captures a group of sales (comps ?), sends them back to India where they clean up the data and insert the appraisers adjustments. Post appraisers inspection, sketch, etc. the sales are narrowed to the best comps and all of the data is sent back to India for final processing.

Unfortunately, you and I are competing against these appraisers, and or against those that teach such slippery slope techniques.

On that note, I heard a story about a lady who worked 61+ hours over 7 days, and in a small amount of time she morphed her appraisal business into a cash making machine where she makes over $501,000 every 365 days.

If I can remember where I heard that story from, I will let you know.

Seek the truth.

What, India does not respect our intellectual property?

Perhaps we should put tariffs on them too. 30% tariffs on appraisal services, sounds good.

When you complete 4 to 9 appraisals a day by perhaps outsourcing to sweatshops in India, it does become a problem when their $9.99 package only offers 3 different templates / formats to choose from. You might want to become an All-star member for $24.99 which includes 10 templates, a free Rosetta Stone download, VHS training tapes, and a monthly hands on training secession.

Or perhaps Monday its India, Tuesday its the Philippines, Wednesday its USA, and with your 3 day work week, rinse and repeat starting Monday.

What ever you do, just like you suggest for AMC’s be sure you work with tier 1 / group A third world appraisal service companies. At your next Sunday brunch, say hi to above ground pool Mike for me.

Seek the truth.