Author: AppraisersBlogs

Bye Bye AMC: A Script to Sideline Appraisal Middlemen 48

Bye Bye AMC: A Script to Sideline Appraisal Middlemen

The “Bye Bye AMC” script, a clever SQL solution, aims to disrupt Appraisal Management Companies by automating merit-based appraiser assignments, slashing AMC fees, and boosting transparency in real estate valuations.  In the high-stakes arena of real estate appraisals, where precision tangoes with red tape, a sharp SQL script named “Bye Bye AMC” is poised to shake up the status quo. Crafted by Chase Pursley, founder of Appraisal Inbox, this code isn’t just a string of queries — it’s a potential death knell for Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) that have long profited by squeezing appraisers, meddling in valuations, and padding their...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

Appraisal Institute’s Harassment, Tests, and Dance with AMCs 43

Appraisal Institute’s Harassment, Tests, and Dance with AMCs

The Appraisal Institute’s latest chapter is a double dose of harassment woes — harassment allegations rocking its leadership and the systemic harassment of appraisers by AMCs, all under a scandalous spotlight.  The New York Times article by Debra Kamin, published on May 8, 2025, unveils a disturbing culture within the Appraisal Institute (AI), peeling back the curtain on a decade of alleged sexual harassment with Craig Steinley — former president and current vice president — who found himself in the uncomfortable spotlight. Accused by at least eight women of inappropriate behavior, Steinley’s antics include unwanted groping, as detailed in interviews...

AI / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News

The PAREA Program: Costly Promises, Empty Support 23

The PAREA Program: Costly Promises, Empty Support

The PAREA program markets itself as a shiny, mentor-free express lane to becoming a real estate appraiser, but its steep price tag and lofty promises often lead to a dead end. For many, it’s less a pathway to success and more a costly detour. Eriv V, one frustrated hopeful, recently shared a raw, unfiltered account of his disillusionment with PAREA, exposing a system that falls short on support and delivers more headaches than help. Below, his candid review is quoted word for word, offering a stark warning for those eyeing a career in appraisal. Eriv V’s Comment: ⭐ 1-Star Review...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

Appraisal Institute Scandal - Widespread Fraud Uncovered 92

Appraisal Institute Scandal – Widespread Fraud Uncovered

The Appraisal Institute is embroiled in yet another scandal, and this time it involves widespread fraud and cover-ups at the highest levels of the organization. Alissa Akins, a former director at AI, blew the whistle on a long-running scheme where the nonprofit knowingly misreported test scores to state regulators, potentially allowing unqualified appraisers to get licensed. When Akins tried to sound the alarm and fix the problems, she was met with a “don’t ask, don’t tell” attitude from leadership and ultimately got fired in retaliation. It’s absolutely mind-boggling that an organization tasked with upholding standards and ethics in the appraisal...

AI / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

NFHA Funding Dries Up 54

NFHA Funding Dries Up

The NFHA is feeling the heat as their funding evaporates, putting a major kink in their anti-appraiser crusade.  The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) has found itself in a precarious position as their funding well runs dry, jeopardizing their ongoing legal battle against Maryland appraiser Shane Lanham. This development is a ray of hope not only for Lanham, who has been unjustly accused of racial bias in his appraisals, but for the entire appraisal community who have been unfairly targeted by NFHA’s relentless smear campaign. The NFHA, in cahoots with the Biden administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / HUD / The US Department of Housing and Urban Development / Trending

Unjust HUD Investigation Leads to Illegal Break-In & Evidence Tampering 33

HUD Investigation Leads to Illegal Break-In & Evidence Tampering

Over the past four years, I have been subjected to a relentless, unjust investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – not because of any wrongdoing on my part, but simply for conducting an honest, independent real estate appraisal. What began as a false racial discrimination claim by a disgruntled homeowner has now escalated into a coordinated effort to suppress evidence, manipulate legal records, and intimidate me into silence.  If the disturbing allegations made by Ken Mullinix are indeed true, they paint a chilling picture of corruption and abuse of power within the U.S. Department of...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / HUD / The US Department of Housing and Urban Development / Trending

AMCs Deceptive Fee Skimming Exposed in Lawsuit 66

AMCs Deceptive Fee Skimming Exposed in Lawsuit

Rocket Mortgage and the AMCs actively conceal this fee skimming from borrowers, never disclosing the proportion of the “appraisal fee” that is pocketed by the AMC rather than being paid to the appraiser.  The class action lawsuit, Timmins v. Clear Capital, et al., filed on November 1 in the Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus, sheds light on the deceptive and unfair business practices allegedly perpetrated by ClearCapital.com, Inc., Core Valuation Management, Inc., and Rocket Mortgage, LLC in relation to the appraisal fees charged to borrowers in home mortgage transactions. The complaint asserts that these defendants engaged in a...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / CFPB

AMCs Overcharging Consumers? Morgan & Morgan Investigates 48

AMCs Overcharging Consumers? Morgan & Morgan Investigates

Morgan & Morgan, a prominent law firm, is currently investigating the practices of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) and their potential role in driving up the cost of appraisals for consumers. The firm is actively seeking input from individuals who believe they have been overcharged or misled about the allocation of their appraisal fees between the AMC and the appraiser. At the heart of this investigation lies the concern over a lack of transparency, inflated costs, and questionable value that AMCs bring to the appraisal process. The Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council (ARCC) has conducted extensive research on this matter, revealing alarming...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

Appraisers Freed from DEI Propaganda 179

Appraisers Freed from DEI Propaganda

This bold move immediately resulted in the removal of all appraisal bias propaganda from the official whitehouse.gov website.  With a few swift strokes of the pen, President Trump has dismantled the divisive and misguided diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) apparatus that had taken root across the federal government. On just his second day in office, Trump ordered the closure of all federal DEI offices, placing their employees on paid leave and signaling a decisive end to the era of government-sanctioned social justice activism masquerading as fairness and equality. This bold move immediately resulted in the removal of all appraisal bias...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Trending

The Shadowy AMC Fees Draining Billions from Homebuyers 156

The Shadowy AMC Fees Draining Billions from Homebuyers

The hidden costs of appraisal management companies (AMCs) in the real estate industry have faced growing scrutiny, as highlighted by a recent Business Insider article titled “The Hidden Middleman who cost homebuyers $12 billion dollars and counting.” The article examines the opaque practices of AMCs, which frequently charge exorbitant fees that can exceed the amount paid to the appraiser. As highlighted by former Appraisal Institute CEO Cindy Chance, this issue has faced significant resistance from entrenched interests, mirroring the challenges faced in other industries such as the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) sector, which ultimately led to an FTC investigation. The...

AI / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal Organizations

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