Author: Dave Towne

Autopsy of a Failing AMC 16

Autopsy of a Failing AMC

The autopsy has revealed… Appraisers and others, I have previously reported about a Seattle area AMC, who I and others believe, is just about to ‘officially fail.’ This AMC claims to be registered in many states, places orders ‘nationwide,’ and uses both “Staff” (1099) appraisers in the metro areas, and independent vendor appraisers (also 1099) in other areas. I am purposely not reporting the AMC’s name. Even though it’s a terrible situation for many appraisers, the AMC deserves some courtesy as they attempt to stay afloat. They have taken steps to do so. But with no expectation from observers with...

Mortgage Rates Approaching all Time Lows 2

Mortgage Rates Approaching all Time Lows

Mortgage rates are approaching all time lows…again In case you have not been following mortgage lending rates activity, mortgage rates are again very close to what we experienced in the second quarter of 2013. Here’s the link to a Mortgage News Daily e-newsletter article. From the article: Mortgage rates were widely available at 3.5 percent for much of the day today. At any other time from the middle of 2013 through the end of 2015, that’s not something that very many people thought they’d be able to say (or read, or think!). A few lenders had been dabbling in quoting...

Urban or Suburban 8

Urban… or Suburban?

Difference between Urban and Suburban locations Appraisers, Last week, I asked your input regarding why in many cases appraisers check suburban in the Neighborhood Characteristics when often the subject’s location is actually an Urban area (at least from the definitions perspective below). The example I used was from an actual report. The subject property is located within a city of 90,000 population. It has typical urban services, including police and fire protection, utility water deliver and sewer service. It is surrounded by competing subdivisions, nearby shopping, colleges, city administrative offices and business buildings. It is also close to Interstate 5,...

Demand Payment - AMC in Trouble 11

Payment Trouble – Another AMC Failing?

If you don’t demand payment, you work for free. Folks, I learned from two different appraisers, that an AMC/Appraiser Company may be on the verge of failing. The AMC is based here in Washington State not far from Seattle. It has 4 initials in its name. First initial starts with “W”. This company operates as an Appraiser Company with W-2 employee staff appraisers, and as an AMC with vendor appraisers in those areas where their staff appraisers don’t work. The situation came to light today in an email sent out to their appraisers. They admitted they do not have the...

PACE Pro Form is an appraisal 11

Form PACE Pro – Appraisal or Evaluation?

Frankly this form is so screwed up! To First American Mortgage Solutions…(copy to appraisers around the US): Do you folks really understand what your PACE form report REALLY is??  It is not an Evaluation report. It is an actual appraisal, disguised very poorly as a so-called Evaluation. Here’s what I found in your form, after actually reading it: “This report is provided for the benefit of the named customer only and is not intended to be, nor shall it be deemed to be, an appraisal or any form of an appraisal.” OK, fine, not an appraisal. The main form page says...

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Safe Room Adjustment in Appraisals

Use of a Safe Room has Increased by Property Owners Appraisers, If you’re doing a standard 1004 SFR, or 1073 condo (or perhaps a Co-op), report and encounter a “Safe Room“, you might need to add that to one of the extra adjustable component lines on the grid. The trick however, is how do you determine the value of such a safe room and apply a proper adjustment? I suspect they vary in size, interior amenities, vault door construction, and bazooka stopping power of their perimeter wall structure. I dunno! If encountered, I think I’d call Jonathan Miller, who is...

Chief appraiser says AVM is an appraisal 14

Chief Appraiser says AVM is an appraisal

Appraisers, Maybe I’m too much of an anal retentive type person, or perhaps it’s because I believe it’s important to use correct terminology. Regardless, I’m very concerned when someone with Chief Appraiser attached to their name attributes an AVM electronic value statement to an actual appraisal opinion produced by a human. So where did this rant come from, you ask? Future of Valuations Marries Automation and Human Instinct Within the article is this statement by the writer: “While AVMs do hold value — they are a cost-effective, fast tool to produce appraisals — the popularity of AVM usage among home...

Value too Low? Order Multiple Appraisals! 8

Value too Low? Order Multiple Appraisals!

Appraised value is not as high as the agreed (contract) price get multiple appraisals Folks, An article titled 4 Ways to Deal If Your Appraisal Comes in Low with incorrect info has been making the rounds. This is the second time I’ve seen it in different publications. In it, Diane Saatchi, a senior broker with Saunders & Associates in Bridgehampton, NY, is quoted: “Order a second appraisal Most often, if the appraised value is not as high as the agreed (contract) price, the seller’s agent will ask to see the comps and get a second or third appraisal,” Saatchi says....

CONSUMER involvement with refi property value estimate ~copyright AppraisersBlogs.com 8

Consumer Involvement with Property Value

“Help” the consumer determine a value Appraisers, There is a little known provision in the new TRID mortgage loan application process that may become a future issue for appraisers, especially when the loan is for a Refinance. This is what the Loan Estimate, provided by the lender, requires the CONSUMER to do: You (the lender) must provide a Loan Estimate to the consumer, either by delivering by hand or placing in the mail, no later than three business days of the receipt of an application. An application is considered received when the consumer provides the following information: Consumer’s name, Consumer’s...

Incorrect 1004MC Form Trend Reporting 22

Incorrect 1004MC Form Trend Reporting

Appraisers, I have ‘come in contact with’ an appraisal report, produced by a Certified appraiser and its Licensed Trainee – working in the area near my office. It’s clear to me that these two appraisers do not understand trend reporting that this form indicates. By the way, I’m no great fan of the MC form. However, since we are required to use it, we better darn well learn to use it properly. Report what the trends on it show and not something obtained from elsewhere, sometimes called “PFA.” If we don’t, or choose to ignore what the form shows, then the ENTIRE...

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