Author: Dave Towne

5

Fannie Mae ‘Lender Letter’ About the CU process

Lender Letter explains CU process Appraisers, The latest FNMA Lender Letter was released on February 2, 2015 (see PDF below). You really should print and read this new Lender Letter. It attempts to smooth over lots of ruffled feathers among appraisers, AMC’s, Lenders, Underwriters, etc. To be honest, I find a bunch of ‘pipe dream’ info in this document. Items such as: CU is a Fannie Mae–only risk management tool. ==> Freddie Mac is said to be working to implement this or a similar process very soon CU does not accept or reject appraisal reports or characterize an appraisal as “good” or “bad.”...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Quality Monitoring / Appraisers News

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Other Appraisers Peer Reports

Now Appraisers Must Conform to the Opinions of Other Appraisers/Unknown Persons of Unknown Competence! Appraisers, Many of you know I scan various sources for appraiser/appraisal related info, and send out items I think are important. Well, today Collateral Underwriter (the extraordinarily SECRET process developed by FNMA and given ONLY to LENDERS for report review) started. As predicted by many appraisers, it already generated responses appraisers are forced to deal with, primarily because the reporting appraiser’s data (in the report) is different from “peer” reports. As a poster to one of the forums said:

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Quality Monitoring / Appraisers News / AQM / Collateral Underwriter

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Mortgage Applications up by 49%

Appraisers, The Mortgage Bankers Association tracks applications and publishes info weekly.  There has been an incredible jump in applications by +49%!  Huge! Means we’ll start getting busy in about a week or so. Click here for more info. For appraisers who do FHA assignments, it’s likely that those assignments will be fewer now through January 25. On the 26th, the Mortgage Insurance Premium cost applying to FHA backed loans will drop significantly. This will allow more borrowers to qualify for FHA loans. With this change, FHA has allowed lenders to ‘drop’ a previously accepted Case Number from the current loan doc, and are...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Federal Housing Administration / FHA

Census Tract as Neighborhood Boundaries in Appraising 3

Census Tracts & Appraising

CENSUS TRACTS are based primarily on POPULATION density… The latest ‘buzz word’ in our profession is an indication from Fannie Mae that as of Jan. 26, 2015, their Collateral Underwriter electronic review software (made available only to Lenders/AMC’s for 1004 and 1073 reports)  will be able to compare your report info to other property reports and data narrowed down to a local CENSUS TRACT. In my previous messages, I’ve asked a basic question: When’s the last time you actually researched comparable sales or other property info based around local CENSUS TRACTS? I would guess for the vast majority of (residential)...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Quality Monitoring / Appraisers News

Fannie Mae Claims the CU Process Will Improve Appraisals 5

CU Process Will Improve Appraisals? A Pipedream or Reality?

Fannie Mae Claims the CU Process Will “Improve Appraisals.” A Pipedream or Reality? Appraisers, A few days ago, I watched the FNMA eLearning webinar “Introduction to CU” video showing how their new Collateral Underwriter will be implemented, starting on Jan. 26, 2015, applying to 1004 and 1073 Reports (initially). You really should watch this also!  CU applies to FANNIE MAE only; FreddieMac, VA, FHA, USDA are not involved at this time. Click this link, and you’ll find the link to the video ½ way down on the left. I captured a few screen shots of their presentation to help explain...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Quality Monitoring / Appraisers News

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Major Change to Fannie Mae Selling Guide

Major Change in Fannie Mae’s Selling Guide Appraisers and report reviewers, Fannie Mae issued an update to their Selling Guide on 12/16/14. It contains this pretty major change to their guidelines: Adjustments to Comparable Sales As a result of an analysis of Uniform Appraisal Dataset data specific to comparable adjustments, Fannie Mae has eliminated the 15% net and 25% gross adjustment guidelines and has provided clarification with respect to Fannie Mae’s expectations for the appraiser to analyze the market for competitive properties and provide appropriate market based adjustments without regard to limits on the size of the adjustments. Updated Selling Guide...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Fannie Mae - Freddie Mac / Federal Housing Administration / FHA

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Collateral Underwriter White Paper

Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter – Industry Update White Paper Folks, I just found this document (PDF attached) written primarily from a ‘lender’ perspective about the upcoming Collateral Underwriter (CU), which applies only to 1004 and 1073 form reports effective Jan. 26, 2015, but probably will be carried over to the 2055 and 1075 form reports after the initial shake out cruise. 13 pages – will help you understand what FNMA will be looking for in terms of appraisal report QC functions performed by AMC’s, and the lender’s appraisal review departments. Knowing what they will be checking will help you avoid...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Quality Monitoring / Appraisal Software

Marijuana and Appraising 5

Marijuana and Appraising

Should appraisers notify client about marijuana growing on property? This topic is sure to elicit many opinions. Both “fer & agin”. Should you notify your lender client about marijuana plant growing prior to completing an appraisal of a property if you observe such activity? Especially if you see more than the MAXIMUM allowed in your state. See the chart in the PDF article below. I’ve had this discussion with Washington State appraisers after our initiative was successfully passed. Some appraisers frankly don’t give a rip about potentially illegal or property damaging activities. They only believe they are there to ‘appraise...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

Collateral Underwriter Stew & Hedonic Regression 5

Census Tracts, Hedonic Regression and the CU Stew

Bet you didn’t know that the adjustment grid is a form of Hedonic Regression! Appraisers, The new Collateral Underwriter electronic review process developed by Fannie Mae has many appraisers on edge. This will become the ‘ultimate authority’ or gold standard for reviewing appraisal reports as of January 26, 2015… at least as far as FNMA is concerned.  Your reports will either ‘pass’ or ‘fail’, depending on many factors.  Some of those factors are outside your immediate control. “Big Data” is one giant pile of stuff that is being put into the CU pot, stirred together like a stew. Except there...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Quality Monitoring / Appraisers News / AQM / Collateral Underwriter

Fannie Mae "CU" Scoring is a Danger for Appraisers 5

Fannie Mae “CU” Scoring is a Danger for Appraisers

Appraisers, Many know by now that the GSE’s, primarily Fannie Mae, have instituted a new ‘appraisal scoring’ procedure based on an electronic read of your reports, specifically on a SFR 1004 or the Condo 1073. Those are the only forms currently being analyzed by the CU process. On Nov. 18, 2014, FNMA released a document named “UCDP Fannie Mae Appraisal Messaging Change Notification” which you can find here. I encourage all appraisers to actually read this document … all 11 pages. When you do read this document, you will learn that your reports are being compared to your peer’s reports, and...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Quality Monitoring / Appraisers News / AQM / Collateral Underwriter

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