Author: Hamp Thomas

No Appraisals Required in the Future! The End of Appraisers? 43

No Appraisals Required. The End of Appraisers?

No appraisal may be required in the future! Fannie Mae took a direct shot at appraisers with the announcement of changes in their Selling Guide. Two options for the future, both of which do great harm to the appraisal industry. First, “third party” inspections. Appraisal trainees aren’t good enough, so now we will have unlicensed inspectors going through the homes of unsuspecting homeowners. And, with this inspection a traditional appraisal is no longer a requirement for the mortgage loan. Secondly, the 3rd party inspection is sent to a licensed appraiser. Fannie Mae wants an appraiser’s signature so the appraiser can...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Fannie Mae - Freddie Mac

The Square Footage Problem - Is ANSI for Appraisers Really the Answer? 22

Is ANSI for Appraisers Really the Answer?

The real estate industry has a square footage credibility problem. ANSI has been out since 1996 with no new pages added and very few changes. In a constantly changing industry with new home styles and designs, change is a requirement. We have to remember that ANSI was originally created to be simple enough for a teenager to understand. It’s a great basic tool but falls well short of solving the real estate industry’s square footage problems. The first problem is that mandating ANSI for all appraisers may be a good first step, but fixing the whole problem requires two additional...

American National Standards Institute / ANSI / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Trending

Statistically Supported Appraisal 14

Statistically Supported Appraisal

Lenders are convinced that a statistically supported appraisal is a more reliable valuation. Wow! Does anyone that understands the home valuation process really think a “statically supported” appraisal makes for a better quality report? This is not that hard to understand. What does “statically supported” really mean? It means you get a computerized report, similar to what Zillow or Trulia provides, based on the information in public records. Statistically speaking, the margins of error are frightening!!! Great products for entertainment, NOT for determining the value of your home. This all comes down to the Golden Rule. Lenders are looking for...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Online Estimates / Valuation Technology

Train Us and Trust Us - AVM Use Formula Based on Inaccurate SF Data 9

Train Us and Trust Us

The most weighted technique in most automated valuation programs comes down to one over-simplified formula, based on a guesstimation from an outside source that has no interest in the real estate system… Dear FHFA: Please accept the following comments in regard to Question A1.4. The response also includes comments on several additional questions. Thank you for taking the time to review these thoughts. Technology has made so many improvements in the last decade and we now have the chance to truly improve our home valuation system. With that being said, the last piece of the quality puzzle starts at the...

AMC / American National Standards Institute / ANSI / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News

Has Mortgage Lending System Improved Due to AMCs? 34

The AMC Dog and Pony Show

From the HVCC to today, can we really say the mortgage lending system has improved due to AMCs? The AMC dog and pony show has been going on for the better part of a decade. Appraisers have been called out for every problem associated with a real estate closing. Ever silent is any talk of better educating Realtors®. They are the ones with the most power in the pricing process, and the majority of so-called “appraisal problems” are because they say it’s a problem. That’s a LOT of power. But somehow, they manage to stay under the radar and no...

1004MC / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

Deal Falls Through & Everyone Blames the Appraiser - AppraisersBlogs 17

Blaming Appraisers

…deal falls through and everyone involved is convinced the appraiser ruined everything… We hear all about low appraisals, but we never seem to hear about homes that are flat-out over priced, often by an agent who wants to prove they are smarter than everyone else and will take advantage of any unusual feature or circumstance to push the value beyond any other homes in the local market. For example: A buyer finds a house in need of some updating. Medium sized market and things are selling between 90-120 days on average. The neighborhood is good and the house has a...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

Are You a Hybrid Appraiser? Relying on Real Estate Trainees... 26

Are You a Hybrid Appraiser?

We won’t take appraiser trainees, but we’ll take real estate trainees… That’s the million dollar question. Big banking is counting on the majority of appraisers to fall in line with whatever hybrid product they decide is best. It makes for an interesting road ahead because appraisers actually have the power to make these products a success or a failure. A hybrid appraisal is still an appraisal and must have a signature from a licensed appraiser. If banks can keep whittling away at the appraiser’s scope and can get the total appraisal fee low enough, they will achieve their goal and...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Trending

The Missing Standard - It's Time to Make a Measurement Standard Mandatory! 34

The Missing Standard

What can we do to establish a national measurement standard for appraisers? Every week I talk to appraisers in different parts of the country and the conversations are almost always the same. Square footage errors are a problem everywhere, some places worse than others. Every appraiser seems to understand the problem and many of them complain about the real estate agents, home-owners, and even underwriters who challenge them about their square footage totals. They rely on the “Official Record” they believe is listed by the local tax department. Who teaches them this stuff? How is it possible the general public...

American Measurement Standard / American National Standards Institute / AMS / ANSI / Appraisal / Appraisal News

Let’s just use the Tax Assessments...Tax Values just as Accurate as AVMs? 22

Tax Values Just as Accurate as AVMs?

In a head to head contest between tax values and AVMs for use in mortgage lending, I’ll take tax assessments every time… The battles rage on to decide who will take over the automated valuation process. There are big companies lining up to take over this massive profit arena. And, make no mistake, it’s all about the money. At the end of every discussion about AVMs verses traditional appraisals, it has less to do with faster or cheaper, or better, and sadly little to do with consumer protection. It has to do with who gets the profits that will be...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Automated Valuation Models / AVM / Trending

No Control Over the Way YOUR Business Prices Its Products! 55

Appraisals, Fees, Lenders and Lies…

Can you think of a single business where an individual has less control over their own financial future than the appraisal business? In most professions, your level of success is dependent on your personal work ethic, dedication to education, promptness of service, and overall level of quality. But, no, not in the appraisal industry. The HVCC took all that away. In the vast majority of circumstances, appraisers in any general market are paid the same fee. An average appraisal in Moore County, NC is worth $450.00. A VA appraisal $500.00. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been licensed six months or...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Automated Valuation Models

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