Jonathan Miller - President & CEO & Certified Real Estate Appraiser

Data Cancer Infecting the Real Estate Market

Jonathan Miller — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 13:30:21 +0000

They have created the phenomenon known as “data cancer” which reduces an appraisal to a rubber stamp that contaminates the comps used for future sales. The ability to do an appraisal for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac is getting rarer these days now that the GSEs are waiving appraisals on the majority of transactions. Despite drones being everywhere and the GSEs being in receivership, the latter is desperate for higher loan volumes to feed their origination infrastructure. Higher mortgage rates have crushed refinance loan volume and slowed sales volume. What can the GSEs do to increase mortgage volume? Remove appraisals...

The post Data Cancer Infecting the Real Estate Market appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

GSE Exec Boasts Scheme to Slash Appraiser Numbers

Jonathan Miller — Thu, 02 May 2024 12:30:43 +0000

At a recent appraisal event, a GSE executive, after a few drinks, privately told his nearby colleagues that we suck as an industry. Last year, Phil Crawford and I reported on GSE efforts to send unsigned complaints to state boards at scale. Appraisers had no recourse but to defend themselves from the state boards without knowing who their accusers were. The public pressure became real, and the GSEs backed off from their anonymous letter-sending campaign (see Cosmic Cobra Guy’s reference). The exercise showed how little they think of us as professionals because it’s easier to generate AVMs by pressing a...

The post GSE Exec Boasts Scheme to Slash Appraiser Numbers appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

Valuation Connect Demands Licenses, Denies Fair Pay

Jonathan Miller — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:30:04 +0000

Based on the local market appraisal fee, Valuation Connect values the “appraisal expertise” component of a hybrid appraisal at 18% of what the consumer pays for an appraisal. This firm hasn’t awarded us work in about two years, and they only hire us when they are in a jam, and we require the local market rate. Immediately after asking for our driver’s licenses, which we didn’t provide, we got a request for a hybrid appraisal in Manhattan, the most expensive housing market in the U.S., for a whopping $220 (sarcastically). They plan to have an unlicensed inspector walk into a...

The post Valuation Connect Demands Licenses, Denies Fair Pay appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

Appraisal Reviews for $3 – The Devaluation of Appraisers

Jonathan Miller — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:30:42 +0000

Appraisal reviews for $3 each and 1-2 hour turn times. It’s hard to imagine any appraiser accepting these terms, and it’s hard to imagine any lending institution accepting these as valid reviews. It’s incredibly disrespectful to the profession as they tout efficiency. This is Sean from Reckon Data Solutions, LLC, and I’m reaching out to discuss a potential partnership opportunity that could complement your company’s objectives. At Reckon, we specialize in Appraisal Report Reviews, Quality Checks, Order Management and vendor Management. Our commitment to delivering quality is unwavering, and we pride ourselves on our competitive pricing and prompt turnaround times....

The post Appraisal Reviews for $3 – The Devaluation of Appraisers appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

FNMA Continued Effort to Get Rid of Appraisers

Jonathan Miller — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:30:23 +0000

Fannie Mae Continues Their Effort To Get Rid Of Appraisers: Sends “Tips” For the past year, Fannie Mae has sent unsigned complaints to state appraisal boards; when they see something they don’t like, they write it up and send it to the state. In their recent newsletter, this effort is called “Tips.” They emphasize they are not automated: LQC reviews are not automated. Our expert analysts validate the appraisal results by asking questions like “Do the comparable sale selections make sense?”, “Is the data accurate?”, “Did the appraiser make appropriate adjustments?” and “Are we getting the most probable value?” in...

The post FNMA Continued Effort to Get Rid of Appraisers appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

Beware of Bifurcated Appraisals

Jonathan Miller — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:30:44 +0000

The entire concept of bifurcated appraisals represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the appraisal process. To have an individual inspect a property and then convey that information to an appraiser to complete the valuation is tragically flawed because: Inspections and qualifications of an inspector are not standardized, not insured, not licensed (a convicted felon was caught doing one of these) An immense part of understanding the value of property occurs while walking through it (like observing the occupancy of 50 feral cats) It is generally more expensive (but I think its cheaper) to parse the functions out Places the consumer at...

The post Beware of Bifurcated Appraisals appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

And Why Is the Second Appraisal Always the “Correct Value?”

Jonathan Miller — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:30:06 +0000

On Friday morning, May 19, I was one of five expert witnesses (and the only as an appraiser) to testify on the topic of appraisal bias in front of the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC). During the first hour of testimony, our fourth grandchild was born. My wife was in the audience and stepped out of the hearing (the nerve!) to take the call from my oldest son on the news of our new granddaughter. The Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) held a second hearing on challenges facing the appraisal industry, including barriers to entering the profession and racial bias in home appraisals. The...

The post And Why Is the Second Appraisal Always the “Correct Value?” appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

Certified Appraisers vs. Unlicensed Data Collectors

Jonathan Miller — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:30:09 +0000

Here’s a great take on the difference between Certified Appraisers vs. Unlicensed Data Collectors by Leigh Brown, President of the NC Association of REALTORS. Fannie Mae has been working hard to get rid of appraisers for years. Their latest twist is to re-categorize many appraisers as “Unlicensed Data Collectors.” Fannie Mae will end up creating more instability for the trillions in the bond market – investors will have to process millions of valuations with the physical attributes of the home collected by unlicensed, uninsured, and unprepared individuals getting paid $10-$25 per inspection. AI meets with Fannie Mae regulators to...

The post Certified Appraisers vs. Unlicensed Data Collectors appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

What Does Seat Time Serve?

Jonathan Miller — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 13:30:20 +0000

What purpose does “waiting” serve (a.k.a. known as “seat time”)? It was a rainy weekend, so I thought I’d take online classes to meet my continuing education requirements. I’ve always been a fast test taker, often trying to be the first person in the classroom to bring my answers to the proctor first. I’m one of those annoying people, but if I pass the test, should I be penalized for taking the test fast? For my first appraisal licensing exam years ago, I finished it in around 40 minutes, but we were given 2 hours to take it. Should I...

The post What Does Seat Time Serve? appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

AI Showed this Video and Anger Ensued

Jonathan Miller — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 13:30:55 +0000

At a recent meeting, the Appraisal Institute showed this video and anger ensued… The following video was aired in Canada by CBC in March 2021 and has nearly a half a million views. At a recent meeting, the Appraisal Institute showed this video and anger ensued. The audience was deeply divided, and the conversations almost came to blows. My guess from past actions of AI CEO to remove the diversity committee would assume the FOJs want to continue to hope that this issue goes away and will continue to do little as an organization. And without Rodman’s leadership on...

The post AI Showed this Video and Anger Ensued appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

Lowballed… It Is Open Season On Appraisers

Jonathan Miller — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 12:30:56 +0000

ABC TV Documentary: Our America: Lowballed Because this issue was ignored by the appraisal industry, it is open season on appraisers. Because of the lack of credibility or awareness of the diversity issue that the appraisal industry faces by the two primary appraisal industry organizations, The Appraisal Institute and The Appraisal Foundation, there is no counter that can be presented to this continuing storyline. It’s too late to have our industry review that second report in each of these situations as many appraisers have said. After all, TAF has fostered an appraisal career process that has resulted in an industry...

The post Lowballed… It Is Open Season On Appraisers appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

What Are They Lobbying For?

Jonathan Miller — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 12:30:41 +0000

TAF spent $1.4 million dollars lobbying over the past four years using the revenue they take in from appraisers… To set the stage of the complete disdain for the appraisal industry and the public trust… In the 2019 TAF 990 Filing, and based on the assumption their compensation has increased in the last three years, the two leaders of TAF, Dave & Kelly, run a 12 employee entity and make a staggering ± $750,000 annually. No wonder they don’t want to accept grant money to enable oversight in a not-for-profit! But it gets worse… TAF spent $1.4 million dollars lobbying...

The post What Are They Lobbying For? appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

TAF Charging for Misleading Classes

Jonathan Miller — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:30:38 +0000

From the organization that brought you the bat-shit crazy letter and the chickenshit letter, they are charging for classes that are misleading. ASC just sent a letter to state appraiser regulatory officials pointing out that the USPAP update course is factually inaccurate and puts appraisers in legal jeopardy if they follow it. Letter From Jim Park, Director ASC to State Appraiser Regulatory Officials: 2022-2023 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course The letter references findings and recommendations found in the already presented report 6 months ago: Identifying Bias and Barriers, Promoting Equity: An Analysis of the USPAP Standards and Appraiser Qualifications Criteria This is the meat & potatoes...

The post TAF Charging for Misleading Classes appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

Corelogic Take on Appraisal Overvaluation

Jonathan Miller — Wed, 22 Jun 2022 12:30:26 +0000

The results of this 2021 white paper: Appraisal overvaluation: Evidence of price adjustment bias in sales Comparisons co-authored by Frank Nothaft are pretty interesting. At first glance, I get the CoreLogic evil empire stuff, but step back and take it all in. Here’s the abstract. Home appraisal came under scrutiny for contributing to the home-price bubble and enabling the origination of risky mortgages that led to the post-2006 foreclosure crisis. Subsequent regulations tried to minimize or eliminate conflicts of interest and improve valuations. Nonetheless, our study of appraisals completed in 2015 and 2016 find that appraisal bias still occurred. Our...

The post Corelogic Take on Appraisal Overvaluation appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

USPAP Absurdity

Jonathan Miller — Tue, 31 May 2022 12:30:05 +0000

From one of my appraiser colleagues in NYC on a McKissock class, taught by Dan Bradley, husband of Michelle Bradley who is chair of the Appraisal Standards Board of The Appraisal Foundation (this is COMPLETELY UNETHICAL). TAF BOT (the leadership that brought us the bat-shit crazy letter) is meeting in sunny Palm Springs San Diego right at this moment (probably to determine meanings of words like “The” and “This” and “That” and perhaps considering a new take on “misleading” that is still on the books!!!, of course, I realize that’s for the ASB to decide but please allow me some...

The post USPAP Absurdity appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

TAF Conflates Real Estate Appraisers with Appraisers

Jonathan Miller — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 12:30:53 +0000

Why do I take the time to mention “real estate appraisers” and “real estate appraisals?” instead of just “appraisers” and “appraisals”? Personal property appraisers and business appraisers aren’t required by any state to follow USPAP, don’t pay anything for licensing and certification fees to any state, and are not subject matter experts on anything to do with real estate at all, ever. But… the Appraisal Standards Board and Appraiser Qualifications Board are chock a block full of non-real estate appraisers. Didn’t TAF/ASC arise from problems in the real estate profession? Was it ever the intent of the original remit for...

The post TAF Conflates Real Estate Appraisers with Appraisers appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

ALOFT = “A Lack of Freaking Talent”

Jonathan Miller — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 13:30:58 +0000

When I read the announcement that Fifth Wall funded a relatively new startup called ALOFT, I and many of my peers were confused on what the value proposition actually is. Backed by a VC, including some of the biggest… In addition to Fifth Wall, Aloft’s backers include VC firms Andreessen Horowitz and MetaProp, Zillow and Pacaso co-founder Spencer Rascoff, Built CEO Chase Gilbert and Doordash executive Gokul Rajaram. …means that this funding is very expensive for ALOFT but they are trying to disrupt a very low-margin industry. I thought of the following acronym translation, not aimed at the management team,...

The post ALOFT = “A Lack of Freaking Talent” appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

Appraisers Are Ghosting AMCs?

Jonathan Miller — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 13:30:13 +0000

From The Chrisman Commentary (Rob is a mortgage broker but an essential source of information on the mortgage industry). You can subscribe here. From Appraisals are near the top of any list of current lender and borrower complaints about the processing of mortgages. This week I received this note from Mike Simmons, Co-President of AXIS AMC. “I’ve heard of something overhanging the appraisal industry. Namely, that appraisers are ghosting (abandoning) orders and are beyond accountability. Part of my responsibility at AXIS Appraisal Management Solutions is to attend lender conferences and talk about the appraisal industry, and addressing difficult topics centered...

The post Appraisers Are Ghosting AMCs? appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

USPAP Definitions of ‘His’ and ‘Her’

Jonathan Miller — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 12:30:51 +0000

The USPAP Exposure Draft Process Continues To Step Outside Their Purpose With Her / Him as the new ‘Misleading’ Debacle The general idea of definitions added to USPAP was supposed to be industry-specific nomenclature. Because ASB doesn’t have policy writers nor does legal counsel review their work, we get a lot of garbage embedded into the document. And then it often gets removed because it was never correct, to begin with. This garbage in/out process is by design. There is no incentive for the technical boards (AQB, ASB) to get it right. This way USPAP can continue to be arbitrarily...

The post USPAP Definitions of ‘His’ and ‘Her’ appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

ASC Wants to Make USPAP Free!

Jonathan Miller — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 12:30:14 +0000

The ASC Wants And Has The Funds To Make USPAP Free! And More! This press release is seismic for appraisers so please read it: Press Release: Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) Board Approves Fiscal Year 2022 Budget of $9M including nearly $5M in Grant and Technical Assistance Funding With the context of TAF’s bat-shit crazy letter, here are some key changes in the relationship between TAF and ASC: ASC wants USPAP to be free, enable diversification of the ASB and AQB which are NOT diversified and never have been and they want to study alternatives to the insanely wasteful two-year USPAP update...

The post ASC Wants to Make USPAP Free! appeared on Appraisers Blogs.