Author: VaCAP Board

Valuing Properties in 5 to 15 minutes Using Photos...Lightspeed Appraisals

October 15, 2018

Fast, Faster and Really Fast…

Appraiser must be comfortable valuing a property in 5-15 minutes using pictures… Fast, Faster and Really Fast… Take a look at the ad for an in-house appraiser in the Atlanta area. How many of your are good enough to apply for this job? Job description We are looking for Real Estate Appraisers (licensed in GA) to work remotely on an independent contractor basis.. Appraiser will primarily be responsible for valuing properties which are on foreclosure list. Appraiser must be comfortable valuing a property in 5-15 minutes using pictures from field report. The ideal candidate will have experience with valuing distressed...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

October 12, 2018

AMC Owes Appraisers $750K

Have Appraiser Loft executives screwed over appraisers again? VaCAP has been tipped off that the investors at Clarocity have uncovered some truly unbelievable facts within Clarocity Corporation. VaCAP was aware many of the Appraiser Loft Executives had landed at Clarocity and had previously shared this information with advise to be careful. According to comments on the Investor Bull Board, Clarocity has pulled off an Appraiser Loft like scam on appraisers and investors. Take a look for yourself here. By the way yesterday, Columbus Day 2018 was the 7 year anniversary of the Appraiser Loft heist! See the HousingWire article here. Clarocity is...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / AppraiserLoft

AMC Financial Trouble, The AMC Model Does Not Work

October 10, 2018

AMCs Financial Trouble

The AMC model does not work & these companies are in serious financial trouble… Stand Your Ground: A few weeks ago VaCAP reminded everyone to pay attention to the financial and economic side of your business. The article was titled “Stand Your Ground”. Since that time, we have learned of the following: A VaCAP member shared a retro desktop appraisal request in a rural area. The AMC was paying $75. An appraiser posted on AppraisersBlogs’ repost of our article about being owed thousands of dollars by the same company. See the comment here. Also take a look at the stock...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

AMCs Property Inspectors Denied Minimum Wage - Class Action Cases

October 4, 2018

Class Action Against AMCs on the Horizon

Property inspectors suing ServiceLink to obtain minimum wage… Peter Christensen wrote another article on LinkedIn about wages being paid by lenders and AMCs. This one should get your attention as it is from Independent Contractors suing an AMC. This will set a precedent and start a chain reaction. In a nut shell, property inspectors are suing ServiceLink for work performed to obtain minimum wage. Yes, you read that correctly, minimum wage. According to the article, property inspectors receive between $3 and $5 for each assignment. The article does not specify the specific service the property inspectors perform, but think bifurcated or...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

September 20, 2018

Stand Your Ground!

Many states have laws in place that allow citizens to protect themselves and their property without prosecution. In the appraisal profession, you must also stand your ground to protect their business. Social Media is a quick and easy way to communicate. Recently there have been numerous appraisers reaching out and sharing trouble getting paid from some Appraisal Management Companies. Some are claiming they are long time clients with no issues in the past. This is wake up call for all appraisers to pay attention to the economic and financial side of your business. Volume is slowing as school starts and the...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

September 10, 2018

1, 2, 3… Let’s Go!

Your Executive Committee met last week to discuss future events and issues that impact us all in our day to day lives as professional Appraisers. Everyone of us is an unpaid volunteer working for you on issues that you may not even be aware of. Bernie Bugg and I met with the president and director of WRVA radio to see how we get our story out there. They were surprised and shocked to hear what is going on in the mortgage Appraisal world. They see the looming potential dangers. We are in negotiations with them now. It looks very promising! VaCAP memberships/website address (appraiser...

AARO / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations

August 27, 2018

Criminal Charges

Criminal Charges Brought Against AMC Owner VaCAP has been informed that AMC owner Brian Coester, of Coester Valuation Management Services (VMS), has new criminal charges filed against him. We have confirmed these charges through the court system public access system: Maryland Judiciary Case Search Criteria Below is a list of 19 court cases found under the name Brian Coester: Is Another Financial Scare on the Horizon? George Will, Washington Post Writers Group, has an interesting column in entitled “America is overdue for another Lehman-Like Episode”. In this article he stated that the stock market has enjoyed its longest-ever bull run. The...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisal Subcommittee

Need for Speed? AMC vs Direct Lender Ordered Appraisals TATs Study

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August 16, 2018

Need for Speed? Hybrids are NOT the Answer!

…surveys indicate that appraisals ordered directly by lenders take much less time… Dear Colleagues, There is a current narrative that appraisals take too long and cost the consumer too much! Does this sound accurate? Preliminary coalition surveys indicate that appraisals ordered directly by lenders take much less time than appraisals ordered by AMCs. Additionally, the cost of Hybrid Appraisals has been disclosed in reports as $495 being paid to the AMC. How is this a savings to the consumer? They get an inferior valuation product and pay the same price as a full appraisal. Who is truly benefiting from this scenario? Fannie...

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

August 14, 2018

Appraisal Profession to Grow!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Appraisal Profession is expected to grow 14% by 2026 Quick Facts: Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate 2017 Median Pay $54,010 per year $25.97 per hour Typical Entry-Level Education Bachelor’s degree Work Experience in a Related Occupation Long-term on-the-job training Number of Jobs, 2016 80,800 Job Outlook, 2016-26 14% (Faster than average) Employment Change, 2016-26 11,700 Even the Bureau of Labor Statistics understands the importance of the appraiser visiting the property: Although appraisers and assessors of real estate work in offices, they often spend a large part of their day visiting properties....

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Video

August 10, 2018

States Back LREAB Against FTC

States Support Louisiana Real Estate Appraiser Board against the FTC States (and appraisers) are very interested in the outcome of the LREAB vs FTC to protect their own sovereign actions. On July 11, 2018, the states of Mississippi, Idaho, Iowa, Rhode Island, and Utah filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit supporting the Louisiana Real Estate Appraiser Board. See the entire brief here or below. The outcome of this will impact each and every one of us. As we reported a few days ago, one lender, BB&T, has opted to step up...

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