Category: AMC

Appraisal news for real estate appraisers and real estate professionals regarding Appraisal Management Companies (AMC) and how they affect the Appraisal Industry.

The AMC Industry Won’t Be Toppled by Code 9

The AMC Industry Won’t Be Toppled by Code

Call me when AI stops summarizing and starts suing, because until it drags the AMC industry into court, raids their coffers, and rewires the entire system they broke, it’s just another overhyped spectator in the plunder parade.  We’ve entered an era where more people are giving AI broader directives, asking bigger questions, and expecting deeper responses, only to receive yet another AI-generated summary. But what, exactly, is AI doing in response? That’s the real limitation of the tech. Right now, millions are spinning their wheels in digital circles, posing complex problems to a machine built to mimic intelligence. And when...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / The Appraisal Foundation

FOIA, AI, & the Appraiser’s Defense: A Blueprint for Fighting Back 20

FOIA, AI, & the Appraiser’s Defense: A Blueprint for Fighting Back

Targeted under the guise of equity, I faced baseless accusations with no due process — until I used FOIA, uncovered the truth, and turned the tables. But I had a secret weapon: I used artificial intelligence. For decades, appraisers have worked in silence, held hostage by regulations, scrutiny, and — recently — false narratives of systemic racism. When the Biden administration launched the PAVE Initiative, it claimed to champion equity in housing. But behind the curtain, it became a political tool. The result? Appraisers like me were targeted based on ZIP codes, stripped of due process, and labeled racist —...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / E&O

Bye Bye AMC: A Script to Sideline Appraisal Middlemen 51

Bye Bye AMC: A Script to Sideline Appraisal Middlemen

The “Bye Bye AMC” script, a clever SQL solution, aims to disrupt Appraisal Management Companies by automating merit-based appraiser assignments, slashing AMC fees, and boosting transparency in real estate valuations.  In the high-stakes arena of real estate appraisals, where precision tangoes with red tape, a sharp SQL script named “Bye Bye AMC” is poised to shake up the status quo. Crafted by Chase Pursley, founder of Appraisal Inbox, this code isn’t just a string of queries — it’s a potential death knell for Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) that have long profited by squeezing appraisers, meddling in valuations, and padding their...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

Appraisal Institute’s Harassment, Tests, and Dance with AMCs 43

Appraisal Institute’s Harassment, Tests, and Dance with AMCs

The Appraisal Institute’s latest chapter is a double dose of harassment woes — harassment allegations rocking its leadership and the systemic harassment of appraisers by AMCs, all under a scandalous spotlight.  The New York Times article by Debra Kamin, published on May 8, 2025, unveils a disturbing culture within the Appraisal Institute (AI), peeling back the curtain on a decade of alleged sexual harassment with Craig Steinley — former president and current vice president — who found himself in the uncomfortable spotlight. Accused by at least eight women of inappropriate behavior, Steinley’s antics include unwanted groping, as detailed in interviews...

AI / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News

The Perfect Storm: A Veteran’s Take on a Dying Craft 96

The Appraisal Profession’s Perfect Storm: A Veteran’s Take on a Dying Craft

The new UAD form, the AMC fee gouging, the waivers, the false bias claims – it’s a perfect storm of assaults.  I’ve been an appraiser since 1993, back when fax machines were cutting-edge and the internet was a clunky novelty. Over three decades, I’ve seen this profession weather storms — economic crashes, regulatory overhauls, you name it. But what’s happening now? It’s not a storm; it’s a tsunami. Our industry is hemorrhaging talent, drowning under false accusations, and getting squeezed by corporate greed and bureaucratic overreach. As someone who’s stubbornly refused to bend the knee to Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs),...

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

A Cry from the Appraisal Trenches: The Fall of GSE Oversight 84

A Cry from the Appraisal Trenches: The Fall of GSE Oversight

That could bring our best and brightest back to GSE lending, leveling the playing field with fairer work distribution.  Picture this: a system built to protect homeowners, backed by taxpayer dollars, now teetering on the edge of betrayal. The regulatory framework governing Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) was once a fortress of consumer protection, transparency, and fairness. As an appraiser, I’ve watched this fortress crumble. The rules imposed on GSEs and their partners—our trade-off for their congressional charter—have been chipped away through years of cunning maneuvers by trade groups and stakeholder interests. What’s left is a hollow shell, far removed from the...

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

Realtor Fined $10,000 for Impersonating an Appraiser 46

Realtor Fined $10,000 for Impersonating an Appraiser

Impersonating an Appraiser – The Costly Consequences of Playing Dress-Up in Real Estate.  Being an appraiser isn’t for the faint of heart. The job requires thick skin, a strong moral compass, and an unwavering commitment to impartiality. There are times when you have to stand your ground, even when clients plead with you to sway the value. Sometimes, the market tells a story that’s not what people want to hear. Whether it’s a low appraisal for a refinance or a high one for a divorce, appraisers have to stay true to the facts. No matter how much pressure is applied....

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Trending

AMCs Deceptive Fee Skimming Exposed in Lawsuit 67

AMCs Deceptive Fee Skimming Exposed in Lawsuit

Rocket Mortgage and the AMCs actively conceal this fee skimming from borrowers, never disclosing the proportion of the “appraisal fee” that is pocketed by the AMC rather than being paid to the appraiser.  The class action lawsuit, Timmins v. Clear Capital, et al., filed on November 1 in the Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus, sheds light on the deceptive and unfair business practices allegedly perpetrated by ClearCapital.com, Inc., Core Valuation Management, Inc., and Rocket Mortgage, LLC in relation to the appraisal fees charged to borrowers in home mortgage transactions. The complaint asserts that these defendants engaged in a...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / CFPB

AMCs Overcharging Consumers? Morgan & Morgan Investigates 48

AMCs Overcharging Consumers? Morgan & Morgan Investigates

Morgan & Morgan, a prominent law firm, is currently investigating the practices of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) and their potential role in driving up the cost of appraisals for consumers. The firm is actively seeking input from individuals who believe they have been overcharged or misled about the allocation of their appraisal fees between the AMC and the appraiser. At the heart of this investigation lies the concern over a lack of transparency, inflated costs, and questionable value that AMCs bring to the appraisal process. The Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council (ARCC) has conducted extensive research on this matter, revealing alarming...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

The Shadowy AMC Fees Draining Billions from Homebuyers 156

The Shadowy AMC Fees Draining Billions from Homebuyers

The hidden costs of appraisal management companies (AMCs) in the real estate industry have faced growing scrutiny, as highlighted by a recent Business Insider article titled “The Hidden Middleman who cost homebuyers $12 billion dollars and counting.” The article examines the opaque practices of AMCs, which frequently charge exorbitant fees that can exceed the amount paid to the appraiser. As highlighted by former Appraisal Institute CEO Cindy Chance, this issue has faced significant resistance from entrenched interests, mirroring the challenges faced in other industries such as the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) sector, which ultimately led to an FTC investigation. The...

AI / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal Organizations

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