Category: Appraisal Management Companies

ES Appraisal Settlement with Chase 0

ES Appraisal Settlement with Chase

It has come to my attention that the attached settlement is being proposed to the BR Trustee in the ES Appraisal case and thought that it was important that the information be passed along to whomever might need it since many of our members have been affected. Please forward to whomever you believe might be owed fees in this case. I would recommend that anyone do their own research on this as I am only passing along information that was given to me third hand. It is the belief of others that this agreement will forgo millions of dollars in...

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REALTOR® & Appraiser Interaction Under Dodd-Frank

A common complaint among REALTORS® in virtually all of Michigan is that many residential deals are failing because the home will not appraise at a value that permits the buyers to finance the purchase and close on the home. Many REALTORS® take the position that many of these properties do not appraise because the appraiser is not “geographically competent.” In other words, the appraiser is from out-of-town, unacquainted with the area in which the appraised property is located; thus, fails to learn or uncover various factors that would substantially change the valuation of the property. The question is then posed...

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Response to "A Wakeup Call for the Valuation Industry: Is anybody listening?"

RE: Richard Gilmore, ARA article – "A Wakeup Call for the Valuation Industry: Is Anybody Listening?" I would like to offer some comments regarding Mr. Gilmore’s article in the April 9, 2013 issue of Ag News. I also read most of the NAHB report – "A Comprehensive Blueprint For Residential Appraisal Reform" dated February 2013. I disagree with most of Mr. Gilmore’s comments regarding the NAHB report. The NAHB report lacks a realistic understanding of what is taking place in the real estate appraisal profession today. Most of what is commented on in the NAHB report has been required and/or in place for more...

Appraisers Confident in Housing Market 0

Survey: Appraisers Confident in Housing Market

Appraisers mostly are upbeat about home price increases and generally are becoming more confident about the state of the U.S. housing market, according to survey results released April 24 by Leawood, Kan. – based appraisal management company United States Appraisals. The survey of 600 appraisers revealed that 55 percent indicated a mildly or moderately strong level of confidence in the housing market while 25 percent said they were neutral. “Appraisers tend to be realistic,focused on their local markets and unmoved by news stories and national numbers,” Aaron Fowler, president of United States Appraisals, said in a news release. “We believe...

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Appraisal Advisor, a Real Estate Appraisal Technology Company, Launches Nationwide

Real estate appraisers find, rate, and manage clients using Appraisal Advisor’s new platform. Atlanta, GA – Tuesday, April 16 – Appraisal Advisor, LLC announced today the launch of an exciting new service focusing on helping real estate appraisers better evaluate and manage the clients, appraisal management companies (AMCs), and lenders that they do business with. Appraisal Advisor provides appraisers with instant access to client ratings and reviews, written by other appraisers, and gives appraisers an avenue to have complaints and non-payment issues be heard. Already boasting an unprecedented database of hundreds of thousands of individually-verified clients and thousands of reviews...

North Dakota AMC law 1

North Dakota Governor Signs AMC Law

AMC Law in North Dakota North Dakota became the 37th state to enact a comprehensive law requiring the registration and oversight of appraisal management companies on April 12 when House Bill 1389 was signed into law by Gov. Jack Dalrymple. The law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Under the new law, entities involved in the residential collateral valuation process must register with the North Dakota Real Estate Appraiser Qualifications and Ethics Board if they oversee a panel of more than 15 independent contract appraisers in North Dakota or 25 or more nationally. Entities that exclusively employ appraisers on an...

ASA Letter opposing Bill A3781 2

ASA Letter Opposing Bill A3781

Letter from ASA Opposing Bill A3781 Abolishing the NJ State Appraisal Board and Transferring Control to the Real Estate Commission Assemblyman Giblin: The American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the largest multidisciplinary professional appraisal organization in the United States, is writing to express strong opposition to Assembly Bill 3781, which would abolish the New Jersey State Real Estate Appraiser Board and transfer the regulatory oversight of appraisers to the State Real Estate Commission. This bill would weaken the overall regulatory scheme applied to real estate transactions and its myriad parties at a time when new federal and federally-mandated state regulations are...

Another Overtime Class Action Filed Against an AMC - Imagecredit Flickr - moppet65535 1

Another Overtime Class Action Filed Against an AMC

A lawsuit filed last week by a former staff appraiser against LandSafe Appraisal Services, Inc. exemplifies the overtime liability risk faced by many appraisal firms and appraisal management companies. In February, I wrote that overtime lawsuits by appraisers present a genuine liability risk to appraisal firms and AMCs.  In that article, I explained some of the special issues relating to whether appraisers properly can be treated as “exempt” employees for purposes of overtime compensation.  The real-world risk to an appraisal firm or AMC is that a staff appraiser will file a legal action alleging that he or she worked more...

NAIHP Promotes New Appraisal Rules on Capitol Hill 4

NAIHP Promotes New Appraisal Rules on Capitol Hill

NAIHP acknowledges neither HVCC nor Appraiser Independence rules require the use of AMC’s. The conflict of interest rules contained in the “Interim Final Rule on Appraiser Independence,” were designed to establish a firewall between a loan production department ordering valuations of residential real estate and appraisers, who perform valuations. The Federal Reserve Board (FRB), who established the Interim Final Rule to replace the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) in October of 2010, recognized it was not always practical to separate these functions in small financial institutions, which is why the FRB created two sets of firewall requirements: one for...

Forecasting Your Appraisal Business 0

Forecasting Your Appraisal Business

Improving your financial management through cash flow forecasting Memorize this statement: “Cash flow is the lifeblood of all businesses.  Without cash flow your business will die.” I stress this statement often when I talk to appraisers during conferences, meetings, and webinars. Why? Because you are a small business owner first… and an appraiser second! Appraisers do a remarkable job and take great pride in their appraisal work. I recommend that you also take this attitude and approach towards your appraisal business, particularly your cash flow. What Is Cash Flow Forecasting? Cash flow forecasting is defined as planning what cash will come into the business in...

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