Our function as an appraiser is to estimate the market value… Sale Season 2017 We are entering the sale season and the market is beginning to pick up. The velocity of the upcoming sale season will hinge on inventory; currently there is an obvious shortage in many submarkets. Be prepared to handle challenging scenarios. Strong demand and low inventory can lead to multiple offers and escalation clauses. Market predictions for this year forecast a higher volume of sales from 2016. Keep the following USPAP Standards as well as the Definition of Market Value, as defined in your report, in mind...
About half of AICPA members don’t believe in USPAP… When I first heard that “they” were trying to do away with the Appraisal Practices Board (APB) of the Appraisal Foundation (TAF), I tried to keep an open mind. I also wondered who “they” are. Did the Appraisal Institute (AI) finally get a sympathetic ear in Congress? Was it preemptive action by the Board of Trustees in anticipation of budget cuts by the new administration? By the way, what does the APB do? I certainly had it wrong. I thought they helped develop the Advisory Opinions (AOs)! To be candid the...
Refocused effort to eliminate the ASC… Why? It’s now much more than rumor. There is a concerted effort to eliminate not just the Appraisal Practices Board (APB) which was the Appraisal Institute’s original target, but now a refocused effort to eliminate the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) itself! Think about that folks. What started as a partisan effort to lay ground work for the eventual elimination of Dodd-Frank has quickly morphed into a behind the scenes opportunistic all out push to eliminate the ASC too! It’s no secret among regular Appraisal Institute (AI) members or non AI appraisers that have listened to...
Disciplinary action against 2 AMCs for late payment & operating without license You just have to shake your head at what they try to pull off! At the February 14th Virginia Real Estate Appraisers Board Meeting, Independent Settlement Services and Landmark Network were each disciplined for violations of Virginia AMC Regulations. Independent Settlement Services was disciplined for not disclosing prior disciplinary action in North Carolina. North Carolina audited them and found only 75 times out of 579 appraisals, they paid appraisers within 30 days as required by North Carolina law. The state of Nebraska also fined Independent Settlement Services for...
Congress, cut FNMA loose from conservatorship and let them sink or swim… Every day I tend to agree more and more that we are facing an uphill battle against corporate America. Then I remember that as a former Marine, I’m supposed to be ‘ok’ with uphill battles. We make do with what we have, not necessarily what we want or need. Add to this most, if not all of our Congress from both Senate and House. Some isolated exceptions but most either don’t care or encourage the weaknesses in the financial system for their own gain. There is a reason...
What is the goal of the Focus Group? Appraisers, Please read the memo below from a member of the Appraisal Practices Board. The Board is meeting FEBRUARY 23, 2017 in Torrance, California. They are sincerely interested in appraisers written input. It doesn’t have to be a formal letter. Jot down some thoughts and views in your email and either send it to the APB, Mrs. Desmarais, Vice Chair of APB (lap…@comcast.net), or if you prefer send to me (m…@mfford.com) with subject line “Forward to TAF/APB” or something similar. Please try to get comments in by 02/22/2017. The original agenda has...
Appraisers harassed to use sales not comparable to lower CU risk score… Readers that have followed my past Collateral Underwriter (CU) articles already know my opinion of it. It was flawed system design starting with its underlying database. Designed by seven people that did not have a valid appraisal license between them! Setting aside the basic database flaw in CU, it was and is a system that’s highly susceptible to manipulation. The CU scoring parameters can be modified at the lender-user end. Even if that were not possible, it is still subject to manipulation. As Phil Crawford points out, FNMA first...
Harmful trend implemented by Collateral Underwriter and AMCs… There is a new trend starting in our industry! Phil Crawford with Voice of the Appraisal exposes it. The trend is being implemented by Collateral Underwriter and AMCs. It is extremely harmful to the consumer and local communities. VaCAP recommends each appraiser, residential and commercial listen to his show. His show is 42 minutes long and worth every second. Listen to the Voice of Appraisal E138 Manipulating Chucky and Alexis Craig!!! 1/28/2017 Great Webinar from Network of State Appraisal Organizations! On January 18th, NSAO sponsored a webinar with Jim Parks with the...
APB was based on the housing crisis of 2008… Appraisers, The news release below was issued on Jan. 26, 2017. I for one, appreciate what’s been done so far by the Appraisal Practices Board to help define and explain certain aspects of our work, and make those items available to anyone who wanted to download their advisories. I am also of the opinion that the initiation of the APB was one of the elements that lead to the Appraisal Institute resigning from The Appraisal Foundation, an action that was not entirely positive for AI members, or the ‘image’ of AI...
Do the agencies’ appraisal regulations apply to FHA, VA… Republican control of Washington DC will mean one of two things: A scaling back of Dodd-Frank, or The elimination of Dodd-Frank Like it or not, one of these two scenarios will play itself out in 2017 or 2018. What about AMCs? The AMC Final Rule was deemed that…the registration and supervision of AMCs is voluntary, and that a State may elect not to establish such a program for any reason, including if its resources do not support such a program. Will the states walk away from AMC regulation? Perhaps not all, but definitely some states will either bypass the...
