Category: Appraisal Organizations

An Appraiser's Response to LandSafe Appraisal Services Agreement 9

Appraiser’s Response to LandSafe Appraisal

Appraiser’s Response to LandSafe Appraisal Services Agreement In April of 2011, LandSafe Appraisal Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America, released its “Appraisal Services Agreement” which included, among others, indemnifications of LandSafe Appraisal Services against any liability, and loss of intellectual rights. Many appraisers stood firm and refused to sign the agreement. Heather Fox, a Certified Residential Appraiser in Virginia, CEO of Cross Country Appraisal Inc. and President Elect of VaCAP, responded to LandSafe Appraisal Services with this letter: To: Landsafe Vendor Panel Management Team I will not be signing the appraiser agreement. I have known I would...

AppraisersLoft fined 1

VaCAP letter to AG Cuccinelli RE Violation of Virginia Code

The mandates override the Virginia Code Re: Impending Violation of Virginia Statute 18 VAC 130-20-160. Dear Attorney General Cuccinelli, There is an extremely urgent and important matter that the Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals (VaCAP) wishes to bring to your attention. The Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), which are The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), have mandated Real Estate Appraisal reporting requirements that will severely compromise the integrity of information provided in appraisal reports and potentially eliminate the private appraisal profession. This new, comprehensive format will cause unnecessary risk and expense to the...

Negative Repercussions of HVCC & Dodd-Frank Act - VaCAP 3

Negative Repercussions of HVCC & Dodd Frank Act – VaCAP

Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals (VaCAP) Letter to Senator Warner Addressing the Negative Repercussions of HVCC and Dodd Frank Act Dear Senator Warner: In response to the devastating effects of the legislative changes that have crippled the appraisal profession and undermined the quality of appraisals, appraisers throughout Virginia have joined together to educate the public, raise consumer awareness, protect appraiser independence, and work toward effective legislation that will benefit us all. We have now formed the Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals (VaCAP). VaCAP appreciates this opportunity to present to you the position of appraisers across the state regarding federal legislation as it...

Congress help regulators 1

Help Regulators Take Proper Aim

Help Regulators Take Proper Aim, Appraisal Institute Tells Congress CHICAGO (July 14, 2011) Testifying before a Congressional subcommittee, the Appraisal Institute’s president-elect on Wednesday told lawmakers their intent was “right on target” and asked them to “guide the regulators’ aim” in implementing consumer-friendly real estate appraisal guidelines. Sara W. Stephens, MAI, told members of the House Financial Services’ Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity that the Dodd-Frank Act passed by Congress last year is not being properly implemented by federal regulators. Among other highlights, the Act calls on appraisal management companies (AMCs) to pay “customary and reasonable” fees to residential...

Appraisers Assignment Conditions 3

Client Assignment Conditions & Appraisers

Client Kickbacks No, it’s not what you think. We’re talking about when a client kicks your report back to you because you did something wrong. Or did you? I was looking over a recent ServiceLink order that came in on a complaint. There were 32 requirements spelled out for the appraiser to follow. A four page order sheet with an 8 hour turn time for $200. Eerything was laid out from who could inspect to “your report must include photos of all 4 sides of the subject dwelling” (which is a cute trick for an inside rowhouse or townhome). Let’s...

AARO Letter regarding UAD 0

AARO Letter to FHFA Regarding UAD

AARO concerned about potential problems or complications with enforcement resulting from UAD May 11, 2011 Mr. Alfred M. Pollard General Counsel Federal Housing Finance Agency Dear Mr. Pollard: On behalf of the Executive Committee (EC) of the Association of Appraiser Regulatory Officials (AARO) it is my pleasure to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to you individually, the FHFA, Mr. Robert Murphy of Fannie Mae, and Mr. Mark Simpson of Freddie Mac for affording representatives of AARO the opportunity to attend a “train the trainer” seminar introducing the “Uniform Appraisal Dataset” (UAD) in Washington, DC on March 7, 2011. During...

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Appraisal Institute Warns Appraisers About Liabilities When Working with Some AMCs

CHICAGO (May 12, 2011) – The Appraisal Institute today cautioned real estate appraisers about signing agreements imposed by some appraisal management companies that seek to hold residential appraisers responsible for AMCs’ actions. Its president warned that consumers could be the ultimate losers. “Appraisers should be very careful about signing any agreement, especially one that makes them responsible for another party’s actions,” said Appraisal Institute President Joseph C. Magdziarz, MAI, SRA. “While there are some fine AMCs doing business today, many AMCs shift liability onto appraisers. For many professional appraisers, it’s simply not worth the risk.” Magdziarz, as president of the...

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FDIC Files Appraisal Complaint Against LPS and CoreLogic

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has filed a complaint against Lender Processing Services and CoreLogic related to appraisals performed for Washington Mutual, HousingWire reported May 11. The FDIC is seeking to recover roughly $283 million in losses allegedly tied to appraisals that an LPS subsidiary and a CoreLogic affiliate conducted for WaMu. The FDIC took WaMu into receivership in 2008 and facilitated its sale to JPMorgan Chase. WaMu had a total of $307 billion in assets at the time. HousingWire reported that regulatory filings by the two companies indicate that the FDIC alleged LPS Appraisal LLC and CoreLogic Valuation Services,...

ASB Letter to FHFA Regarding Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3

ASB Letter to FHFA Regarding Uniform Appraisal Dataset

Serious concern over misapplication and misinterpretation of Uniform Appraisal Dataset requirements April 29, 2011 Alfred M. Pollard General Counsel Federal Housing Finance Agency… Re: Uniform Appraisal Dataset Dear Mr. Pollard: Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you and representatives from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac on February 17, 2011 and March 10, 2011 to discuss the Uniform Mortgage Data Processing (UMDP) initiative and the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD). We applaud your efforts to bring about more consistent appraisal reporting. However, in light of our discussions and further examination of the publicly available documents...

AGA Meets With Rep. Barney Frank to Discuss Fed's Rule on Appraiser Independence & Reasonable & Customary Fees 1

AGA to Discuss Appraiser Independence & C&R Fees

…excluded from Reasonable and Customary fee surveys… The American Guild of Appraisers (AGA) / Guild 44 of the Office and Professional Employees International Union, AFL-CIO met with Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) on April 14 to discuss the Guild’s concerns with the Federal Reserve Board’s Interim Final Rule (Rule) regarding Appraiser Independence. With the implementation of the Rule issued April 1, 2011, the Federal Reserve has introduced faulty regulation that implicitly fails to capture Congressional intent to reform the appraisal process and Appraiser Independence and the necessity to promote the use of market driven, Reasonable & Customary (R&C) fees for various...

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