Category: Appraisal News

The Square Footage Problem - Is ANSI for Appraisers Really the Answer? 22

Is ANSI for Appraisers Really the Answer?

The real estate industry has a square footage credibility problem. ANSI has been out since 1996 with no new pages added and very few changes. In a constantly changing industry with new home styles and designs, change is a requirement. We have to remember that ANSI was originally created to be simple enough for a teenager to understand. It’s a great basic tool but falls well short of solving the real estate industry’s square footage problems. The first problem is that mandating ANSI for all appraisers may be a good first step, but fixing the whole problem requires two additional...

American National Standards Institute / ANSI / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Trending

Homeowners' Incorrect Assumption... Another "You're Biased" Story 12

Another “You’re Biased” Story

This story, titled “Black homeowners allege appraisal bias in Prince George’s County” is published by a TV station based in Washington D.C. The homeowners who were interviewed live or lived in Prince George’s County, which is immediately east of Washington D.C. Roughly 863 thousand people live in that county, including some who are pretty wealthy. An interesting twist on one of the TV story interviews is the homeowners’ incorrect assumption that just because they SPENT 1.3 Million Dollars building their ‘dream’ house, it would APPRAISE for that amount. A comment was (paraphrasing) “we spent all those dollars buying nails to...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

ASC 2021 Roundtable: Building a More Equitable Appraisal System 6

Building a More Equitable Appraisal System

ASC 2021 Roundtable: Building a More Equitable Appraisal System The Appraisal Subcommittee is hosting the second in a series of roundtables to explore issues of bias and inequities facing the appraisal industry and how to chart a path forward. On November 9, 2021, the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) will convene its second ASC 2021 Roundtable: Building a More Equitable Appraisal System, to build upon the success of the first roundtable and address historical and contemporary factors that have contributed to the inequities challenging the appraisal system today. Please join us for the second event of this groundbreaking series, which will bring...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisal Subcommittee / Appraisers News / ASC

Stephen Forrester Memorial Fund 2

Stephen Forrester Memorial Fund

Appraisers, I just received notice about the untimely death due to COVID-19 of a Tennessee appraiser, Stephen Forrester, while he and his wife and two young kids were on vacation in the Bahamas. Details are posted below. Please click here, and donate if you can. I just donated to this GoFundMe. If you can’t make a donation, it would be great if you could share the fundraiser via email to appraisers you know, and on social media, to help spread the word. By the way, Stephen has been Certified licensed since 2003. The National Association of Appraisers (NAA) would like...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

Desktop Reports - Desktop Appraisals, Panaceas for Faster Reports? 11

Desktop Appraisals, Panaceas for Faster Reports

…I’ve discovered a potential anomaly in Desktop reports (and Hybrids also) which might shock some appraisers… Desktop Appraisals, Panaceas for Faster Reports. Or so they say. Bankrate.com has a revealing article published on Oct. 27, 2021, titled As Appraiser Shortage Delays Closings, Mortgage Giants Try Workaround | Bankrate FHFA (the GSE’s “manager”), after the administration change, under pressure from mortgage brokers and lenders, and after the experiment with the COVID era “flexibilities”, has decided to allow the GSE’s to accept a new type of appraisal for first mortgage (purchase) lending early in 2022: the Desktop report. The current line of thinking...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Federal Housing Finance Agency / FHFA

The Desktop Appraisals Soon to Be the New Purchase Wrinkle 10

Desktop Appraisals Soon to Be the New Purchase Wrinkle

The desktop appraisals are not necessarily more reliable, which could become an adverse issue for appraisers in the future… Appraisers, we learned about this late on Monday, Oct. 18, 2021: Sandra L. Thompson, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) appeared before the Mortgage Bankers Association annual conference on Monday. Her remarks to that group featured this: The “flexibilities” (i.e., the desktop appraisals) put in place for appraisers after COVID-19 hit, have ended. However, FHFA has been reviewing the data gathered during their use and examined feedback from lenders and other parties. She told the MBA attendees that both...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Federal Housing Finance Agency / FHFA

Is There Systemic Racism in Appraising? Where is the Evidence? 19

Is There Systemic Racism in Appraising?

Brian Stevens of NREP questions why no evidence has been put forward to support systemic racism in appraising. He proposes that a comprehensive non-partisan study of the industry be conducted before labeling an entire industry with easy and cheap terms like “systemic”. So we have all heard the story about systemic racism in residential appraising. There have been a handful of cases where it’s been determined that appraisers have brought appraisals in low based on the homeowner’s race. Now I don’t know if this is true and you don’t know if this is true. We don’t know the value, the...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Trending / Video

Suspicion of a Discriminatory Appraisal... New Suspicious Law in CA 18

New Suspicious Law in CA

…any suspicion of a discriminatory appraisal by the holder of a real estate appraiser license… Folks in the Golden State, here’s something you’d better keep a very keen eyeball on: Appraiser Discrimination – AB 948 (Holden) Signed by Gov. Newsom This law requires a purchase agreement in a real estate transaction to inform a seller and buyer of the opportunity to report, through the Department of Consumer Affairs’ internet website or telephone number, any suspicion of a discriminatory appraisal by the holder of a real estate appraiser license. Furthermore, it would require such a notice to be provided by a...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Trending / Video

Racial Bias in Appraisals Survey - Appraisers Blogs 7

Racial Bias in Appraisals Survey

Fannie Mae wants to hear from you about racial bias in appraisals. The survey closes on October 3, 2021. News media reports alleging racial bias in home appraisals have turned a spotlight on the appraisal process in the mortgage industry. We at Fannie Mae take allegations of appraisal bias seriously, and as one of the largest consumers of residential appraisals in the United States, we want to make sure we are doing all we can to identify and help prevent it. Many of the conversations on this topic have excluded appraisers. To help us address appraisal bias from all perspectives,...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Fannie Mae - Freddie Mac

Class Valuation Digitizing the Appraisal Process. Who's Thinking Hybrids? 3

Who Is Thinking Hybrid Appraisal?

“Digitizing the entire appraisal process”… what does this even mean? No more tape measures? No more typing? What exactly is being digitized that is not already digitized?… This is what Class Valuation appears to be doing to justify their actions. According to the article written by Richard Torne in Mortgage Professional America, Class Valuation has announced the acquisition of DataMaster. From the article: “We’re not replacing the appraiser, we’re empowering them” We share a common belief in the true path to the future, which is not to replace the appraiser but to empower them. Appraisers have had their fair share...

a la mode / Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Software / Appraisal Technology / Appraisers News

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