Everybody complains that the states aren’t doing enough to police the profession. Appraisers are running amok. Fraud is rampant and the states are twiddling their thumbs while caseloads grow exponentially. The handful of published state disciplines nationwide are a mere droplet compared to the vast ocean of chicanery that’s rising out there. Right? My question is, where are all the settled cases from the various professional standards and ethics committees of the big appraisal organizations? There should be a generous compendium of meaty disciplines somewhere. But there isn’t. If you go to their websites you’ll find plenty of references to...
Maybe you should ask the homeowner if it would be alright to take the picture at all. When a consumer calls the department in a rage and wants to know “what law says that an appraiser can take pictures inside of my house?”, Houston, we have a problem. Actually, not Houston…and not the department. You, the appraiser and the client who ordered it have the problem because we will make it your problem. Law? There is no law for interior photos. There are guidelines and stipulations cloaked as requirements. That’s it. But, we do have privacy laws, don’t we? Clients,...
ASA and NAIFA Send Joint Letter to FHFA, Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Expressing Concerns on HARP Program Reliance of AVMs and Requesting a Meeting On October 25, the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers (NAIFA) submitted a joint letter in response to yesterday’s announcement by the FHFA and the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) of changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) involving greater reliance on automated valuation models (AVMs) to value collateral property. In the letter, ASA and NAIFA expressed concerns regarding the GSEs quality control standards being used to ensure...
Could new surety bond laws really curb problems with Appraisal Management Companies? Unfortunately, a fair share of real estate professionals don’t know much about the surety bond process and how it helps regulate the industry they work in. However, with the recent implementation of new surety bond requirements for appraisal management companies, understanding how surety bonds work should be a growing interest for a number of real estate professionals. 1. Appraisal Management Company bonds function as legally binding contracts. When Appraisal Management Companies purchase a surety bond, they’re entering into a legal contract. Each surety bond that’s executed binds three...
Today the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) to “attract more eligible borrowers who can benefit from refinancing their home mortgage.” The announcement was made in conjunction with the government sponsored enterprises (GSE), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. HARP will now allow borrowers to refinance even if they are underwater. According to the Wall Street Journal, only 894,000 borrowers have used HARP, of which 70,000 were underwater. FHFA announced several enhancements to HARP, including eliminating the appraisal requirement. The appraisal is no longer required if a reliable automated valuation model (AVM) estimate...
Concerns regarding the decision of the VA to adopt UAD William Stewart Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) October 21, 2011 Dear Sandy, As president of the Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals I wish to express to you our members’ deep concern regarding the decision of the VA to adopt the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD). Our association has been active in our state regarding this issue and we feel this idea will only harm the quality of appraisals that our Veterans will receive in the future. It is for certain that the homeowner or new purchaser will not understand the appraisal...
New AMC Law in Illinois August 31, 2011 – Illinois became the 29th state to enact a law that provides for comprehensive oversight of appraisal management companies. Gov. Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 1539 into law Aug. 26, and it took effect immediately. Under the new law, AMCs are required to register with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which would have significant authority to “ascertain the qualifications and fitness of applicants for registration and pass upon the qualifications of applicants for registration” and allow AMCs to be disciplined for “professional incompetence” and “gross malpractice.” In addition, the...
On September 29th, the Appraisal Institute released a form intended to help analyze values of energy-efficient home features. It is the first of its kind intended for appraisers’ use. The industry leader in green valuation, the Appraisal Institute issued the form as an optional addendum to Fannie Mae Form 1004, the appraisal industry’s most widely used form for mortgage lending purposes. Used by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration, Form 1004 is completed by appraisers to uphold safe and sound lending. Currently, the contributory value of a home’s green features is rarely part of the equation. “This...
When the final chapter on this housing crisis is written, I hope that I am still around to see those who were responsible for its cause and the feeble attempts to fix it held responsible. One of the worst fixes is the Home Valuation Code of Conduct. Enacted in 2009, HVCC was spearheaded by then New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. His objective was to rein in appraisal abuses by the lenders sending loans to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. A noble goal, but by the time this so-called fix went into action many of the worst offenders were either...
The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) announced that the 2012 – 13 edition of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) is now available. The 2012-2013 edition of USPAP will be valid for two years, effective January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013. According to a TAF press release “the new edition includes the standards of professional practice for all appraisal disciplines as well as guidance from the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) in the form of USPAP Advisory Opinions and USPAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).” As with the prior edition, the new edition includes the standards of professional practice for all...
