The genesis for this essay began when I heard from another appraiser that a VA report reviewer rejected the comparables “DOC Number” on the Verification Source(s) line. The reviewer said the “DOC Number” was not acceptable as a Verification Source. In fact, VA has said in a newsletter to appraisers that “… Assessor’s File Number may never be used as a Verification Source.” I disagree with that position, and this essay explains why. It also explains what appraisers should do to provide credible Data and Verification Source(s) in reports. Caveat: I don’t do VA assignments. I decided that a deeper dive...
By no means are we promoting bifurcated appraisal products… “Credible valuations of real property are critical to the health of the overall real estate industry; therefore the practice of bifurcated/hybrid appraisals must be regulated” There has been lots of talk over the past few weeks about bifurcated appraisal products. First came the announcement form Working RE Magazine they were conducting a survey on bifurcated appraisal products. VaCAP recommends every appraiser complete the survey if you have not done so already. Next came rumors that Mark Calabria, Director of FHFA stopped all pilot programs which included bifurcated appraisals and appraisal waivers. Working RE Magazine published an...
Do we really need a “Rocket Mortgage“? “Rocket Approvals” are nice but certainly not “Rocket Closings”. The home buying process is not a race. It’s not Road Runner and Wile E Coyote racing to the closing table. It takes time! The Need for Speed How quickly do your buyers and sellers want to close on the home they just bought? Two weeks? Four, six, eight weeks? When you wrote the contract, and filled in the “drop dead dates” how much time did you allow for the Title deadlines, the Owners’ Association deadlines, the Seller’s Property Disclosure deadlines, the Loan and Credit deadlines,...
Some of you appraiser in California may not realize there is a new law, AB-5, which goes into effect on 1/1/2020, less than 60 days from now that will have a significant effect on the working relationship between appraisers and AMCs. Most appraisers work as Independent Contractors when working with AMCs. However, this will most likely change under this new law, AB-5, as of the first of the year. Most engagement letters or other instructions from AMCs to appraisers are in conflict with this new law as it pertains to the use of Independent Contractors. Under most of these agreements...
Here we are over 3 and a half years after the article titled “I Do Not Quit, Not Ever!“. No one has quit yet. AGA™ is now a tax-exempt 501(c)(6). We have successfully renegotiated our affiliation agreement with OPEIU and AFL-CIO. The articles of incorporation revised our previous articles of association. In the past two years Jan Bellas and the National Appraiser Peer Review Committee have helped in excess of 185 appraisers get off blacklists; be reinstated with lenders and assisted those wrongfully accused in defending themselves before state regulatory agencies. Anyone that’s dealt with Jan Bellas KNOWS she doesn’t...
National Appraisers Forum is one of the best appraiser groups with a wealth of info participants share freely on a wide number of topics… Appraisers, if you would like to learn from highly qualified peers (other than me! :), post questions, or offer your own comments, consider joining the FREE group, National Appraisers Forum (NAF). Use this link. This group used to be one of the Yahoo groups, but Yahoo is shutting down groups, so National Appraisers Forum has moved to ‘groups.io’ as its home base. If you are not already a ‘participant’ of NAF, the sign-up is easy. If...
Fannie and Freddie Will Fail! That comes straight from Dr. Mark Calabria, the Federal Housing Finance Director that oversees Fannie and Freddie! In a prepared statement given to the US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, FHFA Director Mark Calabria did not hold back in his comments. But in their current condition, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will fail in a downturn. The testimony of Dr. Calabria before the US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services was geared around affordable housing goals. Blame is given to local zoning, land use restrictions, environmental regulations, onerous building codes and permitting...
Verdi Consulting has no business being involved with appraisals… they have fraud examiners that should have done some due diligence on Clarocity… Nope, not going to happen… I received an email from what appeared to be from USDA. As a long time USDA appraiser, I opened the email: Verdi Consulting, Inc. has been engaged by the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Office as one of two vendors under a Blanket Purchase Agreement (“BPA”) for Nationwide Single-Family Housing Origination Appraisals. The USDA has provided your information as a preferred incumbent Vendor Appraiser. We would like to invite you to...
No system that continues to allow (or limit) defining appraisal complexity to the lender or AMC will ever achieve reasonable, or fair compensation for the appraiser…. We need to do much better than “half a loaf” in our appraisal legislative efforts. Especially when that half loaf does no more than enshrine continued price-fixing by lenders; with the support & blessing of REVAA… WorkingRE published news of recent House of Representatives action. The Bill addresses consumer disclosure of AMC fees among other issues. While the American Guild of Appraisers applauds the efforts of those that worked in good faith on this,...
…appraisers may finally have a chance at making the goal of fee transparency a reality… Keep your eyes open, events are happening fast. Ever since the passage of the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) in 2010 and the monumental rise of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs), one of the main issues appraisers have pressed for is transparency for consumers in terms of the fee split between appraisers and AMCs. Specifically, how much of the actual “Appraisal Fee” being paid by the consumer goes to the licensed real estate professional and how much is withheld by the AMC “manager.” Now, over...
