Category: Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice

An Opportunity for More Work? 15

An Opportunity for More Work…

Work opportunity for $25… Opportunity? A member of VaCAP forwarded this email from an AMC. VaCAP wanted to share. “We have a new product which is a review of a BPO. You’ll need to log onto a site and complete a checklist. The pay is $25 per report with a 24-48 hour turn time. Most can be done in about 10-20 minutes. All work can be done from your desktop. Training will be provided. Please let us know if you are interested. At this time, we are reaching out to garner interest. We’ll let you know the next steps as...

Homeowner report appraiser identity fraud 15

Appraiser Removed from AMC Panel due to Fraud

Homeowner was not comfortable with the apparent fraud that was committed… Folks, I am sometimes offered information about appraiser issues in a confidential nature by other appraisers. When that occurs, I do not distribute specific information about the issue, but may choose to reveal facts via the ‘big picture.’ This is one such case: A homeowner decided to refinance their home. Appraisal appointment was scheduled. ‘Someone’ showed up at the home to do the interior & exterior inspections and take photos, etc. When the homeowner asked who that ‘someone’ was, ‘someone’ provided a different appraiser name. Report was completed and...

Valligent New $40 Alternative Valuation Assignment 31

Valligent New $40 Alternative Valuation Assignment

Valligent, an AMC with ‘national’ presence, is soliciting appraisers to complete a new alternative valuation product on behalf of their GSE clients. There is nothing wrong with doing these. Any appraiser can. But any appraiser who does these assignments is required to comply with USPAP’s Record Keeping Rule. Which means keeping a Workfile for every assignment. In order to do these alternative valuation assignments, you need to comply with USPAP Standard 3, because you ARE providing a report review service. Even though Valligent is sly about not really revealing that aspect. The SOW for these assignments, which I highlighted below,...

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Collateral Underwriter, What’s Under the Hood?

Collateral Underwriter – Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO) FNMA has a fascination for first patenting garbage, & then implementing it as policy! FNMA simply LIED! Collateral Underwriter IS an automated ‘appraisal review’ despite disclaimers. It was never intended as anything else. Read the patent application below. Before I get into the details, I want to ask each reader to forward this to every appraiser you know. This concerns FNMA’s patent of the seriously flawed techniques and underlying support for their Collateral Underwriter (CU) Risk Rating “System”. It’s time for appraisers to take action against the unreliable system which is unfairly...

First American Financial and ACI software 13

Software Provider Conflict of Interest(s)?

ACI software & “restricted appraisals” that suffer from schizophrenia… It’s been awhile since I reviewed or researched influences affecting products offered by appraisal software providers. It’s hardly been a number one priority lately. However, I just noticed something I’ve missed for I can’t even begin to guess at how long. Like many appraisers, I use a variety of software providers. Some do some things better than others, or easier. It’s usually been a matter of preference. I started out back in the 1980’s with Formfil PC+, back on my old DOS based system. It was a decent appraisal software. Pretty...

PACE Pro Form is an appraisal 11

Form PACE Pro – Appraisal or Evaluation?

Frankly this form is so screwed up! To First American Mortgage Solutions…(copy to appraisers around the US): Do you folks really understand what your PACE form report REALLY is??  It is not an Evaluation report. It is an actual appraisal, disguised very poorly as a so-called Evaluation. Here’s what I found in your form, after actually reading it: “This report is provided for the benefit of the named customer only and is not intended to be, nor shall it be deemed to be, an appraisal or any form of an appraisal.” OK, fine, not an appraisal. The main form page says...

Real Estate Appraisers - Who are we 7

Real Estate Appraisers…Who Are We?

Appraisers…Who are we? With the current requirements to enter the profession of real estate appraisal, it is likely that who we are will conceivably change in the coming years. Perhaps for the better? Or, it could be to the detriment of the professions. Appraisers today, and for many years prior to today, have come from a variety of prior jobs and professions. Many of us are former military, teachers, nurses, contractors, builders, home inspectors, real estate agents, lenders, accountants, environmental consultants and engineers, and minimum wage folks aspiring to better themselves. Some of us have dual roles as real estate...

Go away appraisers 15

Go Away, Appraisers…

“Do they just want us to go away?” Appraisers Feeling Like Travis… Does anyone remember the Pepsi commercial awhile back that featured Jeff Gordon getting revenge on a guy named Travis from Jalopnik? Watch the commercial below to refresh your memory if you don’t. “Stop sir! This never works! Stop”! Travis yells from the back seat! As Travis’ car was being chased, Travis knew that what was going on wasn’t logical and didn’t make any sense, and it made even less sense to him that his driver didn’t stop the car right away. What Travis didn’t know was, his driver...

Computer Generated Value vs Human Brain 1

Computer Generated Value vs Human Brain

Around 1992, representatives of LSI (long before they became completely useless as an AMC) visited us in California to discuss some way to involve automation (as in AVMs) to eliminate appraisals. When I pointed out that they had JUST THANKED me for saving them from a quarter of a million dollars over valuation as a result of pressure from one of their very influential customers, and that the very same issue had arisen from that customers misapplication of data AND their potential misinterpretation of that data, they understood the connection. A KNOWLEDGEABLE human appraiser was required to resolve the difference....

Appraisal Standards should age like fine wine 8

Appraisal Standards Should Age Like Fine Wine

Changes in Appraisal Standards? We have barely got into the “New” 2016-2017 copy of USPAP and the ASB is meeting on February 19, 2016 to discuss making changes to the 2018-2019 edition of USPAP. Here is part of what I have written to the ASB. I believe it should be the duty of every appraiser to write to the Foundation and any board that is contemplating making changes. You have that right, and they will read your comments. Letter to ASB: I have been a real estate appraiser since the mid 1980’s and prior to mandatory licensure. I have been...

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