a la mode - Appraisers Blogs

UAD 3.6: The Appraisal Industry’s Shiny New Straightjacket

AppraisersBlogs — Fri, 30 May 2025 12:30:22 +0000

UAD 3.6, the appraisal industry’s shiny new straitjacket, promises efficiency but threatens to bury appraisers under a mountain of data demands and tech troubles, risking the integrity of valuations in a quest for modernization. The appraisal industry is bracing for the rollout of the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6, a supposed game-changer slated for an optional beta in September 2025 and a mandatory debut by November 2026. Promising to drag appraisal reporting into the modern age with a sleeker, property-specific framework, UAD 3.6 has appraisers across the country muttering a mix of cautious hope and outright skepticism. But let’s be...

New UAD Overhaul: What Appraisers Can Expect in 2025… Folks, I recently attended a Train the Trainer 1.5 day class about the new UAD/URAR, jointly facilitated by Fannie Mae,…
The Harbor Model: Where Appraisers Take the Helm The Harbor Model offers a bold blueprint for restoring transparency, authorship, and oversight in a valuation industry long dominated by…
USPAP’s Typical Buyer Standard in the Fair Housing Era The Irreconcilable Conflict Between USPAP's Typical Buyer Standard and the Current Fair Housing Compliance Regime. Retain this document as a…

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CoreLogic Policy Change Counter to USPAP Requirements

Guest Author — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:30:56 +0000

CoreLogic is pleased to announce a change to its data retention policy. I received this notice from CoreLogic: Effective April 1, 2023, CoreLogic’s maximum storage commitment for appraisal and title data will be limited to 5 years. NOTICE OF CHANGE TO CORELOGIC DATA RETENTION POLICYDear Trusted Provider,In careful consideration of requests from our clients as well as industry risk management best practices, CoreLogic is pleased to announce a change to its data retention policy. Effective April 1, 2023, CoreLogic’s maximum storage commitment for appraisal and title data will be limited to 5 years. This change applies to all existing and...

My Day as an Appraiser Big Corporations like CoreLogic are like sharks... This morning, as I do every morning, I made some coffee and began…
Appraisers Are Historians It is gratifying when appraisers are correct, and the AVMs burn; unless you invested in their stocks. I mean no…
The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0” Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie…

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Who Is Thinking Hybrid Appraisal?

VaCAP Board — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 12:30:46 +0000

“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...

Classless Class Valuation Class Valuation has done some pretty horrific things in the past, but this one has earned them the true title…
Class Valuation Did Me a Favor My profile has been disabled from Class Valuation. They actually did me a favor. This does not bother me in…
AMC Fees Exceeding Appraiser’s Fee AMC management fees exceeding the appraiser’s fee more frequently Over the past year, the AMC industry growth model – taken…

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Bids to Acquire CoreLogic

Dave Towne — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:30:39 +0000

I heard from a number of appraisers about their adverse situations involving CoStar… It was announced on Feb. 4, 2021 that CoreLogic will be sold, with the transfer happening in the April-June 2021 time frame. See Inman news service article, “CoreLogic Acquired By Stone Point Capital, Insight Partners For $6B – Inman”. From the article: The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, subject to shareholder approval. See another news source here. CoreLogic currently owns several companies with ties to appraising: A la mode – appraisal report software Columbia Institute – appraiser education service provider Matrix...

It’s Time to Take Out the Junk: AMC Practices Exposed Appraisers have spent years carrying the weight of broken AMC practices, and this article pulls every one of those practices…
New UAD Overhaul: What Appraisers Can Expect in 2025… Folks, I recently attended a Train the Trainer 1.5 day class about the new UAD/URAR, jointly facilitated by Fannie Mae,…
The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0” Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie…

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Is SmartExchange Not USPAP-Compliant?

Guest Author — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:30:58 +0000

Is Smartexchange Resulting in USPAP Non-Compliance? This blog is likely going to stir up controversy. It is likely going to have a few folks calling me a loyalist to a la mode, or other similar things. Am I a loyalist? I do not see myself as such, but a la mode has been the only software that I have used in my career for residential form reporting. I do use ACI in the corporate setting as a reviewer and manager in my firm. I like and consider many of the staff at a la mode to be my friends, and I have had long relationships...

Automatic Review of Photos in Appraisal Reports It means the statements in your appraisal reports about the actual component material, and its quality and current condition, can…
The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0” Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie…
The Town With No Bank: How Rural America Lost Its… For decades, we’ve been told that the problem is demand. That people don’t want to live in rural America anymore.…

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Appraisers Take on Washington DC

VaCAP Board — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 12:30:42 +0000

Hybrids were a big topic & many regulators are concerned about their compliance… Independent Fee appraisers representing 15 different states were well represented in Washington DC this past weekend. Appraisers from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, Louisiana, California, Illinois, South Dakota, Michigan, Utah, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland and Washington State joined together in DC for several gatherings. To sum it up simply… Positive Unity among all. On Friday, three members of VaCAP attended the Appraisal Standards Board Meeting. This meeting was live streamed, so hopefully you were able to watch live. Lots of discussions on the proposed changes to the 2020-2021...

The Town With No Bank: How Rural America Lost Its… For decades, we’ve been told that the problem is demand. That people don’t want to live in rural America anymore.…
USPAP’s Typical Buyer Standard in the Fair Housing Era The Irreconcilable Conflict Between USPAP's Typical Buyer Standard and the Current Fair Housing Compliance Regime. Retain this document as a…
The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0” Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie…

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The Possibly Just Became Reality!

Guest Author — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 12:30:46 +0000

Using SmartExchange? You May Have Violated State Law & USPAP I will not drag this out. I will simply be direct and to the point. IF YOU OPTED IN TO ALAMODE’S SMART EXCHANGE, YOU MAY HAVE JUST VIOLATED STATE LAW AND USPAP ON EVERY APPRAISAL YOU HAVE EVER COMPLETED. Let me repeat that so it sinks in a bit… If you opted in to alamode’s Smart Exchange, you may have violated State Law and USPAP on every appraisal you have ever completed. Now that it has sunk in, let me explain. Each state statute may define an appraisal differently. Some...

Is Smart Exchange Really a Smart Idea? Alamode recently launched Smart Exchange to its users. The idea is appraisers can see what others have stated as property…
Is that not Significant Assistance? Is the property inspection by an unlicensed person considered assistance? We came across an article written by fellow appraiser, George…
Theft of Appraisers' Data ...they charge appraisers an upload fee for the privilege of having their data stolen... I would never allow my data…

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Theft of Appraisers’ Data

Michael Ford — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 12:30:33 +0000

…they charge appraisers an upload fee for the privilege of having their data stolen… I would never allow my data to be used for or by a service that specifically uses to create, modify or enhance products designed to compete with my professional services to the detriment of my business and profession. THAT is something that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals identified when they found that CoreLogic’s subsidiary FNC STOLE appraisers data after promising them data security. FNC stole data. We now know FNMA also stole data. Alamode is delving into individuals own personal databases in order to even...

First the Borrower Fee. Now the Appraiser… Two lawsuits place Class Valuation’s fee transparency and staff-appraiser compensation practices under federal scrutiny. Most appraisal disputes examine only one…
The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0” Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie…
Fannie Mae Filed a Complaint Against Me An appraiser shared the following with us which was posted on one of the appraisers’ groups. Fannie Mae filed a…

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Is Smart Exchange Really a Smart Idea?

Guest Author — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 12:30:30 +0000

Alamode recently launched Smart Exchange to its users. The idea is appraisers can see what others have stated as property characteristics and transfer that information directly into your report. The system is based on mutual sharing, so if you participate, you will share all your comparable data with everyone else that is using Smart Exchange and you can see their data. The last update from alamode installed the programming and changed the way the side by side screen looks. Now I must make a disclaimer here, I am in the over 50 category and my kids are all grown. It...

Appraisers Ditch a la mode In 2015, Dave Biggers of a la mode stated: I'll wrap up by wishing you a happy new year, in…
The Town With No Bank: How Rural America Lost Its… For decades, we’ve been told that the problem is demand. That people don’t want to live in rural America anymore.…
Bias and Discrimination in Reports, Yes or No? Appraisers, should we include discussion of B&D in our reports? Wait, What?? Bondage and Discipline? No, not that. Bias and Discrimination.…

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The Evil Octopus

Michael Ford — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:30:59 +0000

Appraisers, it’s not paranoia when ‘the bastards’ really are out to get you (end us as a profession). …Find each octopus and how they relate to our jobs. Look at MISMO Directors list… An Open Letter to Appraisers: Residential & Commercial This started as a response to a blog post by a respected appraiser concerning the influence of AMCs. During drafting it was clear that trying to explain AMCs was only part of the bigger struggles we face today. Picture a violent “all in” three-way gang fight among Octopi. Say a dozen on each side. That’s 36 Octopi x 8 tentacles...

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…
Who's to Blame? Looking at who and what MISMO Directors are, is it a surprise that FNMA included language in basic appraisal forms…
My Day as an Appraiser Big Corporations like CoreLogic are like sharks... This morning, as I do every morning, I made some coffee and began…

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Nuclear Option DENIED!

VaCAP Board — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 12:30:25 +0000

VaCAP has just been informed the TriStar Bank Waiver Request has been DENIED by the ASC. Representatives from VaCap attended the TriStar bank appraisal waiver hearing at the Federal Reserve building in DC this morning. Also present were John Russell with the ASA-NAIFA, Leo Regensburg with the AGA, Bill Garber with the AI, Mark Shiffman with REVAA, appraisers and other stake holders. The board members consisted of Robert Witt with the FHFA, Veronica Spicer representing the CFPB, Richard Taft representing the OCC, and ASC board members. The meeting got off to a late start because the Tri-Star representatives were held...

Fannie Mae Filed a Complaint Against Me An appraiser shared the following with us which was posted on one of the appraisers’ groups. Fannie Mae filed a…
Cindy Chance Terminated On September 13, 2024, the Appraisal Institute President, Sandra Adomatis, SRA, announced that Cindy Chance is no longer the CEO…
The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0” Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie…

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Appraisers Ditch a la mode

AppraisersBlogs — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 12:30:32 +0000

In 2015, Dave Biggers of a la mode stated: I’ll wrap up by wishing you a happy new year, in spite of all the recent fear mongering, and by thanking you for supporting us with your business. I’m confident that in 2015 you’ll see even more reasons for that loyalty, especially in terms of us continuing in our long-standing role as the independent appraiser’s staunchest advocate, and in being the most innovative, reliable, and accessible technology provider. We look forward to working with — and for — all of you this year. Time and time again, we were assured that...

FTC vs Corelogic ...how the agreement between CoreLogic and the FTC from 2014 impacts appraisers... The FTC vs CoreLogic: Why it is important…
Let the Bids Begin! Bid assignments are more often than not awarded to lowest bidders... For the past couple of days, we have been…
My Day as an Appraiser Big Corporations like CoreLogic are like sharks... This morning, as I do every morning, I made some coffee and began…

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Mobile Sketch Guide

Dave Towne — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 13:30:49 +0000

Just getting my big toe in the mobile ocean… Appraisers, For those of you interested to learn how to ‘sketch’ using a la mode’s Total for Mobile Sketch (T4M) on a tablet or phone, the attached PDF might be of interest to you. I’m a greenhorn, just getting my big toe in the mobile ocean and could not find a user guide for T4M Sketch, except as ‘single pages’ on the a la mode web site. I turned in a Support Request asking if such a guide was available. Turns out they don’t have a self-contained guide. So the support tech got...

It’s Time to Take Out the Junk: AMC Practices Exposed Appraisers have spent years carrying the weight of broken AMC practices, and this article pulls every one of those practices…
USPAP’s Typical Buyer Standard in the Fair Housing Era The Irreconcilable Conflict Between USPAP's Typical Buyer Standard and the Current Fair Housing Compliance Regime. Retain this document as a…
Uncovering Flaws in FHA Appraisal & Loan Review Process The story of this single mother's harrowing experience with a defective home purchase and HUD's negligent oversight exposes deep flaws…

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I Got It Wrong…

Michael Ford — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 12:30:37 +0000

“…after forty years of studying markets, I got it wrong…” As time goes on, the one thing that appears to be both a societal and financial markets constant, is our inability to learn from our past mistakes. Late, a couple of nights ago (10/23/17), while channel surfing, I happened on an economics program intended to explain the financial crisis of 2008. My apologies for referring to a programming without its name or network. Instead, I had to consider the person who was the primary focal point of the program: Hyman Minsky (see link to The Economist here). Before reading the...

Hey BIG Data, Leverage This! The image above is not a part of the Appraisal Technology Special Report “Across the street from a house are…
Market Value in the Age of Big Data Infallibility "Practically" unsinkable! This isn’t a topic I generally spend a lot of time on. Partly because I am 'uneducated' (sans…
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…

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Big Data Assisting Appraisers

Dave Towne — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 12:30:00 +0000

Big data comps sharing assisting appraisers… I admit to having a dog in the fight. Maybe even a pony, camel, or even a pure bred Clydesdale horse… On 10/09/2017, the owner of alamode software informed customers of a significant new change in how ‘comps’ can be added to a current report – which will be implemented sometime early next year. Read his message here. This is significant because the ability of ‘Big Data’ is being put to work ASSISTING appraisers, rather than being withheld from us as is done with the GSE’s highly touted Collateral Underwriter – even though ‘we’...

The Great Debate on Appraisal Fees She included several different fee split examples indicating AMCs retained as much as 70 percent of the total appraisal fee…
Fannie Mae Filed a Complaint Against Me An appraiser shared the following with us which was posted on one of the appraisers’ groups. Fannie Mae filed a…
New UAD Overhaul: What Appraisers Can Expect in 2025… Folks, I recently attended a Train the Trainer 1.5 day class about the new UAD/URAR, jointly facilitated by Fannie Mae,…

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Software Provider Conflict of Interest(s)?

Michael Ford — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 13:30:35 +0000

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...

Board Member Says 'Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease' Board Members reported a shortage of individual appraisers offering suggestions, complaints and concerns... Legitimate 'complaints' should never be referred to…
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…
Environmental Issues Notice to Appraisers Response to LRES email concerning appraiser's responsibility regarding environmental issues Fellow Appraisers, Have you asked yourself WHY a few more…

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National Data Collective Launches “Shift”

Danny Stewart — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 13:30:09 +0000

National Data Collective Launches “Shift” an Exclusive a la mode TOTAL Integration Tool February 2, 2015 San Diego, CA — Today, NDC (National Data Collective), a leading national provider of property data for real estate professionals, has released a new and improved export tool for a la mode customers only called Shift. Shift allows NDC users to export NDC’s highly-rated collective property data directly into a la mode’s industry leading form filling software with just a push of a button. The tool is compatible with the legacy WinTOTAL system, TOTAL 2013, and the upcoming release of the next-generation TOTAL Titan....

The Great Debate on Appraisal Fees She included several different fee split examples indicating AMCs retained as much as 70 percent of the total appraisal fee…
New UAD Overhaul: What Appraisers Can Expect in 2025… Folks, I recently attended a Train the Trainer 1.5 day class about the new UAD/URAR, jointly facilitated by Fannie Mae,…
Automatic Review of Photos in Appraisal Reports It means the statements in your appraisal reports about the actual component material, and its quality and current condition, can…

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Dave Biggers, You Owe Me an Apology

Dustin Harris — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 13:30:29 +0000

Normally, I like Dave Biggers. I think a la mode — like other appraisal software companies — has always been (and will likely always be) an advocate for appraisers. I am not saying any of that has changed, but I feel like Mr. Biggers owes me, and all appraisers, an apology. Ever since I first heard of Collateral Underwriting (CU), I have been a bit — and at times, much — overwhelmed at what it might mean to me and my peers. Frankly, there have been times that I have been downright scared of what CU might do to my thriving appraisal...

When ‘Protected’ Becomes Pressure: You Have Until… The new fair‑housing course weaponizes protected characteristics to pressure appraisers into outcome‑driven valuation, directly contradicting USPAP’s prohibition on advocacy. The…
Uncovering Flaws in FHA Appraisal & Loan Review Process The story of this single mother's harrowing experience with a defective home purchase and HUD's negligent oversight exposes deep flaws…
Desktop Appraisals: Has The Devil Infiltrated The… Are desktop appraisals with third-party inspectors protecting the public, or are these products about to destroy the very profession I…

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Comps Exchange Data Base

AppraisersBlogs — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 13:30:42 +0000

I’ve always said that I think it’s insane that everyone has access to appraiser-provided data EXCEPT the appraisers who generated the appraisals in the first place. That needs to be fixed. So, we’re creating a system enabling you to seamlessly share comps among yourselves. You’ll have the same data that’s being used to judge you. We’re confident it will be effective: a la mode users alone generate enough appraisals per day to cover the entire market with high quality subject and comp data. With just the existing TOTAL and Aurora users joining in, tens of millions of comps will be available, exactly like in...

The Great Debate on Appraisal Fees She included several different fee split examples indicating AMCs retained as much as 70 percent of the total appraisal fee…
The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0” Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie…
Fannie Mae Filed a Complaint Against Me An appraiser shared the following with us which was posted on one of the appraisers’ groups. Fannie Mae filed a…

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Data Services to Appraisers

AppraisersBlogs — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 13:30:26 +0000

a la mode and National Data Collective Form Partnership to Offer Real Estate Data Services to Appraisers November 10, 2014 — Naples, FL — a la mode announced today that NDC (National Data Collective), a leading national provider of property data services for real estate professionals, has agreed to integrate its data services with a la mode’s full range of appraisal formfilling systems. NDC offers a subscription-based data service to appraisers covering more than 130 million properties in all 50 states, with full property profiles, assessor records, deed history and comparables data. Its products are available on desktop and mobile...

E&O Coverage at No Additional Cost Alliance Allows San Diego-Based Property Data Service to Offer E&O Coverage at No Additional Cost to Qualified Residential Appraisers SAN…
National Data Collective Launches “Shift” National Data Collective Launches “Shift” an Exclusive a la mode TOTAL Integration Tool February 2, 2015 San Diego, CA —…

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a la mode - Appraisers Blogs

UAD 3.6: The Appraisal Industry’s Shiny New Straightjacket

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CoreLogic Policy Change Counter to USPAP Requirements

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Who Is Thinking Hybrid Appraisal?

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Bids to Acquire CoreLogic

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Is SmartExchange Not USPAP-Compliant?

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Appraisers Take on Washington DC

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The Possibly Just Became Reality!

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Theft of Appraisers’ Data

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