Category: Customary & Reasonable Fees

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“Public Trust Betrayed”

Congresswoman Jackie Speier letter to author of “Public Trust Betrayed” James E. Manning, author of “Public Trust Betrayed”, an appraiser in California who began his career in 1973, received a letter from Congresswoman Jackie Speier in response to his book and the state of the appraisal industry: December 30, 2011 – Mr. James Manning Dear Mr. Manning: Earlier this year you offered me a copy of your book, Public Trust Betrayed.  After some delay, I have finally had an opportunity to briefly review it. I agree with many of your conclusions. For example, you indicate that existing laws created after...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

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FDIC Publication Focuses on Real Estate Valuation Programs

Issues related to real estate appraisal and valuation programs are of critical interest to bankers and regulators. “Navigating the Real Estate Valuation Process,” which appears in the Winter 2011 issue of Supervisory Insights released on December 14, 2011, highlights certain aspects of the 2010 Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines (Guidelines). This article also provides information for bankers regarding sound practices for banks’ real estate valuation processes in the areas of valuation review, independence, content standards, preparer selection, and monitoring. “Banks have implemented provisions of the Guidelines, but continue to seek feedback from their regulators on appraisal-related concerns,” said Sandra L. Thompson, Director, Division of...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

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‘Middleman’ Appraisers Spur Concerns

If you’ve paid for a home appraisal within the last five years, a chunk of that charge likely went to a middleman you never knew existed. And because a third party was used, it might have driven up your closing costs and affected the quality of the valuation. Lenders often use appraisal management companies to block collusion between mortgage brokers and appraisers — and to comply with anti-fraud rules the industry adopted in May 2009. The hotly debated reforms have boded well for the appraisal managers, whose presence in the U.S. has jumped from a handful in the 1990s to...

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Wanted: Angry Appraisers 12

Wanted: Angry Appraisers – BankRape

Wanted: Angry Appraisers Experienced residential appraisers have spent the past 30 months wishing for change and wondering if it would ever come.  Most were fooled into believing that justice could be found by writing to politicians, signing petitions, and waiting for their state agencies and appraisal organizations to fix the problem. Nearly two years passed and the remaining appraisers continue to tread water while scanning the horizon for signs of a rescue. Appraisers awakened on April 1, 2011 (Appraiser Fool’s Day) with renewed hope, only to find that the tiny clause within Dodd Frank, “customary AND reasonable fees” had been altered at...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

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AGA Fights to Overturn Federal Regs Cutting Appraisers Fees

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2011 / PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Guild of Appraisers (AGA), a national organization of real estate appraisers that is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO’s Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), announced today it has retained a law firm as part of a broad-reaching effort to overturn recent federal regulations that dramatically cut the fees that appraisers are paid to perform appraisals, and threaten the viability of professional appraisal practice and the reliability of appraisals used in real estate transactions. In the aftermath of the national financial collapse brought on in part by badly underwritten subprime loans,...

AGA / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

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AMC Oversight Bill Signed into Law in Illinois

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...

AI / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News

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Appraisal Management Companies Create More Problems Than They Solve

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...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

MBREA Meeting with Congressman Frank RE Customary & Reasonable Fees 1

MBREA Meeting with Congressman Frank RE C&R Fees

Update on MBREA Meeting with Congressman Frank Regarding Customary & Reasonable Fees One of our readers forwarded MBREA’s email following up on the meeting with Congressman Barney Frank about Customary & Reasonable Fees. “We recently reported about a meeting MBREA had with Congressman Barney Frank. Congressman Frank is aware of the appraisal professions concerns about customary and reasonable fees and has been working with the Federal Reserve on its interpretation of the statute. Congressman Frank wrote in a followup letter to MBREA Government Affairs Committee Chair, Allan Cohen, “…I am especially sensitive to any misinterpretation of legislation we enacted because...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

An Appraiser's Response to LandSafe Appraisal Services Agreement 9

Appraiser’s Response to LandSafe Appraisal

Appraiser’s Response to LandSafe Appraisal Services Agreement In April of 2011, LandSafe Appraisal Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America, released its “Appraisal Services Agreement” which included, among others, indemnifications of LandSafe Appraisal Services against any liability, and loss of intellectual rights. Many appraisers stood firm and refused to sign the agreement. Heather Fox, a Certified Residential Appraiser in Virginia, CEO of Cross Country Appraisal Inc. and President Elect of VaCAP, responded to LandSafe Appraisal Services with this letter: To: Landsafe Vendor Panel Management Team I will not be signing the appraiser agreement. I have known I would...

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Negative Repercussions of HVCC & Dodd-Frank Act - VaCAP 3

Negative Repercussions of HVCC & Dodd Frank Act – VaCAP

Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals (VaCAP) Letter to Senator Warner Addressing the Negative Repercussions of HVCC and Dodd Frank Act Dear Senator Warner: In response to the devastating effects of the legislative changes that have crippled the appraisal profession and undermined the quality of appraisals, appraisers throughout Virginia have joined together to educate the public, raise consumer awareness, protect appraiser independence, and work toward effective legislation that will benefit us all. We have now formed the Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals (VaCAP). VaCAP appreciates this opportunity to present to you the position of appraisers across the state regarding federal legislation as it...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

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