Home Valuation Code of Conduct - Appraisers Blogs https://appraisersblogs.com/category/hvcc/home-valuation-code-of-conduct/ Appraisal News and Tips for Real Estate Appraisers Mon, 17 Aug 2026 03:01:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://i0.wp.com/appraisersblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ABfavicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Home Valuation Code of Conduct - Appraisers Blogs https://appraisersblogs.com/category/hvcc/home-valuation-code-of-conduct/ 32 32 52046035 Lack of Fee Transparency: Exposing the AMC Exploitation https://appraisersblogs.com/lack-of-fee-transparency-exposing-the-amc-exploitation/ https://appraisersblogs.com/lack-of-fee-transparency-exposing-the-amc-exploitation/#comments Wed, 31 Jul 2024 12:30:07 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=31182 By keeping the borrower in the dark about the true cost of the appraisal, the AMCs are able to charge exorbitant prices and pocket the difference (as shown in Figures 1 through 10), exploiting the consumer’s lack of knowledge.  Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Request for Information on Fees Imposed in Residential Mortgage Transactions. The growth of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis was driven by a well-intentioned but ultimately misguided belief that they could help “ensure the integrity and independence” of property valuations. The reasoning...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/lack-of-fee-transparency-exposing-the-amc-exploitation/feed/ 71 31182 Gov’t-Indulged Middlemen Are Wrong RX for Battered Borrowers, The Infirm https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-exploit-borrowers-government-indulged-middlemen-are-wrong-rx-for-battered-borrowers/ https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-exploit-borrowers-government-indulged-middlemen-are-wrong-rx-for-battered-borrowers/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:30:21 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=31003 The U.S. government impoverishes homebuyers as it does the chronically ill – by promoting the use of middlemen who prey upon them. A cadre of such middlemen was created decades ago as a firewall between Big Pharma, the insurance companies and the pharmacy chains. Called “pharmacy benefit managers,” they were to negotiate drug prices, streamline distribution and manage lists of prescription drugs covered by insurance plans. But since the government has gone whole-hog into health care under the Affordable Care Act and into drug-price controls under the Inflation Reduction Act, things have gotten crazy at the slop trough. Today, according...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-exploit-borrowers-government-indulged-middlemen-are-wrong-rx-for-battered-borrowers/feed/ 14 31003 Exposing Predatory AMCs https://appraisersblogs.com/exposing-predatory-amcs-appraisal-management-companies-corrosive-influence-on-the-housing-market/ https://appraisersblogs.com/exposing-predatory-amcs-appraisal-management-companies-corrosive-influence-on-the-housing-market/#comments Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:30:39 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=30984 Exposing the inner workings of these predatory AMCs and their corrosive influence on the housing market.  Cindy Chance’s recent comments about the concerning practices of some appraisal management companies (AMCs) have struck a chord with many in the real estate valuation industry. Chance is shedding light on the troubling ways in which certain AMCs have come to wield significant power and influence over the appraisal process, often to the detriment of both appraisers and the public. The growth of AMCs in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis was driven by the misguided belief that they could help “ensure the...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/exposing-predatory-amcs-appraisal-management-companies-corrosive-influence-on-the-housing-market/feed/ 49 30984 How Many Fees Are Needed for One Appraisal Order? https://appraisersblogs.com/how-many-fees-are-needed-for-one-appraisal-order/ https://appraisersblogs.com/how-many-fees-are-needed-for-one-appraisal-order/#comments Mon, 05 Feb 2024 13:30:38 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=30310 Being beaten up about a fee increase request, new higher technology fees, or losing out to an order in a ridiculous bidding war and learning the AMC made more money than the appraiser on an order, or even having an order cancelled because someone else offered to take less compensation, are only a few of the issues the appraisal industry is facing.  After reflecting on 2023, from the position as an appraiser, experiencing the changes in volume of orders, the compensation being offered to the appraiser, the amount of waivers being given so no appraisal was required, and the roll...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/how-many-fees-are-needed-for-one-appraisal-order/feed/ 66 30310 Leaving the Appraisal Profession https://appraisersblogs.com/its-a-great-time-2-leave-the-appraisal-profession/ https://appraisersblogs.com/its-a-great-time-2-leave-the-appraisal-profession/#comments Wed, 20 Sep 2023 12:30:02 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=29944 It’s a Great Time to Leave the Appraisal Profession. I can hear the chorus of my fellow appraisers rising up in disagreement with me. I envision many of them screaming, “But I love being an appraiser”! Yeah, I hear you. I loved being an appraiser too. Let’s not consider what we were but what they want us to become. First, ask yourself if you are still making a livable wage. I’m not and instead of blaming myself, I started running the numbers. In, my high value market, 18% of the solds were cash sales. No appraisal required on those! Values...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/its-a-great-time-2-leave-the-appraisal-profession/feed/ 190 29944 Look in the Mirror https://appraisersblogs.com/look-in-the-mirror https://appraisersblogs.com/look-in-the-mirror#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2023 13:30:14 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=28795 The phrase “take a look in the mirror” is a common idiom used to encourage self-reflection and introspection. It is a powerful statement that can evoke a range of emotions and reactions from individuals, from contemplation to defensiveness. At its core, the phrase is a call to examine oneself honestly and objectively. It asks us to step back from our assumptions, biases, and preconceptions and consider our behavior, choices, and beliefs in a critical light. When we take a look in the mirror, we are forced to confront our flaws and shortcomings, but also to recognize our strengths and achievements....

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/look-in-the-mirror/feed/ 15 28795 The Government Screwing Over an Entire Industry https://appraisersblogs.com/the-government-screwing-over-an-entire-industry https://appraisersblogs.com/the-government-screwing-over-an-entire-industry#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2022 12:30:13 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=27869 The government wants to move to a fully automated appraisal format, and the more that they can dirty the narrative in their favor, the quicker they get to their objective… This just in: In a recent memo, the CFPB wants you to know that if you are buying a home, that you can contest your appraisal. By the way, anyone at any time can contest an appraisal for any reason. This isn’t new. Not at all. In fact the CFPB doesn’t really give two craps about your opinion of value or the Appraiser’s opinion of value. This has nothing to...

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  • What Is My Incentive? Why would I bother taking on the added risk of an inconvenient process? Where is my incentive again? As an…
  • FNMA Ensnares Appraisers in Farcical Probes You feel like Fannie Mae is simply trying to get rid of appraisers. A lot of appraisers feel that way...…

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/the-government-screwing-over-an-entire-industry/feed/ 16 27869 AMCs Take a Sizable Cut of the Appraisal Fee https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-take-a-sizable-cut-of-the-appraisal-fee https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-take-a-sizable-cut-of-the-appraisal-fee#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2022 12:30:29 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=27821 It still proves my point: Appraisal Management Companies take a sizable Cut of the appraisal fee… It was March 28th, 2018 that I wrote my very first blog post entitled “What’s not in your wallet?” where I went into great detail about how Appraisal Management Companies or AMCs get paid and how the consumer is not aware of the fact that the AMC is taking much of the fee while finding the cheapest and fastest appraiser. In that blog post, I gave many examples of the abuse appraisers and consumers are absorbing by these Appraisal Management Companies. How one borrower...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-take-a-sizable-cut-of-the-appraisal-fee/feed/ 97 27821 Federal Agency in Charge of Appraisers https://appraisersblogs.com/federal-agency-in-charge-of-appraisers-will-be-a-nightmare https://appraisersblogs.com/federal-agency-in-charge-of-appraisers-will-be-a-nightmare#comments Mon, 23 May 2022 12:30:12 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=27045 Having a federal agency in charge of appraisers will be a NIGHTMARE. Leave it to the states as it is now. ALL appraisers should be SWAMPING their state representatives with calls & emails in OPPOSITION to newly introduced H.R. Bill entitled: Fair Appraisal and Inequity Reform Act of 2022. DO IT NOW. **Remind them all that the job of a Professional Real Estate Appraiser is to PROTECT THE PUBLIC TRUST. That’s what we are in place for! With all of the ridiculous changes proposed with “PAREA”, we know exactly where this is headed. Appraisers coming out of their “PAREA” certification...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/federal-agency-in-charge-of-appraisers-will-be-a-nightmare/feed/ 11 27045 How to Destroy the Appraisal Profession https://appraisersblogs.com/how-2-destroy-the-appraisal-profession-government-101 https://appraisersblogs.com/how-2-destroy-the-appraisal-profession-government-101#comments Mon, 16 May 2022 12:30:42 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=26831 Anytime the government gets involved in an issue, it tends to have more adverse effects than positive ones. It makes things worse when they only have their plan in mind and NOT the FACTS from the people they are about to hurt. This is especially true in the Real Estate Appraisal profession and the newly introduced H.R. Bill entitled: Fair Appraisal and Inequity Reform Act of 2022. It’s essential to bring some information that not one person in the government or the people they are getting information from is talking about. First let’s step into my time machine and go...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/how-2-destroy-the-appraisal-profession-government-101/feed/ 45 26831 Dear ASC: Details… Why They Matter https://appraisersblogs.com/why-details-matter-asc-failed-the-appraisal-profession-at-the-bias-in-the-home-appraisal-process-hearing https://appraisersblogs.com/why-details-matter-asc-failed-the-appraisal-profession-at-the-bias-in-the-home-appraisal-process-hearing#comments Fri, 25 Mar 2022 12:30:09 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=26526 DETAILS… NO MATTER HOW SMALL OR BIG NEED TO BE PRESENTED. If not, you failed. ASC, today you failed us all. Over the past several days, the Real Estate Appraisal Industry has been the subject of scrutiny with the release of the PAVE Report that the Interagency Task Force developed on Property Appraisal And Valuation Equity set forth by the Biden Administration. On March 23, 2022, there was a public meeting to unveil the Pave Task Force report on Racial Bias in the Real Estate Appraisal Profession. You can watch the press conference below as well as read the entire...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/why-details-matter-asc-failed-the-appraisal-profession-at-the-bias-in-the-home-appraisal-process-hearing/feed/ 14 26526 Desktop Appraisals: Has The Devil Infiltrated The Public Trust? https://appraisersblogs.com/desktop-appraisals-has-the-devil-infiltrated-the-public-trust https://appraisersblogs.com/desktop-appraisals-has-the-devil-infiltrated-the-public-trust#comments Thu, 10 Feb 2022 13:30:41 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=26264 Are desktop appraisals with third-party inspectors protecting the public, or are these products about to destroy the very profession I love so much. The Uniform Standards Professional of Appraisal Practice (USPAP) are the key to maintaining public trust in real estate transactions. USPAP is pretty much the equivalent to the Bible, but it MUST be followed for appraisers. Created by the Appraisal Foundation, USPAP set forth the guidelines for how appraisers should perform their work. By following these standards, appraisers ensure that they act in a professional and unbiased manner. To expand, even more, USPAP states, “While USPAP does not...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/desktop-appraisals-has-the-devil-infiltrated-the-public-trust/feed/ 56 26264 A New ‘Standard’ for ROV Requests https://appraisersblogs.com/new-standard-4-rov-requests-reconsideration-of-value-standard https://appraisersblogs.com/new-standard-4-rov-requests-reconsideration-of-value-standard#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2021 13:30:55 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=26177 Since beginning using this Standard, I have had ZERO ROV requests. Appraisers, the latest ‘buzzword’ around appraising is Standard. We’ve got to have a Standard for measuring a subject dwelling, even though the comparable GLA reported figure may have been measured far differently from the new soon-to-be mandated Standard. Appraisers have no way of controlling the apples to oranges dissimilarities. But I digress… According to the Dodd-Frank law, and the HVCC before it, clients are allowed to challenge the appraiser’s value opinion by submitting what is termed in the law “appropriate” sales to be further reviewed, with the expectation that...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/new-standard-4-rov-requests-reconsideration-of-value-standard/feed/ 22 26177 DEAR HUD… What’s Your End Game? https://appraisersblogs.com/dear-hud-the-word-extortion-comes-2-mind-whats-your-end-game https://appraisersblogs.com/dear-hud-the-word-extortion-comes-2-mind-whats-your-end-game#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2021 12:30:25 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=25754 Dear HUD, recently, within the past year or so, you have been on a crusade to prove discrimination and racism in the appraisal process. Your actions haven’t gone unnoticed by many within the appraisal profession as well as outside it. It’s become clear that you are the go to organization for complaints. Ok. Please read this in its entirety and see my thoughts at the end before making a judgement. The reason I am writing you this letter is for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I am writing this letter to ask you what your TRUE intentions are...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/dear-hud-the-word-extortion-comes-2-mind-whats-your-end-game/feed/ 7 25754 Relationships… The Lost Art https://appraisersblogs.com/bringing-back-the-lost-art-of-relationship-building https://appraisersblogs.com/bringing-back-the-lost-art-of-relationship-building#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2021 12:30:51 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=25601 Relationships. It’s a lost art of business when it comes to the appraiser profession… I have been an appraiser since 2003, when I started my career path. Since then, the appraiser profession has gone through many changes, none more impactful than creating the Home Valuation Code of Conduct or HVCC law that was put into effect after the crash. HVCC created the new normal for the profession where Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) were installed as the firewall or third party between the appraiser and the lender. Overnight on May 1st, 2009, appraisers all over the country lost every relationship they...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/bringing-back-the-lost-art-of-relationship-building/feed/ 13 25601 Let’s Talk Waivers, Racism, Fees & Trainees https://appraisersblogs.com/lets-talk-racism-appraisal-waivers-fees-n-trainees https://appraisersblogs.com/lets-talk-racism-appraisal-waivers-fees-n-trainees#comments Wed, 19 May 2021 12:30:01 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=25260 Frank Garay with National Real Estate Post interviewed Mark Skapinetz on Monday May 17, 2021. They discussed racism, entry into the appraisal field, appraisal fees and appraisal waivers. Frank intends on having Mark back to discuss other issues at hand within the appraisal industry. Kudos to NREP for using their platform to allow boots on the ground appraisers explain the current state of affairs with regards to the appraisal profession. On racism and racial bias allegations, Mark explains What we don’t know is the other side of it. We don’t know the appraiser side of it. We haven’t seen any...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/lets-talk-racism-appraisal-waivers-fees-n-trainees/feed/ 18 25260 Reconciling the Erosion Within My Profession https://appraisersblogs.com/reconciling-the-erosion-within-my-profession-preserving-the-public-trust https://appraisersblogs.com/reconciling-the-erosion-within-my-profession-preserving-the-public-trust#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2020 12:30:02 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=24356 The continued reliance of unregulated aggregators and bifurcated products continues to erode the public trust at the expense of discarding the profession specifically intended to promote the public trust. How does this protect the public?… On June 14, 2005 Steve Jobs told a class of graduates, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward” Around the same time, I was appointed as the sole residential member of the appraisal licensing board of my state. Little did I realize that this 2005 governor-appointed position would eventually lead me to sharing a stage in 2018 with...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/reconciling-the-erosion-within-my-profession-preserving-the-public-trust/feed/ 12 24356 Fee Transparency, Pivotal Point for Appraisers https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-fee-transparency-act-2019-pivotal-point-4-appraisers https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-fee-transparency-act-2019-pivotal-point-4-appraisers#comments Wed, 23 Oct 2019 12:30:10 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=22985 …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...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-fee-transparency-act-2019-pivotal-point-4-appraisers/feed/ 21 22985 DOJ Goes after CoreLogic! https://appraisersblogs.com/doj-vs-corelogic-appraisal-data-secrecy https://appraisersblogs.com/doj-vs-corelogic-appraisal-data-secrecy#comments Tue, 28 May 2019 12:30:23 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=21998 If the DOJ investigation proves fruitful, it is possible appraisal data could be investigated as well… The Department of Justice has sent a Civil Information Demand (CID) notice to CoreLogic. The CID requires CoreLogic turn over documents and answer questions. The article by Rob Hahn explains that the case revolves around not only the search features of the MLS systems, but the contracts and agreements on the use of MLS data by CoreLogic. If this investigation proves fruitful, it is possible appraisal data could be investigated as well. If this is the case, it will be a fast rolling snowball...

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]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/doj-vs-corelogic-appraisal-data-secrecy/feed/ 7 21998 NY AMC Law Sends Shockwaves https://appraisersblogs.com/ny-amc-law-sends-shockwaves-through-amcs https://appraisersblogs.com/ny-amc-law-sends-shockwaves-through-amcs#comments Wed, 01 May 2019 12:30:45 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=21436 Back on April 19th, I wrote about the New York AMC law in my Housing Notes newsletter. After years of AMCs chipping away at the public trust, the New York AMC law was designed to protect the consumer. The bill summary was: Relates to the registration of real estate appraisal management companies or an individual or business entity that provides appraisal management services to creditors or to secondary mortgage market participants including affiliates by the department of state. Last week, AppraisersBlogs ran it as a standalone post and I got a lot of feedback. To be clear, the bill was...

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