Appraisers Regulated out of Commission
A shift of regulations intended to prevent lending companies from influencing — or worse, inflating — home values during the appraisal process nearly put an entire industry of people out of work during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, according to industry experts. But what happened to independent home appraisers is a topic that almost no one talks about outside the real estate industry. After a parade of subprime home loans and shoddy lending practices by mortgage lenders brought the real estate market to its knees, the real estate-appraisal process was targeted in an effort to protect consumers....
