Appraisal News and Appraisal Tips For Real Estate Appraisers - Your source for appraisal industry news, appraisers' opinions, and discussions of appraisal issues

AMC staff appraiser positions and the lack of public protection and trust 1

Virginia Appraisers in the Spotlight Again

AMC staff appraisers are not independent If you have not already done so, please listen to the Voice of Appraisal with Phil Crawford. Once again, Phil has brought Virginia into the spot light. This is the third show Phil has talked about AMC staff appraiser positions and the lack of public protection and trust. Thank You Phil and Kevin! Listen to the show at the bottom of this article. Please attend and speak against AMCs hiring staff appraisers to complete the appraisal reports. By definition, an AMC and an appraiser have two very different functions. Even the National Association of...

The 1004D for Disaster Inspections 8

The 1004D for Disaster Inspections – Advice

When Disaster Happens… Appraisers, The phrase “disasters happen” is, unfortunately, all too common. Fires, floods, vehicle accidents, wind storms, hurricanes, tornadoes are all factors that can affect real property. When a local disaster happens, and is officially declared, lenders often ask appraisers to observe the current condition of their mortgaged properties. The assignment date may be days, weeks or months after the declared disaster. The hiccups, hang-ups and head scratching occurs when the lender or AMC asks for a ‘Disaster Inspection Condition Report’ to be done on the wonderful 1004D form. Something it is not designed to do. And this...

Non-USPAP states - appraisers liability limited to appraisal fee 6

Is this the END of USPAP?

Non-USPAP States – Is this the END of USPAP? I recently got an email from an appraiser I have high regards for. He asked me a simple question that got me thinking. It was: “Why don’t a group of appraisers get together and form an AMC?” I found that an interesting concept. It has been done. Coester was an appraiser and now he is just an AMC. Allen Hummel, an Appraisal Institute icon, has an AMC. Why not? We know it better than anyone. But the devil is in the details. Appraiser’s liability for mistakes or omissions in this appraisal...

Real, Real Estate Reform Needed 5

Real, Real Estate Reform Needed

What a crazy system we have grown into since Dodd-Frank. All this talk about “Big Data” and “Standardization” makes me want to scream! Enough is enough. Before we get to the appraisal process discussion, let’s talk about how real estate is priced all across this country. Realtors® price homes, period. No Big Data, no thoughts of mortgage risk, accuracy, consistency, transparency, and no one is looking over their shoulders asking “why” on every choice they make. No regression analysis, no quality or condition ratings, not too much of anything that resembles an appraisal these days. Yet, they are quick to...

Independent Appraiser Takeover by AMCs 34

An AMC Takeover is Coming!

AMCs completing appraisal reports in direct competition with the independent appraiser As an appraiser, you have probably seen or heard that AMCs are hiring staff appraisers to complete appraisal assignments in local markets. What does this mean for independent fee appraisers? Here is some background information to consider. 54.1-2020 of the Code of Virginia states: An Appraisal Management Company is “a person or entity that (i) administers a network of independent contract appraisers, receives requests for appraisals from clients, and receives a fee paid by the client for the appraisals and (ii) enters into an agreement with one or more...

College Degree Requirement Misguided & Elitist - AppraisersBlogs 12

College Degree Requirement Misguided

The college degree requirement seems more like a forced attempt at elevating the status of the profession by closing the club, and that strikes me as elitist. I know about half of you disagree but the college degree requirement for Certification was a wrong turn for the industry. To its credit the Appraisal Foundation (TAF) is on the right track in trying to find a way out of the corner it has painted the profession into but it doesn’t look like it intends to go far enough in fixing the problem. As we all know by now, veteran appraisers as...

VaCAP AMC Compliance Notification 9

Compliance Notification to AMCs

Virginia Coalition of Appraisal Professionals’ Courtesy notification to AMCs licensed in Virginia On Monday March 29, 2016, VaCAP sent via email a courtesy notification to each AMC licensed in Virginia along with a copy of the Guidance Document issued by the Department of Professional Occupation Regulation. They will follow up with a hard copy to each licensed AMC next week as well. VaCAP continues to Unite, Preserve and Promote the collective interests of all appraisal professionals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. To all Licensed AMCs in Virginia: This correspondence is intended as the Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals (VaCAP) courtesy...

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Simply too BIG to Say No to…

If they can’t even get their own PACE Pro form right, how are these alternative “valuation” providers going to get something as complicated as the value right? First American, and to some extent similar large scale conglomerate “players”, supply everything to the transaction: from the Home Warranty for the buyer, to the escrow services, to the mortgage company, to the mortgage servicer, to the title company, to the appraisal management company, to the appraiser panelists, to the software company that DESIGNS the software used for PACE Pro and almost all other appraisal software (ACI), to the BPO providers, to the...

AMC bidding game 35

AMCs Bidding Game

An appraiser’s response to AMCs bidding system. Recently, we came across an interesting story and thought it’s something fruitful that needs to be shared. If you receive “appraisal orders by email-blast”, you may find the below “template” useful. This was inspired by another appraiser. We encourage appraisers to copy this defacto response or adapt your content to suit your context/circumstances. We need to work together as a group in our efforts to fight AMCs’ bidding system and put an end on low bid appraisal ordering. Dear AMC, If your company consistently calls for bid quotes and is unable to assign...

Cracking Down on Appraiser Licenses & Higher Fees 12

Cracking Down on Appraiser Licenses & Higher Fees

Now they’re saying your license has to be revoked! The Federal Government is cracking down on appraiser licenses that were issued by the states where the applicant did not meet the “new” TAF requirements. Several states have this problem. Virginia is in that mix. About nine appraiser licenses were issued that the Federal Government is now saying have to be revoked. About half of these people have reached out to me. There is not a lot I can do or VACAP can do. But the state will be addressing this issue over the next couple of board meetings. So if...

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