Yet another expert who is making gazillions of dollars using "virtual assistants and outsourcing"… I have been blessed in my life with more than my share of good friends. I’m talking about the lifelong kind. The kind we maintain friendships over 30; 40 or even 50+ years. My Mother and Father have always told me you can never really have too many real friends. They were right. So, at my age I don’t need or consciously seek to make enemies. Just as I have had more than my fair share of true friends, I’ve probably also had my share of...
How can TAF claim to be any kind of authority, let alone "THE foremost authority" for any of the other disciplines? I personally like and respect the individuals I’ve met from TAF. My strenuous disagreement with TAF are the policies and actions. Not the individuals. The opening or introductory remarks on The Appraisal Foundation’s web page state: The Appraisal Foundation (Foundation) is the nation’s foremost authority on the valuation profession [emphasis added]. The organization sets the Congressionally-authorized standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers and provides voluntary guidance on recognized valuation methods and techniques for all valuation professionals. This work advances...
I understand that Mr. Klosterman gets paid to deceive & misrepresent on behalf of his principals who are promoting the meme of appraiser shortage… Fellow Appraisers, In a variety of posts here on AppraisersBlogs we have had the somewhat veiled or at least unclear perspective of a banking interest lobbyist being self-promoted (Bankers League?). When I responded in a manner I felt was applicable based on his specific post he was offended. You be the judges, please. Following are copies of his linkedIn communications to me. Copied from Mr. Klosterman’s message post above for ease of reading: “Nice timing Mike,...
Kudos to Congressman Member Jeb Hensarling! House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) is one of the few federal watchdogs that ‘gets it’ on Fannie Mae’s & all GSE’s operations. All appraisers that have watched Fannie Mae’s changes in policies over the past 3+ years knew it was only a matter of time before they would need another taxpayer bailout. What we didn’t know was that it would be this soon. Most of us assumed it would be after the next crash that their reckless policies trigger. Reading the recent press release from the House Financial Services Committee, my...
Appraisal? Obviously its only worth ten bucks – off to India with it… Most appraisers (and consumers) know the difference between ‘right and wrong’. We don’t need the tortuous, twisted ambiguities of ASB straddling the fence, on all issues to know what is and is not okay. So far ALL they do is hypothesize that bad products can theoretically be used, IF they conform to all the USPAP rules that we all already know they fall short of. As in every single exception being sought for regulatory exceptions in the financial sector, only impractical, not very probable, best case scenarios...
30 days after implementation of the last changes, ASB/TAF is already admitting they think the current USPAP is inadequate and requires substantial change. They’re ALREADY Doing It Again! On January 30, 2018 the Appraisal Standards Board announced the release of their Discussion Draft for the 2020-2021 USPAP based in part on a survey from 2017 & prior draft comments. I’m confused. Didn’t we just have the 2018-2019 become effective 30 days ago? Should all those that have not yet purchased 2018-2019 just save their money and wait for the significantly revised 2020-2021 revisions? Rely on word of mouth and online...
An evaluation is NOT required to meet USPAP requirements… I went over the bills VaCAP requested action on (see VaCAP Legislative Call to Action) and wanted to share my views as it appears they were interested in individual views. HB 1453 Real estate appraisers; changes definition of evaluations. Introduced by: R. Lee Ware SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Real estate appraisers; evaluations. Changes the definition of "evaluation" from an analysis, opinion, or conclusion relating to the nature, quality, value, or utility of specified interests in, or aspects of, identified real property to an opinion of the market value of real property or real...
$10 a pop ‘Made in India’ BPO… When saying you’re 'sari' just won’t do. The Blackstone Group is nothing short of legendary. To say it is a 'Big Deal' is an understatement squared. A little background from their website. “Who We Are Our investments are designed to preserve and grow our limited partners’ capital, provide financial security for millions of retirees, sovereign wealth funds, and other institutional and individual investors, and contribute to overall economic growth.” An honorable & worthy objective by any measure. Helping retirees on fixed income, little old ladies, grandmothers and mothers, albeit wealthy ones I’d guess. Sovereign...
Open invitation for spurious reconsideration requests… No thank you. I just checked your website and glanced at your “clients” tab, Reconsideration request form. It pretty well negates all the puffed up hyperbole in your email invitation. It is people like you that are the problem, not solutions. Do you think a one of two items drop down menu is an adequate reason for asking an appraiser to reconsider their value? Do you not see a need to request a full and thorough explanation as to why your clients might be asking for a reconsideration? At a minimum didn’t you feel...
What could lure these successful 'professionals' from their chosen careers? Fellow appraisers, I just received an advertisement for a company that wants to pay ‘me’ $50.00 an hour to do desktop appraisals. Actually, probably not me, because they prefer a degree. Now, my routine hourly rate for complex appraisal assignments is $150 ($500 for EW and something variable in between for pretty much everything else). So they are asking me to take a cut of 2/3… assuming I could meet their degree requirement “preference”. It got me thinking. I cannot always command my hourly rate for 8 hours a day,...
