…there is a shortage of appraisers willing to work for sub-par fees and unrealistic turn around times… The American Guild of Appraisers has already heard from many of our North Dakota and nearby states members on the above request. The most recurrent complaint is that there is no numerical shortage of appraisers in North Dakota (approximately 300+-) as well as adjacent states appraisers that regularly cross over to serve client needs there (another 30 to 40+-). What I am told is that there is a shortage of appraisers willing to work for sub-par fees and unrealistic turn around times! There...
Audit amc’s for C&R payment compliance nationally… A wrongful denial of that immunity is effectively unreviewable because it subjects states and related entities to the indignity of defending sovereign action through protracted litigation. Delaying appeals or orders denying state action immunity will interfere with their regulatory freedom by distracting officials from their duties and hindering their discretionary actions. Please allow me to help with a summary of the past 10 years in the appraisal industry. Amc’s are billion dollar companies and they circumvent many long standing ethic and spirit of regulatory compliance laws in states where they operate. They shop...
…surveys indicate that appraisals ordered directly by lenders take much less time… Dear Colleagues, There is a current narrative that appraisals take too long and cost the consumer too much! Does this sound accurate? Preliminary coalition surveys indicate that appraisals ordered directly by lenders take much less time than appraisals ordered by AMCs. Additionally, the cost of Hybrid Appraisals has been disclosed in reports as $495 being paid to the AMC. How is this a savings to the consumer? They get an inferior valuation product and pay the same price as a full appraisal. Who is truly benefiting from this scenario? Fannie...
States Support Louisiana Real Estate Appraiser Board against the FTC States (and appraisers) are very interested in the outcome of the LREAB vs FTC to protect their own sovereign actions. On July 11, 2018, the states of Mississippi, Idaho, Iowa, Rhode Island, and Utah filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit supporting the Louisiana Real Estate Appraiser Board. See the entire brief here or below. The outcome of this will impact each and every one of us. As we reported a few days ago, one lender, BB&T, has opted to step up...
No, I am not really going to talk about a Limbo game. I am referring to the stock of a company promoting hybrid appraisals across the country. Representatives of this company are at every industry meeting, promoting their products, often times invited to speak. You are probably sick of hearing about hybrid appraisals by now and honestly, so am I. So I will keep any verbiage about hybrids in the context of reference only and try not to bash them too much. If you are regular reader of Appraisersblogs, you probably have seen many articles about Clarocity Corporation. A quick...
Treasury report calling for a more digitalized mortgage process, including the use of AVMs, hybrid appraisals & appraisal waivers… A few days ago, HousingWire reported the Trump Administration calling for sweeping changes to the financial ecosystem. In short, the article references a report by the Department of the Treasury calling for a more digitalized mortgage process, including the use of AVMs, hybrid appraisals and appraisal waivers. The HousingWire article has a link to the Treasury Report, which is 222 pages or you can click here to read the report. VaCAP has received a copy of the ASA’s response to the Treasury Report....
It appears the government sees the future of appraising as one driven largely by Automated Valuation Models, Hybrids, and outright appraisal waivers…. The title for this article comes from a famous quote by Joseph Heller (the author of Catch-22 fame). I thought of his pithy quote when reading the recommendations by the Department of Treasury to the president. The title of the report: “A Financial System That Creates Economic Opportunities Nonbank Financials, Fintech, and Innovation” seems innocuous enough. However, some decidedly non-innocuous observations / recommendations regarding the appraisal industry appear starting on page 103. The report starts off promising enough;...
Fellow appraisers I strongly discourage anyone from accepting AMROCK Valuations work generally due to their poor track record in dealing with appraisers across the country; and their apparent habit of making up their own appraisal rules as they go along without regard to C&R fees; Dodd Frank and most other common sense sound appraisal practices up to and including USPAP. Y’all remember USPAP don’t you? A series of uniform rules we’d all follow to promote, preserve and protect the American real estate appraisal profession and the American Public. That is until it became an inconvenient impediment to MISMO; FNMA and...
Is the property inspection by an unlicensed person considered assistance? We came across an article written by fellow appraiser, George Dell. Some of you may have heard of him, read his blog, or taken one of his classes. This article “What is a Hybrid?” hits home to many of us and thought it was worthy of sharing. Those promoting hybrid appraisals have been claiming USPAP compliance. Well anyone who has ever taken a USPAP class knows no form or product is USPAP compliant. The appraiser’s actions are what make a report USPAP compliant. In George’s article he points out the discrepancies...
Registration Act, reinserts the definition of “appraisal firm”… Bifurcated (Hybrid) Appraisals Take Another Hit Last week VaCAP shared some information questioning the legality of these products in Virginia. This week Phil Crawford, Voice of Appraisal, talks about the ethical side of them and how appraisers completing these could be on the receiving end of legal actions. Listen to show E206 at Voice of Appraisal NAR Appraiser Liability Webinar On July 17, 2018, the National Association of Realtors along with Peter Christensen from LIA, presented a Webinar on liability issues for appraisers. A strong concern about the certifications exists that open up liability...