Appraisal Management Company - Appraisers Blogs https://appraisersblogs.com/tag/appraisal-management/ Appraisal News and Tips for Real Estate Appraisers Mon, 07 Sep 2026 23:57:00 +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 Appraisal Management Company - Appraisers Blogs https://appraisersblogs.com/tag/appraisal-management/ 32 32 52046035 Valutrust Turns the ROV Into a Pressure Tool https://appraisersblogs.com/valutrust-turns-the-rov-into-a-pressure-tool/ https://appraisersblogs.com/valutrust-turns-the-rov-into-a-pressure-tool/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:30:56 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=34995 Valutrust demonstrated with stunning clarity that the real threat to independence is not the lender at all, but the AMC that believes it can steer value without consequence.  Every so often a social media post surfaces that exposes the AMC problem with such clarity that it almost reads like satire. One recent social media post described an exchange with a Valutrust staff appraiser that perfectly illustrates how far some AMCs have drifted from anything resembling appraiser independence. The staff appraiser opened with the classic AMC dominance line. I have been appraising longer than you have been alive. It is the...

Related Posts:

The post Valutrust Turns the ROV Into a Pressure Tool appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/valutrust-turns-the-rov-into-a-pressure-tool/feed/ 11 34995 If the Management Model Is So righteous, Spread It Around https://appraisersblogs.com/if-the-management-model-is-so-righteous-spread-it-around/ https://appraisersblogs.com/if-the-management-model-is-so-righteous-spread-it-around/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:30:46 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=34987 If the management model were truly noble, it would not stop at appraisers. Yet somehow the babysitting service never expands beyond us.  Once upon a time there was a profession that stood between the public and chaos. For forty five years I watched that profession take every punch the mortgage world could invent. Every market dip, every delayed closing, every regulatory shift, every headline looking for a villain landed on the appraiser. We carried it because we understood the role. We were the guardrail. But when the word racist became fashionable, that was the breaking point. Appraisers were already the...

Related Posts:

The post If the Management Model Is So righteous, Spread It Around appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/if-the-management-model-is-so-righteous-spread-it-around/feed/ 20 34987 It’s Time to Take Out the Junk: AMC Practices Exposed https://appraisersblogs.com/time-2-take-out-the-junk-amc-practices-exposed/ https://appraisersblogs.com/time-2-take-out-the-junk-amc-practices-exposed/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:30:23 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=34945 Appraisers have spent years carrying the weight of broken AMC practices, and this article pulls every one of those practices into the sunlight so the profession can finally take out the junk. “Evil AMCs thrive not only through active malice, but also through the silence and inaction of those appraisers who could intervene.” — Edmund Burke… if he had been an appraiser It’s a conversation we’ve all had before: “I’ve already got all my information entered. I’m used to the system. I don’t want to learn a new process. I guess I’ll just keep paying the extra couple of dollars...

Related Posts:

The post It’s Time to Take Out the Junk: AMC Practices Exposed appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/time-2-take-out-the-junk-amc-practices-exposed/feed/ 42 34945 First the Borrower Fee. Now the Appraiser Compensation in Court https://appraisersblogs.com/first-the-borrower-fee-now-the-appraiser-compensation-in-court/ https://appraisersblogs.com/first-the-borrower-fee-now-the-appraiser-compensation-in-court/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:30:56 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=34918 Two lawsuits place Class Valuation’s fee transparency and staff-appraiser compensation practices under federal scrutiny. Most appraisal disputes examine only one part of the transaction. Two pending lawsuits involving Class Valuation, LLC approach the appraisal process from opposite directions. One asks whether staff appraisers were properly compensated for overtime. The other asks whether a homeowner was properly informed about how an appraisal-related fee was divided. The cases are legally separate. They involve different plaintiffs, statutes, and courts, and neither has produced a finding that Class Valuation violated the law. Viewed together, however, they raise a question the appraisal profession has asked...

Related Posts:

The post First the Borrower Fee. Now the Appraiser Compensation in Court appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/first-the-borrower-fee-now-the-appraiser-compensation-in-court/feed/ 33 34918 When Solidifi Tried to Silence Samnick https://appraisersblogs.com/when-solidifi-tried-to-silence-samnick/ https://appraisersblogs.com/when-solidifi-tried-to-silence-samnick/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:30:26 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=33599 David Samnick has spent years warning that the AMC model would eventually expose its own contradictions. He is a Georgia appraiser, a long time critic of AMC practices, and the author of Mein Comp: The Last Appraiser, a book that traces how independence in the profession was eroded year after year by expanding corporate control. Samnick walked away from mortgage work two years ago, stopped accepting AMC assignments entirely, and now works only for private clients. He has never completed an assignment for Clear Capital. Yet despite having no active relationship with Solidifi and no reliance on their panel, he...

Related Posts:

The post When Solidifi Tried to Silence Samnick appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/when-solidifi-tried-to-silence-samnick/feed/ 44 33599 Property Valuation and the Future of Data Collection https://appraisersblogs.com/property-valuation-and-the-future-of-data-collection/ https://appraisersblogs.com/property-valuation-and-the-future-of-data-collection/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2026 12:30:58 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=33578 Property valuation is shifting fast, and the push to regulate who collects the data inside people’s homes will determine whether the process stays accurate, safe and trustworthy.  Property data collection has quietly become one of the most consequential shifts in modern real estate, reshaping how lenders, AMCs and national platforms gather the information that ultimately determines a homeowner’s equity, a buyer’s loan terms and the integrity of the appraisal process itself. Yet most consumers have no idea who is actually walking through their home, measuring rooms, photographing conditions or documenting features. In many states, the answer is startling: no license,...

Related Posts:

The post Property Valuation and the Future of Data Collection appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/property-valuation-and-the-future-of-data-collection/feed/ 31 33578 The Board Has Spoken, and AMCs Should Pay Attention https://appraisersblogs.com/the-board-has-spoken-n-amcs-should-pay-attention/ https://appraisersblogs.com/the-board-has-spoken-n-amcs-should-pay-attention/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2026 12:30:02 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=33488 The Board handled this case with the same patience appraisers have when an AMC sends “preferred comps” from another planet.  Virginia’s Real Estate Appraiser Board delivered a message at its June meeting that was impossible to miss. An attorney appeared on behalf of Financial Asset Services and Brandon Sison, asking the Board to reconsider the discipline handed down in March. The request arrived without the AMC or Sison themselves, which already set an interesting tone. When you ask a regulatory board to undo a suspension, showing up in person is usually a good start. The March decision was clear. The...

Related Posts:

The post The Board Has Spoken, and AMCs Should Pay Attention appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/the-board-has-spoken-n-amcs-should-pay-attention/feed/ 16 33488 Suspended: The AMC That Turned “Review” Into a Value Demand https://appraisersblogs.com/suspended-the-amc-that-turned-review-into-a-value-demand/ https://appraisersblogs.com/suspended-the-amc-that-turned-review-into-a-value-demand/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:30:14 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=33277 Financial Asset Services and its chief appraiser did not just cross the line of appraiser independence, they marched past it so boldly that the Virginia Board suspended them both. In a rare twist involving a reverse mortgage, the push for a lower value became so aggressive that the Board ultimately issued a second suspended license to drive the point home.  The Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals recently highlighted a case that should make every appraiser pause. Financial Asset Services (FAS) was hired to manage a reverse mortgage appraisal, a product where the pressure often runs in the opposite direction. Instead...

Related Posts:

The post Suspended: The AMC That Turned “Review” Into a Value Demand appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/suspended-the-amc-that-turned-review-into-a-value-demand/feed/ 36 33277 From Dealerships to AMCs: Tech Fees as the New Normal https://appraisersblogs.com/from-dealerships-2-amcs-tech-fees-as-the-new-normal/ https://appraisersblogs.com/from-dealerships-2-amcs-tech-fees-as-the-new-normal/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2026 13:30:23 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=33228 Tech fees have spread so far and wide that even my oil change felt like a crash course in AMC logic. Last year I went to the dealership for a simple oil change. Nothing dramatic. I was prepared to drink bad waiting room coffee, scroll my phone, and leave. Instead, the service rep came out with the classic “while we had it up on the lift” routine and told me I needed new brakes. Fine. I approved the $1,200 estimate. Not fun, but expected. When the work was done, I went to pay and noticed a mysterious $60 surcharge added...

Related Posts:

The post From Dealerships to AMCs: Tech Fees as the New Normal appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/from-dealerships-2-amcs-tech-fees-as-the-new-normal/feed/ 45 33228 The AMC Industry Won’t Be Toppled by Code https://appraisersblogs.com/the-amc-industry-wont-b-toppled-by-code/ https://appraisersblogs.com/the-amc-industry-wont-b-toppled-by-code/#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:30:23 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=32940 Call me when AI stops summarizing and starts suing, because until it drags the AMC industry into court, raids their coffers, and rewires the entire system they broke, it’s just another overhyped spectator in the plunder parade.  We’ve entered an era where more people are giving AI broader directives, asking bigger questions, and expecting deeper responses, only to receive yet another AI-generated summary. But what, exactly, is AI doing in response? That’s the real limitation of the tech. Right now, millions are spinning their wheels in digital circles, posing complex problems to a machine built to mimic intelligence. And when...

Related Posts:

The post The AMC Industry Won’t Be Toppled by Code appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/the-amc-industry-wont-b-toppled-by-code/feed/ 17 32940 Realtor Fined $10,000 for Impersonating an Appraiser https://appraisersblogs.com/realtor-fined-10000-for-impersonating-an-appraiser/ https://appraisersblogs.com/realtor-fined-10000-for-impersonating-an-appraiser/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:30:58 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=32637 Impersonating an Appraiser – The Costly Consequences of Playing Dress-Up in Real Estate.  Being an appraiser isn’t for the faint of heart. The job requires thick skin, a strong moral compass, and an unwavering commitment to impartiality. There are times when you have to stand your ground, even when clients plead with you to sway the value. Sometimes, the market tells a story that’s not what people want to hear. Whether it’s a low appraisal for a refinance or a high one for a divorce, appraisers have to stay true to the facts. No matter how much pressure is applied....

Related Posts:

The post Realtor Fined $10,000 for Impersonating an Appraiser appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/realtor-fined-10000-for-impersonating-an-appraiser/feed/ 46 32637 AMCs Deceptive Fee Skimming Exposed in Lawsuit https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-deceptive-fee-skimming-exposed-in-lawsuit/ https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-deceptive-fee-skimming-exposed-in-lawsuit/#comments Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:30:23 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=32588 Rocket Mortgage and the AMCs actively conceal this fee skimming from borrowers, never disclosing the proportion of the “appraisal fee” that is pocketed by the AMC rather than being paid to the appraiser.  The class action lawsuit, Timmins v. Clear Capital, et al., filed on November 1 in the Superior Court of California, County of Stanislaus, sheds light on the deceptive and unfair business practices allegedly perpetrated by ClearCapital.com, Inc., Core Valuation Management, Inc., and Rocket Mortgage, LLC in relation to the appraisal fees charged to borrowers in home mortgage transactions. The complaint asserts that these defendants engaged in a...

Related Posts:

The post AMCs Deceptive Fee Skimming Exposed in Lawsuit appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal-management-companies-deceptive-fee-skimming-exposed-in-lawsuit/feed/ 67 32588 The New Con: Hybrids, Waivers & AMCs Threaten Public Trust https://appraisersblogs.com/the-new-con-hybrids-waivers-amcs-threaten-public-trust/ https://appraisersblogs.com/the-new-con-hybrids-waivers-amcs-threaten-public-trust/#comments Mon, 16 Dec 2024 13:30:39 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=31628 Hybrid Appraisals, Appraisal Waivers and Appraisal Management Companies are the new Con.  Last month marked the 7-year anniversary of Appraiser Fest. The conference was truly like nothing that had been done before. It was organized by appraisers for appraisers. The agenda was more about bringing the profession together and protecting the public trust. Appraiser Fest was not about promoting the profit of others at the expense of appraisers; nor was it about hiding the unchecked facts of fraud and ill doings against consumers. It was about public awareness and trust. It all started with a renewed sense of energy with...

Related Posts:

The post The New Con: Hybrids, Waivers & AMCs Threaten Public Trust appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/the-new-con-hybrids-waivers-amcs-threaten-public-trust/feed/ 66 31628 The Great Debate on Appraisal Fees https://appraisersblogs.com/the-appraisal-fee-debate-exposing-the-amc-fee-deception/ https://appraisersblogs.com/the-appraisal-fee-debate-exposing-the-amc-fee-deception/#comments Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:30:09 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=31465 She included several different fee split examples indicating AMCs retained as much as 70 percent of the total appraisal fee paid by the borrower, which prompted her to stop working with AMCs because of the lack of transparency.  The appraisal industry is abuzz with a discussion about appraisal fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued a Request for Information Regarding Fees Imposed in Residential Mortgage Transactions [Docket No. CFPB-2024-0021] in which it solicited feedback from the public and industry stakeholders on the fees charged to consumers by mortgage providers and related settlement services. The CFPB framed it as...

Related Posts:

The post The Great Debate on Appraisal Fees appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/the-appraisal-fee-debate-exposing-the-amc-fee-deception/feed/ 32 31465 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...

Related Posts:

The post Lack of Fee Transparency: Exposing the AMC Exploitation appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/lack-of-fee-transparency-exposing-the-amc-exploitation/feed/ 71 31182 Uncovering Flaws in FHA Appraisal & Loan Review Process https://appraisersblogs.com/uncovering-flaws-in-fha-appraisal-n-loan-review-process/ https://appraisersblogs.com/uncovering-flaws-in-fha-appraisal-n-loan-review-process/#comments Mon, 15 Jul 2024 12:30:32 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=31044 The story of this single mother’s harrowing experience with a defective home purchase and HUD’s negligent oversight exposes deep flaws in the FHA appraisal and loan review process. After sacrificing for years to rebuild her credit and earn the right to become a homeowner, this borrower found her dream home in the country – or so she thought. During the home inspection, several issues were flagged. The seller, an investor who had purchased the home in an estate sale, was unaware of the septic system’s location. The seller agreed to have the tanks pumped so the location could be determined....

Related Posts:

  • Scope Creep & the Imploding of Rules ...the imploding rules then implemented, and the scope creep that evolved because the cart was leading the horse, has severely…
  • The Appraisal Problem Gone are the days of hiring a professional appraiser to solve the appraisal problem. For decades lenders have taken on…
  • AMC Reviews of Appraisals Only the lender's Underwriter should be able to request changes to the report and the lender should be the one…

The post Uncovering Flaws in FHA Appraisal & Loan Review Process appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/uncovering-flaws-in-fha-appraisal-n-loan-review-process/feed/ 44 31044 Automatic Review of Photos in Appraisal Reports https://appraisersblogs.com/automatic-review-of-photos-in-appraisal-reports/ https://appraisersblogs.com/automatic-review-of-photos-in-appraisal-reports/#comments Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:30:05 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=31024 It means the statements in your appraisal reports about the actual component material, and its quality and current condition, can be challenged by computer software.  Folks, this news release (below) was in several publications on Wed, June 19, 2024. These kinds of releases are mostly factual, but are often embellished to present a particular ‘owner’ point of view to influence opinion about products. I remember listening to Jeff Bradford many years ago who discussed the early stage process to electronically review photos. He said it was pretty difficult then. But that was before we began hearing about “A.I.” – artificial...

Related Posts:

The post Automatic Review of Photos in Appraisal Reports appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/automatic-review-of-photos-in-appraisal-reports/feed/ 22 31024 LoanDepot Appraisal Discrimination Settlement https://appraisersblogs.com/loandepot-appraisal-discrimination-settlement/ https://appraisersblogs.com/loandepot-appraisal-discrimination-settlement/#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:30:18 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=30606 Connolly and Mott v. Lanham, 20/20 Valuations, and loanDepot.com, U.S. District Court, Maryland. This is one of the appraisal discrimination cases that has received significant attention – among appraisers, the media and government agencies. A Black couple in Baltimore – Dr. Connolly and Dr. Mott, both university professors – filed suit in August 2022 alleging racial discrimination against loanDepot.com and the appraiser it engaged to appraise their home for a refinance. They alleged that the appraiser had taken into account their race in his valuation of their home in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act and other laws prohibiting...

Related Posts:

The post LoanDepot Appraisal Discrimination Settlement appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/loandepot-appraisal-discrimination-settlement/feed/ 33 30606 Let’s All Build the Gallows Together https://appraisersblogs.com/lets-all-build-the-gallows-together/ https://appraisersblogs.com/lets-all-build-the-gallows-together/#comments Thu, 15 Feb 2024 13:30:10 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=30380 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have issued a clarion call to all appraisers to pitch in and help build the gallows from which they will hang us all in 2025. The mission is to “modernize” the appraisal profession into a skeleton crew of compliant zombies who will be rubber stamping appraisal reports for $25 each (Source: Voice of Appraisal) from the dark confines of their private offices. “Grab some nails, get your hammer, pick up that saw and let’s build a new gallows… I mean model, that gives lenders everything they want and need to inflate the housing market into...

Related Posts:

The post Let’s All Build the Gallows Together appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/lets-all-build-the-gallows-together/feed/ 61 30380 Class Valuation Maximizing ROV Conversion Rates https://appraisersblogs.com/class-valuation-brags-about-maximizing-rov-conversion-rates/ https://appraisersblogs.com/class-valuation-brags-about-maximizing-rov-conversion-rates/#comments Fri, 09 Feb 2024 13:30:06 +0000 https://appraisersblogs.com/?p=30349 It’s truly mind-boggling that a company would brag about their higher ROV conversion rates for the ROV process as if it’s some kind of badge of honor. Recently, Class Valuation took to social media to boast about their Reconsideration of Value’s process (ROVs), claiming higher conversion rates and urging clients to choose them for a confident closing. Any company that is touting they have the highest ROV conversion rates should raise some red flags. The process of ROVs is meant to be a last resort when there are legitimate concerns or discrepancies in an appraisal report. It should not be...

Related Posts:

The post Class Valuation Maximizing ROV Conversion Rates appeared on Appraisers Blogs.

]]> https://appraisersblogs.com/class-valuation-brags-about-maximizing-rov-conversion-rates/feed/ 50 30349