Tagged: appraisal news

AMC Asking Appraisers to Violate State Law 40

AMC Asking Appraisers to Violate State Law

…inducing another to violate… Appraisers Beware! VaCAP has been informed an email has been sent to Virginia Appraisers from Xome Vender Manager, Adam Burg. The email, addressed to “undisclosed recipients,” starts with “Dear Virginia Appraisers.” The body of the email announces that SunTrust Bank has begun ordering a bifurcated valuation product with an interior inspection. The appraiser is to use information from a third party property inspection for subject property data. VaCAP cautions appraisers on this product. Virginia Statutes and Regulations are very clear the appraiser who signs the appraisal report must have complete direction and control over the appraisal. The Virginia Real Estate Appraisal...

The Proposed Bifurcation of the Appraisal Process. Who Benefits & Why? 15

Shifting Narrative of Appraisal Modernization

…the reasoning for changing the appraisal process has shifted… Is there are Crisis? Rahm Emanuel eloquently stated “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” There has been a narrative that there is a shortage of appraisers. Interestingly, this is not coming from lenders that engage appraisers directly. This is coming from Appraisal Management Companies otherwise known as “Middlemen” and the lenders that employ the Middlemen. These Middlemen will shop an appraisal assignment by blast emails to as many appraisers...

Increased Regulatory Persecution of Real Estate Appraisers - USPAP 21

Increased Regulatory Persecution of Appraisers

The current and proposed revised version of USPAP also opens the door to increased regulatory persecution of licensed and certified real estate appraisers, while leaving all others that opine about values with no constraints, rules or limitations. I was recently asked to consider a proposed change to USPAP. As received in my email: “Also this, in the 3rd exposure draft 239 The appraiser is not required to title an appraisal report using specific terminology because 240 USPAP compliance is measured by the substantive content of a report, not by what the 241 report is called. The use of labels such as analysis,...

Who Is Really on Your Side? The AGA Fights for Appraisers & Our Industry 5

Who Is Really on Your Side?

The AGA wants to make that change. Do you? We have all seen the the commercials for Nationwide Insurance and that they are on your side. As real estate appraisers do we know who is really on our side? There are so many organizations that represent appraisers. Many claim to help appraisers, many do help appraisers, many are out there to fight for appraisers, many offer education and many just want us to join them in their own agenda journey made up of false narrative and false promises. I’m not here to force you to join anything. I support the...

USPAP Confidentiality Questions... Can Using a Contractor Be a Violation? 7

USPAP & Questions on Confidentiality

How can using such a contractor not be a violation? In the context of a real estate appraisal, especially a residential real estate appraisal for a lender thru an AMC, what is confidential? First, look at USPAP’s definition of confidential information (lines 105 – 108 in the 2018-2019 edition). It says “confidential information [is] information that is either…identified by the client as confidential when providing it to an appraiser and that is not available from any other source; or…classified as confidential or private by applicable law or regulation” (ibid; emphasis added). Notice confidentiality flows to the client, not to any...

Bonding Company Info for CoesterVMS for if You Are Owed Money 11

Bond Company for CoesterVMS

…contact information for the bonding company… Appraisers, if any of you are owed money for unpaid appraisals from CoesterVMS, you might want to read and save this message. However, first…often, bonding companies require a Superior Court judgement in writing before they will pay up. So you may need to follow that process in your state. You will need to have invoices for all unpaid reports which document the property address, and report file number, plus lender name if known. A peer appraiser has provided me the name and contact information for the bonding company as filed with the CoesterVMS AMC...

Sweat Equity as Down Payment. No Money to the Table! - AppraisersBlogs 15

No Money to the Table!

Freddie Mac has an Enhanced Sweat Equity Program where borrowers (aka purchasers) can purchase a home and use sweat equity as a down payment and closing costs. No money to the table! Here’s what’s allowed: Sweat equity to be used for the entire amount of down payment and closing costs with maximum 97 percent LTV/105 percent total LTV (affordable seconds). Sweat equity for manufactured homes up to a maximum LTV ratio of 95 percent. Sweat equity as an eligible source of funds for: All repairs and improvements to be completed by the borrower that are listed in the sales contract...

AGA Objects De Minimis Increase Proposal - It is Time to Call out the Liars 40

AGA Objects De Minimis Increase Proposal

We object to the proposal to increase the de minimis threshold at which no appraisal is required… Sirs: The American Guild of Appraisers (AGA), of the Office Professional Employees International Union (#44 OPEIU) of the AFL-CIO represents the members and extended family and retirees, taxpayer and consumer real estate appraisal interests of nearly Twelve and a half million citizens and voters. We object to the proposal to increase the de minimis threshold at which no appraisal is required from $250,000 to $400,000. Respectfully, if anything is done with it at all, lowering it to a range not to exceed $100,000...

Ulterior Motive in Raising De Minimus 20

Ulterior Motive in Raising De Minimus

…raising de minimus shenanigans being promoted… Appraisers, a couple of weeks ago, I sent out a message about a Fee/TT quote conversation I had with an AMC clerk. I received a number of responses from appraisers across this fruited plain who said often they will receive Fee/TT quote requests for the SAME property from MULTIPLE AMC’s. That corroborates stories I hear from appraisers I talk with at conferences. The entire AMC situation is a giant time-wasting game that really doesn’t benefit the borrower at all, and least of all, appraisers. Lenders are the coaches in this game. Another message I received...

Skeptics, traditional, vocational or advanced appraiser. What kind are you? 31

What Kind of Appraiser Are You?

Skeptical skeptics are a rare breed. But growing in number… Different appraisers have different attitudes! Some have a lot of experience, others a lot of education. Others emphasize the ‘art’, while others consider themselves ‘quants’. Let’s put aside the ‘art’ versus ‘science’ discussion, where the artists say: “No computer will ever replace the appraiser”, or “No amount of education will ever replace experience”. The other side seems a bit confused. There are traditionalists. And there are the “advanced” appraisers. And there are the “vocational” appraisers, who don’t seem to care much about all of this. They just want to push through as many reports as possible. The skeptics tend to doubt...

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