Tagged: appraisal news

Staff Appraisers, Monopolies, Labor Shortages 6

Staff Appraisers, Monopolies, Labor Shortages…

The issue of staff appraisers at AMCs and more…. Kilts, Labor Shortages, High Performance Homes, Monopolies, Politics, Surveys and a new direction for VaCAP… all within the last 24 hours! Yesterday was the 2017 Virginia Coalition of Appraiser Professionals (VaCAP) Annual Conference, while we discussed our mission, accomplishments and goals, we voted unanimously to change our by-laws to allow our continued growth. Moving forward our processes will be streamlined and we will be offering educational opportunities for our members. We discussed current issues in Louisiana with the FTC and how the outcome will impact the industry throughout the country, monopolistic...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News

Copyright of Appraisal Reports: Control Over Our Own Intellectual Property 42

Copyright of Appraisal Reports – Again

Why do we need a copyright in the first place? Before deciding whether you need to copyright, or whether it is too complex or not I urge all to read the information found in the following link. When I started searching to see what the specific requirements were, I initially thought I’d have to pay a fee and submit each ‘work’ (appraisal report) to the United States Copyright Office. Clearly not a practical process for most of us, even if the fee weren’t so high (about $114.00). I’m pleased to say if is not that complicated, or costly. In fact,...

AGA / Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisers News / Collateral Underwriter

FTC Attorney Response & AGA Seeking Appraisers Opinions 9

FTC Attorneys Response to AGA

Is the FTC asserting that FNMA is exempt from antitrust laws? I don’t think of myself as being obtuse, nor do I think those that know me well would consider me to be particularly slow of wit or comprehension. Despite this, I’m truly confused by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) attorneys response to the American Guild of Appraiser (AGA) email letter we sent them. The first sentence states “The federal antitrust laws prohibit anticompetitive mergers and business practices that seek to prevent hard-driving competition, such as monopolistic conduct, attempts to monopolize, and conspiracies and combinations that harm competition and consumers.”...

ACI / AGA / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News

Residential Appraiser Abandoned & Neglected by the Appraisal Institute 111

AI Ignored the Residential Appraiser

AI all but abandoned the residential appraiser… I have been a member of the Appraisal Institute (AI) for many years and the organization has always been tilted toward the Certified General Appraiser. I am Certified General and recognized this long ago. I think the education of the AI is the best with no comparison for both residential and commercial and their publications are second to none. The AI has long neglected the residential appraisers as they sent in their $300 per year. The AI completely dropped the ball starting in 2007 when the crash began. The Appraisal Management Company (AMC)...

AI / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News

Suppression of Appraisal Service Free Trade & Fair Price Competition 25

Restraint of Trade Investigation

I am heartened that the Federal Trade Commission has recognized the need to assure that appraisal “…consumers deserve to benefit from a free market where those fees are set by competition.” It appears that your complaint may have been instigated by the very special interests that are most responsible for suppression of appraisal service free trade and fair price competition in America today. By that I am referring to the entities broadly described as Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs), and in this specific complaint – the Federal National Mortgage Association, also known as Fannie Mae and/or FNMA .

AGA / AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations

Paying Too Much For Appraisals? 38

Paying Too Much For Appraisals?

Why am I paying more than TWICE the amount paid to the appraiser? I was recently charged/paid $750.00 to have the appraisal completed on the home I was purchasing. With the fees and costs associated with obtaining a mortgage, the appraisal fee was one of little to no concern to me BUT then I received a copy of my appraisal. In accordance with local regulations, the appraiser disclosed the amount he was paid to do the appraisal…$275.00 minus a $15.00 technology fee. I thought to myself why am I paying more than TWICE the amount paid to the person who...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees

Zillow Gone Wild 21

Zillow Gone Wild

Some very interesting news is surrounding Zillow… A lawsuit over Zestimates has now gone to a class action status. This will have rippling effects on each and every state and expand the liability to not only licensing, but privacy and consumer fraud. Read about this change here. Excerpt from the article titled “Class-action suit aims to halt Zestimates in Illinois”: “The Zestimates that Zillow posts are misleading and pose as accurate appraisals in violation of Illinois’ legal description of an appraisal, according to the complaint filed by three members of the Patel family and Schaumburg-based CastleBldrs.com. They claim homebuyers read...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Automated Valuation Models / AVM / Trending

Human Brain, AMC app & Appraisers - Bend Over & Ask for More 49

Bend Over and Ask for More…

GUILTY of not using human brain power of thinking and communicating… More Please… How many of you can honestly state with all sincerity the appraiser is better off today with the use of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs)? How many of you can say with all sincerity the consumer is being protected with the use of an AMC? How many of you can, with all sincerity state your business model is how you want it? How many of you are happy with the current environment of the industry? If you answered yes, congratulations, you have found your peace. You should stop reading...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Trending

LRES Wants Your Digital Signature 31

LRES Wants Your Digital Signature

Do NOT send your digital signature! I just received the following message from LRES (AMC) requesting I send my digital signature to them. I think this message should get out to all appraisers immediately. I don’t know if any other appraisers received this message however I would strongly suggest that you do NOT send your digital signature to this AMC or anyone else. I hope you all understand the possible problems this could open you up to, including forgery, fraud and many other illegal activities. If you have any doubts just call your E&O insurance and ask them what they...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / E&O

SettlementOne Valuation & Dart Appraisal Disciplined by VREAB 32

Virginia is NOT Playing Around!

Two AMCs Disciplined by VREAB… At the May 16, 2017, Virginia Real Estate Appraisers Board Meeting two AMC’s were disciplined by the Board. SettlementOne Valuation Corporation was disciplined in Mississippi, Illinois and Pennsylvania, all for unlicensed activity within those states. SettlementOne was required to report the disciplinary action to Virginia within 30 days, which they did not. The Virginia Real Estate Appraisers Board imposed a $2,500 monetary penalty for these violations of the Boards Regulations. Dart Appraisal was disciplined in Minnesota for providing an estimate of value on the engagement letter to the appraiser. Dart Appraisal was required to report...

AMC / American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations

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