Tagged: appraisers

5

Adjustments – Your Opinion Doesn’t Count

Regulations state that appraisal adjustments cannot be based upon an appraiser’s opinion. According to federal and state law, adjustments must be based on support and evidence- proof if you will, and an appraiser’s opinion is not considered to be “support.” Many appraisers have failed to support their adjustments and as a result have had their licenses revoked, penalties assessed and lawsuits lost, all because the they failed to understand a single but important requirement. Think about your appraisals. Are the adjustments based on your opinion or do you have proof of the adjustment in your workfile? Then one day I...

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

4

Declaration of Appraisal Independence

Real Estate Appraisers of America: Declare appraiser independence by prohibiting lenders from having any ownership or stake in the real estate appraisal process. This declaration of the real estate appraisal workers of the United States of America and those who stand together with the appraisal industry is made subject to the understanding that commercial and financial events guide growth and development of society, and that financial products and services are integral to the necessary and successful health of our citizens.  It is further understood and recognized that the fair and independent valuation of underlying assets backing financial products are critical...

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

2

When Does a Closet Become a Room?

When is a closet a room? In most cases, interior closets are included within the total finished square footage. But, when the closet measures 12 x 20, and does not have any heat/air ducts, is it a closet or is it really a separate unheated room? Should it be counted in the total finished square footage, or should it be included within the unfinished category? According to ANSI®, the space must be heated and cooled by a central HVAC system and a closet typically serves a specific bedroom/space. If you really look through ANSI® there is not an answer to...

American National Standards Institute / ANSI / Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

10

Drive By Comp Pictures and Appraisers Safety

Rethinking Drive By Comp Pictures I posted the following true (and scary) experience on Facebook a few days ago: “I just had to file a police report. I was taking a picture of a house from the street for a drive-by pre-foreclosure. The owner ran out of the home and stood in front of my car. He demanded to know what I was doing. He walked around to the driver’s window, and I calmly explained to him that I was taking a picture for the bank. He got very verbally abusive and demanded to know why. I told him it was...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Technology / Appraisers News

There are no reported sales! Now what? 2

There are no reported sales! Now what?

How many times have we, as reviewers, heard the following: “But there aren’t any sales within the subject’s development.” Or, “But the subject is the finest house in its development.” Of course there are rare instances when this is true; however, even in the instance where there are no sales that have taken place in the subject’s development within the last 12 months, the appraiser should be able to show sales at some previous point in time if the development is not newly developed. New construction appraisals will be a topic for a future post, but for the sake of...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News

2

Are the Inmates in Charge of this Asylum?

What really caused the real estate market to collapse? While much has been written about the multitude of complex reasons behind the collapse of the real estate market in 2007, it is the opinion of this writer that there is one primary reason for the collapse. Simply stated, banks loaned money to borrowers who lacked the ability to pay back the loan. That’s it, pure and simple. If you loan money to someone who has no resources to pay back your loan, you will lose money almost every time and it matters very little if you have any collateral for...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / E&O / Errors & Omissions

Utah Study on Customary & Reasonable Fees for Residential Appraisals 0

Study on Customary & Reasonable Fees – Utah

Utah Study on Customary & Reasonable Fees for Residential Appraisals An online survey of both Utah mortgage lenders and Utah licensed and certified residential real estate appraisers was conducted to discover customary and reasonable fees for residential appraisals throughout Utah for 2013. Federal regulation pertaining to customary and reasonable fee studies specifically “excludes compensation paid to fee appraisers for appraisals ordered by appraisal management companies.” Therefore, this study does not include appraisal fees paid by appraisal management companies to Utah appraisers. Two surveys, one for lenders and one for appraisers, were prepared to capture the unique demographic and background information...

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

CFPB Fines AMC for Inflated Appraisal Fees 2

CFPB Fines Lender, AMC for Inflated Appraisal Fees

The CFPB has ordered Amerisave and Novo to pay $14.8 million… The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Aug. 12 that it fined mortgage lender Amerisave Mortgage Corp., its affiliate, Novo Appraisal Management Company, and the organizations’ collective owner, Patrick Markert, $19.3 million for allegedly luring prospective borrowers with misleading interest rates and trapping them with inflated appraisal fees. The CFPB claimed that the lender and its affiliated AMC violated the Truth in Lending Act and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act by enticing tens of thousands of borrowers with deceptive advertising and then illegally overcharging them for third-party services. The...

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

1

Free FHA Webinar on Most Common Appraisal Deficiencies

On September 18, 2014, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is offering a 120-minute webinar on Most Common Appraisal Deficiencies. This session will provide an update and overview of FHA Single Family mortgage insurance appraisal requirements. It will address the most common appraisal questions and appraisal deficiencies. Property inspection requirements, appraisal validity period, case numbers, REO, manufactured homes, well and septic, attic and crawl spaces, lead-based paint, termite

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Federal Housing Administration / FHA / HUD

Who are Mutual First, LLC and Savant Claims Management? Why is Mutual First Suing Appraisers? - Imagecredit Flickr - paurlan 2

Who are Mutual First, LLC and Savant Claims Management? Why is Mutual First Suing Appraisers?

Some appraisers are now being targeted in lawsuits by an entity named “Mutual First, LLC.” It has filed at least 35 lawsuits since May. Mutual First is not a bank, credit union or any kind of regular financial institution. It’s an entity aiming to make money for investors by suing appraisers. Based in Texas, it acquires foreclosed loans for small fractions of the original principal amounts. It then files lawsuits against the appraisers who performed appraisals years ago for the original lenders who made the loans. In its lawsuits, Mutual First claims that the appraisers are liable to Mutual First...

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

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