Tagged: AVM

Protecting Appraisers Against Frivolous & Retaliatory 3rd Party Lawsuits 6

Frivolous & Retaliatory 3rd Party Lawsuits

Appraisers are routinely coerced & intimidated by third parties to violate their independence and integrity… Honorable Committee Members: We are writing to add our voice to that of the Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers (MBREA is a State Coalition of professional real estate appraisers) in support of each of the above bills. The American Guild of Appraisers is a Guild within the Office Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) of the AFL-CIO, representing the appraisal and real estate related financial consumer / taxpayer interests of over twelve and a half million AFL-CIO Family Union & Guild Members; their families, retirees...

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

Should We Real Estate Appraisers Stop Making Adjustments? 43

Should Adjustments Actually Be Done?

How much credit should we give ourselves when it comes to making adjustments? Making adjustments is controversial. USPAP says nothing about adjustments – it does not require us to make them. They are a GSE construct. So, should we real estate appraisers stop making adjustments? Clients pay us for opinions of value, so our adjustments are really opinions based on what the market tells us (or that’s what we should base them on), but they are still opinions we form; they are not facts we find. So, maybe, should we stop making adjustments? We derive our adjustments from sources such...

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

Loan Officer' Letter Instructing Borrower to Push Appraiser for Value 38

A Little Push Can’t Hurt Right? Wrong!!

…forget the risky position foisted on the consumer by the loan officer… Well, here we go again. In my previous blog posts titled “Round and Round” and “Pressure My Story”, I spoke to examples of how lenders and/or AMCs have been pushing and pressuring appraisers to hit certain values on transactions. If an appraiser did not hit these numbers, or make changes to make the transaction work in the lender’s favor, the appraiser would be threatened with non-payment, removal from appraiser panels, and/or blacklisted. If you haven’t read those blog posts, feel free to go back and have a look....

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Automated Valuation Models

Another Huckster Enters the Appraisal Arena 20

Another Huckster Enters the Appraisal Arena

Yet another third party huckster has entered into the real estate appraiser and appraisal arena. It’s that time again! Yet another third party huckster has entered into the real estate appraiser and appraisal arena. Apparently motivated by pure altruism. We identified a need in the marketplace to address a common problem that lenders are regularly challenged with in providing accurate appraisal quotes and then ensuring pricing on the Loan Estimate is consistent and compliant,” stated Vladimir Bien-Aime, president and CEO at Global DMS. (I LOVE this guy, he writes like me!) Global DMS Launches SnapVal to Provide Instant, Accurate, Guaranteed...

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

Appraisers Disappointed at Federal Banking Agencies - Appraisers Blogs 21

Appraisers Disappointed at Federal Agencies

I’ve read a number of posts where appraisers are disappointed at federal banking agencies declining to hold public hearings on the topic of raising the appraisal minimum threshold for residential real estate transactions from $250,000 to $400,000. The request for a public hearing on the issue was ‘worth a shot’ but was never a realistic expectation. We knew that when we joined with others in signing the letter. Federal rulemaking agencies already have policies and procedures in place for mandatory public input. It’s unrealistic to expect them to make special exceptions. Especially when existing lobbyists that promoted the short-sighted policy...

AGA / AI / American Society of Appraisers / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute / Appraisal News

Faster Cheaper Appraisals! Really Cheap Abbreviated Appraisals... 41

Faster Cheaper Appraisals!

An appraiser shared the following with us. Vintage Mortgage Firm is offering faster cheaper appraisals. New Faster Cheaper Appraisals! Three points: One: We run automated approvals with both DU (Fannie) and LP (Freddie) with the click of one button. This gives us the best chance for appraisal waivers. Have you done a purchase transaction recently with NO appraisal needed? We do them all the time. Two: As of Feb 1st, we will have access to a completely different kind of appraisal if one is needed. First step is a much cheaper $145.00 abbreviated appraisal. This information is put into our...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Automated Valuation Models / AVM / Collateral Underwriter

Racial Bias: Redlining in the Modern Era 13

Racial Bias: Redlining in the Modern Era

…are they behind this modern day redlining?… The broad definition of an algorithm according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary is “a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end.” It is pretty basic and fully understood, right? Now think back to those dreaded English classes. When did you learn about acronyms? Grade School, High School, College? Regardless, let’s just say it was a while back, so I will refresh your memory. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, an acronym is” a word formed from the initial letter of words of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound...

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

Highly Skilled Appraisers' World. Where Would You Go to Find Comps? 3

The World of Highly Skilled Appraisers

…the world of highly skilled appraisers, who are more than just “form fillers”… I hosted a USPAP Update class on Friday January 25 (taught by an approved USPAP instructor). During the class I asked attendees if they had heard about the ‘most expensive residence sale’ in the US. Some attendees knew about this, but most didn’t. To see what I’m talking about, click on this link from Jonathan Miller’s Housing Notes blog. Scroll down and you’ll see a photo of the view from that unit, a multi-story penthouse apartment in a brand new building, I think the tallest now in New...

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

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,...

AARO / AGA / AI / American Society of Appraisers / Appraisal / Appraisal Institute

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...

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

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