Tagged: Collateral Underwriter

The Harbor Model: Where Appraisers Take the Helm 22

The Harbor Model: Where Appraisers Take the Helm

The Harbor Model offers a bold blueprint for restoring transparency, authorship, and oversight in a valuation industry long dominated by silent data extraction. The author of this article has chosen to remain anonymous, not out of fear, but out of necessity. Since 2012, they’ve been developing a disruptive valuation model that challenges entrenched interests in the appraisal and AMC industries. Their work has drawn direct confrontations from AMC owners and industry insiders, many of whom are threatened by the implications of these proposals. Anonymity, in this case, is a shield, not from scrutiny, but from retaliation. If you want to...

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

The Perfect Storm: A Veteran’s Take on a Dying Craft 96

The Appraisal Profession’s Perfect Storm: A Veteran’s Take on a Dying Craft

The new UAD form, the AMC fee gouging, the waivers, the false bias claims – it’s a perfect storm of assaults.  I’ve been an appraiser since 1993, back when fax machines were cutting-edge and the internet was a clunky novelty. Over three decades, I’ve seen this profession weather storms — economic crashes, regulatory overhauls, you name it. But what’s happening now? It’s not a storm; it’s a tsunami. Our industry is hemorrhaging talent, drowning under false accusations, and getting squeezed by corporate greed and bureaucratic overreach. As someone who’s stubbornly refused to bend the knee to Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs),...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / Appraisal Subcommittee

A Cry from the Appraisal Trenches: The Fall of GSE Oversight 84

A Cry from the Appraisal Trenches: The Fall of GSE Oversight

That could bring our best and brightest back to GSE lending, leveling the playing field with fairer work distribution.  Picture this: a system built to protect homeowners, backed by taxpayer dollars, now teetering on the edge of betrayal. The regulatory framework governing Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) was once a fortress of consumer protection, transparency, and fairness. As an appraiser, I’ve watched this fortress crumble. The rules imposed on GSEs and their partners—our trade-off for their congressional charter—have been chipped away through years of cunning maneuvers by trade groups and stakeholder interests. What’s left is a hollow shell, far removed from the...

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

Reforming the Appraisal Review Process: The Illogical Reality of Mortgage Appraisal Reviews 27

The Illogical Reality of Mortgage Appraisal Reviews 

Reforming the appraisal review process is essential to maintaining the integrity of the real estate market and protecting consumers and homeowners.  In mortgage financing, the appraisal process is often seen as the foundation of accurate property valuation and market stability. However, beneath this façade of reliability lies a troubling rift: while real estate appraisers must navigate stringent licensing protocols and scrutiny, the individuals reviewing the appraisals often operate with minimal oversight, instead leaning heavily on automated systems and algorithms. This stark disparity not only undermines the credibility of the review process but also revives the threat of past missteps, once...

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

Fannie Mae Census Block Grid Adjustment Raises Redlining Concerns 29

Fannie Mae ‘Census Block Grid’ Adjustment Raises Redlining Concerns

“FNMA’s collateral underwriter tool has a line item adjustment it makes on every comparable called Census Block Grid.”  In a recent discussion within the comments section of an article titled ‘The Censorship of Appraisers,’ an appraiser shared a concerning statement from an underwriter about an adjustment made by Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter tool. The underwriter revealed that the tool uses a ‘Census Block Grid’ adjustment (CBG) to evaluate comparable property values. This adjustment, which modifies values based on median home values within specific census blocks, raises concerns for potentially reflecting practices akin to redlining – a discriminatory practice that is...

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

Fannie Mae to State of Maryland: DROP DEAD 33

Fannie Mae to Maryland: DROP DEAD

Mortgage giant Fannie Mae and her twin, Freddie Mac, have a message for the State of Maryland: Kindly disintegrate. A snubbed Maryland task force is close to filing its report to the governor. It attempted, in vain, to obtain detailed information about the government-sponsored twins’ valuation algorithms – tools that have replaced many home appraisals in the Old-Line State and resulted, some contend, in a feedback loop and run-up in home prices. The task force was formed on the reasonable premise that the state has an interest in the twins’ activities, since Marylanders will be left with the clean-up costs,...

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

The One-Mile Rule: Prudent Policy or Modern Day Redlining? 8

The One-Mile Rule: Prudent Policy or Modern Day Redlining?

…whether through redlined maps or implicit “one-mile rule,” the result can be undervalued properties in historically marginalized neighborhoods.  Throughout the history of mortgage banking and lending in the United States, underwriting policies have significantly influenced the appraisal process for home purchases and refinances. Appraisers must follow underwriter appraisal review guidelines meticulously to ensure their appraisal reports are accepted by the lender. Unfortunately, in the past, these policies became the basis for redlining, wherein certain communities were systematically denied access to mortgage credit. In this article, we delve into the historical context of underwriting policies and their influence on the appraisal...

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

Is the GSEs "Appraisal Modernization" Really Just Mass Appraisal? 18

Is the GSE’s “Appraisal Modernization” Really Just Mass Appraisal?

Mass Appraisal tend to exhibit a regressive nature…  In the intricate landscape of real estate mortgage financing, the notion of appraisal waivers recently dubbed “Value Acceptance”, by the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs), has stirred considerable debate. The most recent statistics show Value Acceptance accounts for up to 40% of all mortgage approvals. It is presented as part of the GSEs “Appraisal Modernization” initiative, which aims to streamline the mortgage appraisal process. However, a closer examination reveals potential drawbacks, raising questions about its efficacy and impact on the housing market. Despite its roots in a methodology designed to support appraisers, Value...

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

Majority of Reviewers Had Very Limited Field Experience 22

Majority of Reviewers Had Very Limited Field Experience

It was my experience that the majority of reviewers, FNMA included, had very limited field experience. Which is painfully obvious when they request baseless revisions for “more or better comps”.  I’m a Certified General Appraiser that started appraising in 1984, almost 40 years ago! Spent the majority of my career appraising both residential and commercial properties in a major metropolitan market. I had my own appraisal firm for a number of years, prior to the AMC model which dissolved years of relationship building with clients large and small, almost overnight! Like most of you, I really enjoyed appraising and was...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Collateral Underwriter

Fannie Mae Filed a Complaint Against Me 39

Fannie Mae Filed a Complaint Against Me

An appraiser shared the following with us which was posted on one of the appraisers’ groups. Fannie Mae filed a complaint against me with my state appraisal board. Here’s what happened. The Report In June of 2021, I completed an appraisal for a conventional purchase. The appraisal was ordered by an AMC on behalf of a lender. At that time, the real estate market was still being wildly affected by the COVID pandemic. Remote work was in full swing, and consumers were desperately seeking to get out of the cities. Prices for all types of residential properties were rising rapidly,...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Collateral Underwriter

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