Tagged: C&R Fees

June 20, 2014

You Are Being Robbed Blind

You Are Being Robbed Blind (24 Hour Membership Deadline) AMCs are concealing their profits within YOUR appraisal fee, and using coercion to drive down YOUR income as far as they can. This government-permitted process allows them to rob you blind while building their appraiser-squeezing power even stronger. NOW is the time to take a stand to fix this broken industry and the career you have spent a lifetime building. The Appraiser Prosperity Coalition was formed to fight for the legislative and regulatory changes needed to save this devastated industry. If you are willing to join us today, we can defeat the...

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

AMC Rules Inconsistent with Congressional Intent - Banking Agencies

June 18, 2014

Agencies AMC Rules Lack Guidance

Banking Agencies are Told Proposed AMC Rules Fall Short on Guidance In comments filed June 6 with several federal banking agencies, the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers expressed our concerns that rules proposed to regulate appraisal management company (AMC) conduct lack sufficient detail to allow for effective implementation. Additionally, the organizations expressed concern that some provisions of the proposed rule depart from Congress’s intent when the enabling law was included in the Dodd-Frank Act, and could negatively affect the overall public policy goals. In the comment letter, ASA and NAIFA cover numerous...

AMC / American Society of Appraisers / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations

May 21, 2014

Customary but NOT Reasonable Fees

REASONABLE needs to become the appraiser’s operative word Appraisers, It’s time to grow a pair as some people say, or to stiffen the backbone, and quit caving in to the low ball fees being offered by some in this crazy “industry.” Another true statement is “you are what you are worth”. If you, as an business person, only know how to say yes to low fees, you won’t be worth anything higher to the majority of clients. Further, your self image and actual net worth are negatively impacted. You cannot expect to earn a certain income, then wonder why you gave yourself...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees / Dodd-Frank Act / C&R Fees / Trending

May 13, 2014

Announcing VT Customary and Reasonable Fee Survey Release

Dear Appraiser Colleagues, Awhile back, you responded to a request from VaCAP to supply your e-mail address to participate in an upcoming Customary and Reasonable Fee Survey to be conducted by the Virginia Center for Housing Research and the Virginia Tech Program in Real Estate. This communication is to notify you of the survey’s eminent release. Please look for it to be sent to you via e-mail in the next couple of days. Your participation in the survey is vital to the success of this endeavor. Please take the few minutes necessary to complete the survey; it should only take...

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

April 10, 2014

Newly Formed Appraiser Coalition Seeks Positive Change for the Industry

A group of Real Estate Appraisal experts committed to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the appraisal industry has formed the Appraiser Prosperity Coalition (www.AppraiserProsperity.com), a merger of industry insiders and government affairs professionals dedicated to fighting for the legislative and regulatory changes needed to rebuild the industry in the wake of damaging legislation. As you know, in an effort to remove value pressure from Real Estate Appraisers, the Dodd-Frank law affirmed a move made by the Home Valuation Code of Conduct to transfer most real estate appraisal ordering power from the hands of the 250,000+ Loan Officers in this...

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

Questions Regarding Customary and Reasonable Fees?

February 20, 2014

Usual & Customary? According to Who?

Try this method of “price fixing” in any other business and see what happens! The “marketplace” usually sets what is considered “customary and reasonable”. Imagine asking attorneys to base their fees on what some government official (who knows nothing about their business) decides is “customary and reasonable”. It would NEVER EVER work, and should not be part of the appraisal (or any other) industry. It’s absolutely price-fixing which I always thought was illegal. The HVCC started all this focus on the appraisal industry and everybody is so busy trying to remake the appraisal industry, the banking industry quietly slips away,...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Customary & Reasonable Fees / Dodd-Frank Act / C&R Fees

April 22, 2013

North Dakota Governor Signs AMC Law

AMC Law in North Dakota North Dakota became the 37th state to enact a comprehensive law requiring the registration and oversight of appraisal management companies on April 12 when House Bill 1389 was signed into law by Gov. Jack Dalrymple. The law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Under the new law, entities involved in the residential collateral valuation process must register with the North Dakota Real Estate Appraiser Qualifications and Ethics Board if they oversee a panel of more than 15 independent contract appraisers in North Dakota or 25 or more nationally. Entities that exclusively employ appraisers on an...

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

January 30, 2013

Evaluation Solutions Failure

Evaluation Solutions, LLC: The Anatomy of an AMC’s Failure and Why Lender’s Should Care Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Collateral Risk Network about lender oversight of appraisal management companies. With that exciting topic as my general theme, I chose to address the specific issue of AMCs failing to pay independent contractor appraisers for appraisals ordered by the lender-client (and also failing to pay agents and brokers for BPOs). This issue has been brought to the forefront of many appraisers’ minds and bank accounts by the recent failure of two large AMCs: National Real Estate Information...

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

January 16, 2013

CoesterVMS Flat Fee Appraisal Structure Controversy

Lately, there has been some controversy surrounding the announcement of CoesterVMS implementation of a flat fee appraisal structure which went into effect on January 1. The announcement appeared on CoesterVMS Blog on January 7: CoesterVMS, a nationwide appraisal management company, has implemented the appraisal industry’s first ever flat fee model for residential appraisals. Under the flat fee model, which took effect on January 1, 2013, all conventional appraisals for mortgage lenders are priced at $450 while FHA appraisals are $475*. Customarily, appraisal management companies utilize a tiered fee structure, whereby prices are determined based on the property type or the...

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

October 22, 2012

Appraisal of the Industry

Of course any one who has bothered to open USPAP, or read the preface of any appraisal related book is very likely familiar with the valuation process. definition of the problem preliminary analysis data collection highest and best use analysis estimate of land value application of the three appraisal approaches: cost, market, income reconciliation of value estimates report of value Of course the application of this definition and process is where the fun begins. Definition of the problem… If I do not complete this report within the allotted 48 hours that has been so graciously allowed by the high pressure...

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