Tagged: data

ARCC Discussion Exposes GSE Agenda to Reduce Appraisal "Friction" 27

ARCC Discussion Exposes GSEs Agenda to Reduce Appraisal “Friction”

Mark Calabria’s discussion with ARCC revealed the GSEs’ agenda to reduce “appraisal friction” by eliminating the role of professional appraisers and the appraisal process altogether.  The recent discussion hosted by the Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council (ARCC) with Mark Calabria, the former Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), offered a rare and illuminating glimpse into the inner workings and mindset of the nation’s housing finance regulators. During the engaging conversation led by ARCC Chair Josh Tucker, Dr. Calabria shared his expert perspective on FHFA’s controversial decision to significantly increase the use of appraisal waivers, which allow mortgage lenders to...

Appraisal Waivers Expansion - FHFA Risky Move 30

FHFA’s Appraisal Waivers Expansion

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) recent push to expand the use of appraisal waivers represents a concerning and potentially disastrous gambit that threatens to undermine the integrity of the housing market and the broader economy as a whole.  The recent announcement from the FHFA Deputy Director Naa Awaa Tagoe regarding the expansion of appraisal waiver eligibility for purchase loans is a significant development that has sparked debate and controversy within the mortgage industry. By increasing the maximum allowable loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for full appraisal waivers from 80% to 90%, and for inspection-based appraisal waivers from 80% to 97%, the...

Lack of Evidence, Appraiser Challenges Discrimination Claims 10

Lack of Evidence, Appraiser Challenges Discrimination Claims

The next morning I went to my trusted AI program and asked if there was any evidence of bias. “Where is the evidence?”  The issue of perceived bias and discrimination in the appraisal industry has become a highly contentious and polarizing topic in recent years, sparking intense debate and controversy. At the heart of this complex issue lies a fundamental tension between the appraisal profession’s commitment to objectivity and impartiality, and the persistent allegations of systemic racism and unfair practices that have plagued the industry. As exemplified in the response from Maryland Certified General Appraiser William Turner to an article...

How Synthetic Appraisals Fuel a Fraud-Filled Housing Bubble 24

How Deep Fakes Have Burrowed Into Home Finance

Fannie and Freddie have been toiling at the coalface of “synthetic appraisals” – “black box valuations.”  In the 1960s, technocrats at the Pentagon used the latest IBM mainframe computers to analyze complex data related to the Vietnam War. Planners fed punch cards into the machines and ran endless simulations, hoping to determine strategies for winning the war. In 1967, analysts finally asked the computer, “When will we win in Vietnam?” The machine’s answer: “You won in 1965.” It exposed the hubris and naiveté of those who believed computer-generated models could capture and quantify millions of complex human interactions on the...

New UAD Overhaul: What Appraisers Can Expect in 2025 & Beyond 63

New UAD Overhaul: What Appraisers Can Expect in 2025 & Beyond

Folks, I recently attended a Train the Trainer 1.5 day class about the new UAD/URAR, jointly facilitated by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Aloft. About 20 other instructors from across the US were also present. This class is required before this new UAD material can be taught to other appraisers, under contract with the GSEs. My info below is a limited high-level summary for the new UAD and URAR of what was presented, and what the appraiser community can expect to see, from now into 2026. It is not meant to be comprehensive; I may send out other info as...

United Appraisers Network Challenges Appraisal Institute 45

United Appraisers Network Challenges Appraisal Institute

Ultimately, the United Appraisers Network would represent a bold and progressive alternative to the Appraisal Institute…  The recent firing of Cindy Chance, the CEO of the Appraisal Institute (AI), has ignited widespread outrage and a profound sense of distrust among appraisers nationwide. In the wake of this controversial decision, discussions have emerged on industry forums about the potential creation of a new appraisal organization that would better serve the needs and interests of all appraisers, regardless of their specialization or credentials. Leading this charge is David Samnick, a Georgia-based appraiser, who has proposed the establishment of the “United Appraisers Network”...

Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council Exposes Disturbing AMC Violations 97

Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council Exposes Disturbing AMC Violations

The Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council published a detailed breakdown to the CFPB, which showed the median average AMC fee being charged to borrowers amounted to a staggering 65% of the total appraisal fee, with one AMC extracting as much as 84% in pure profit. The Appraisal Regulation Compliance Council (ARCC) is a crucial non-profit organization that specializes in providing fact-based research and expertise on the complex web of appraisal regulations and compliance issues. Driven by a non-partisan mission, ARCC has spent the last two years diligently collecting, vetting, and organizing comprehensive data on lender appraisals conducted by Appraisal Management Companies...

NHFA-HUD misleading billboard ads 26

Misleading Ads Sow Mistrust

These misleading ads are sowing seeds of mistrust in a time-tested profession. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) has recently launched a concerning campaign of poster ads, billboard ads, and magazine ads that falsely accuse home appraisers of basing their valuations on the personal characteristics of the homeowners or prospective buyers, rather than solely on the objective merits and features of the property itself. This is a deeply misleading and unjust narrative that undermines the integrity of the appraisal profession, which is founded on the core principle of providing an independent, impartial assessment of a home’s value. Appraisers are highly...

County Assessors' Standards - AVM Final Rule Guidance 16

County Assessors’ Standards | AVM Final Rule Guidance

County Assessors have the advantage of being able to calibrate their models specifically for one market, allowing for a more tailored and precise approach.  The OCC, FDIC, NCUA, CFPB, and FHFA (collectively, the Agencies) are adopting a final rule to implement AVM quality control standards mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). The quality control standards apply to mortgage originators and secondary market investors in determining the value of a dwelling that is the collateral for mortgage financing. Under the final rule, institutions involved in specific credit decisions or securitization activities are required to...

The Censorship Campaign - Housing Inflation Exposed 29

Objectionable Valuations Become Hate Speech, Inflating Home Prices

The censorship, scapegoating and sidelining of appraisers has done real damage to borrowers and the purchasers of bonds…  Attacks on free speech are on the rise in the English-speaking world. A bill introduced in Canada to thwart online “anarchy and lawlessness” would create a Canadian Ministry of Truth empowered to punish authors Ottawa politicians find problematic. In response to the worst rioting in Britain in years, about 4,000 people have reportedly been jailed for online thought crimes. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to prosecute anyone his government believes is whipping up people’s emotions on the Internet. There’s even...

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