Tagged: E&O

Wells Fargo & Inflated Appraisal Fees: The End of AMCs? 5

The End of AMCs?

Wells Fargo has agreed to a $50 million settlement over inflated appraisal fees. Think about this for a minute….. The people bringing the lawsuit (the “Plaintiffs”) claim that Wells Fargo violated Federal law by charging homeowners more than the amount Wells Fargo paid for Broker’s Price Opinions (“BPOs”) and improperly concealing these “marked-up” charges. So, Wells Fargo was charging customers more for BPO fees on defaulted loans than the actual fees charged by the vendor. Is this any different than the use of an AMC? From the case: “Wells Fargo does not identify any provision in any of the numerous...

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

Tell Them to Find Some Other Lesser Experienced Appraiser 16

Tell Them to Find Some Other Lesser Experienced Appraiser

Tell them they are NOT needed in the report. The march of many appraisers who blindly comply with AMC & other lender ‘demands’ to INCLUDE YOUR E&O BINDER PAGE and FULL SIZE LICENSE COPY in every report. Inclusion of your E&O Binder in reports is the quickest and easiest way to have your report challenged, and for you to be sued. Why would you want to do that? Inclusion of your license copy is absurd. Your license info is already in every single report you submit, or hadn’t you noticed that tidbit of info? If AMC clerks tell you that...

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

30

Appraisers Shortage? A Personal Story

Very large lender who treats appraisers poorly… I received an email from an AMC I have not worked for before at 2:15 PM. They were looking for an appraiser to complete a 1004 report for a very large lender who treats appraisers poorly. The property is in a suburban/rural area, on 5 acres, about 30 minutes from my office. I responded that I could do it, but not until early NOVEMBER, due to being fully booked until then. I requested the rep let me know if that would work for the AMC, and if so, I would then provide my...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Coester VMS

AMC Vendor Agreement Controversies - Bad, Worst & Ugly AMCs 43

Vendor Agreement Controversies & Worst AMCs

AMC Vendor Agreement Controversies – Bad, Worst & Ugly AMCs And the winner is… According to a recent non-scientific survey conducted by AppraiserNews, the World’s Worst AMC Alive is Clear Capital. Honorable Mention goes to Coester VMS and Streetlinks. And the Worst Vampire AMC title goes to AppraiserLoft which is no longer operational. Excerpt: We’d also like to note the passion with which appraisers made their votes, describing the many ways that these AMCs deserved their titles! One final remark: It is sad that so many appraisers still hesitate to go public with their comments about AMCs, (justifiably) fearing that...

AMC / Appraisal / Appraisal Management Companies / Appraisal News / Appraisal Organizations / AppraiserLoft

Social Media & USPAP Confidentiality Requirement 35

Think It Through Before You Post!

Appraisers are Professionals, Social media is a fact of life. There are many appraisal industry social media outlets for appraisers to connect. These forums provide a great resource for appraisers to seek advice from other appraisers, voice their opinions on industry related issues, and sometimes just to vent a bit after a rough day. This is where we need to be careful….. We have all read comments on social media outlets that you just have to stop and think to yourself, “I can’t believe someone actually posted this”. Confidentiality is a requirement of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice....

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

Appraiser Safety - Stalked by Homeowner 29

Appraiser Safety, Stalked by Homeowner

Personal safety of appraisers I have several issues that focus on PERSONAL SAFETY of appraisers especially female appraisers that I need to address. I had a recent event where a homeowner was not happy with the appraised value of his home. Four weeks after I had turned in the appraisal, the lender, Freedom Mortgage, proceeded to send five sales that were 16 to 29 months old, for my review. I responded via StreetLinks AMC communication log stating these were not within FNMA guidelines. A few weeks later StreetLinks sent me the following: Good afternoon, the lender has ordered a second...

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

AMC email solicitation asking appraisers to perform "Interior Properties Inspections" for $25-$30 6

Why Would You Jeopardize Everything?

AMC email solicitation asking appraisers to perform “Interior Properties Inspections” for $25-$30 Let me admit to one very important fact… I am old. At least I assume I am since I am over 60. In any event, much of what I know about the cyclical nature of real estate is not based on any scholarly papers I have researched and presented, but rather it is due to the fact that in my professional career I have seen four different downturns in real estate and from that I have gained what is known as real world experience. In other words, I...

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

AQB Experience Requirements and College Degree Requirements Changes 24

AQB Proposes Alternative to College Degree Requirement

In a long-awaited and highly anticipated announcement, the Appraisers Qualifications Board (AQB) has just released an Exposure Draft (May 18) that indicates it intends to walk back the bachelor’s degree requirement for Certified Residential appraisers and more. The AQB also is proposing significant changes to appraiser experience requirements. An AQB Exposure Draft is issued in anticipation of implementing changes to the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria (Criteria), which is the set of education, experience, and examination requirements for appraisers to achieve a state license or certification. The AQB always sets a comment deadline and is committed to reading and considering...

Appraisal / Appraisal Organizations / AQB / E&O / Errors & Omissions / The Appraisal Foundation

Review appraiser - adjustments 8

Observations of a Review Appraiser

Adjustments appeared to come from some List or Automated… Recently I had the opportunity to work on a Class Action case. The case settled, and there are confidentiality agreements for both sides, so I cannot reveal any details. I will summarize the allegations and findings, as well as the scope of work performed. I should say also that before being hired, I was interviewed, and vetted. Every reference provided, was contacted, as well as a records check and background check. What they were looking for was a combination of a clean reputation for being unbiased, as well as depth of...

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

Non-USPAP states - appraisers liability limited to appraisal fee 6

Is this the END of USPAP?

Non-USPAP States – Is this the END of USPAP? I recently got an email from an appraiser I have high regards for. He asked me a simple question that got me thinking. It was: “Why don’t a group of appraisers get together and form an AMC?” I found that an interesting concept. It has been done. Coester was an appraiser and now he is just an AMC. Allen Hummel, an Appraisal Institute icon, has an AMC. Why not? We know it better than anyone. But the devil is in the details. Appraiser’s liability for mistakes or omissions in this appraisal...

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

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