Tagged: First American Mortgage

August 20, 2019

ACI Software Users

I just received a message from another appraiser that I believe uses ACI software. He received a request from ACI to sign a “Digital Signature Application” along with a few other forms. This appears to me to be in connection with a new form of an appraisal product which they have developed. The first paragraph of this “Digital Signature Application” read as follows 1.1 Signature Using BLACK INK, sign within the box below. Signature must remain within the confines of the box (see sample). All signature cards are destroyed after they are scanned, tested, and delivered. Passwords are not kept...

ACI / Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisal Software / Appraisers News / E&O

Legislation to Regulate AMC's & Protect Consumers Opposed by REVAA

March 13, 2017

AMCs Are Not Part of The Appraisal Profession

Foreign entities do not get a voice in what legislation is introduced… Let’s think about this with an open mind… More states are introducing bills concerning AMC legislation, more specifically how AMCs will conduct business. Even states with existing AMC legislation are introducing stricter, more precise legislation. Why is this happening in all 55 jurisdictions? States do not want to interfere in how a company or industry conducts business, but when practices are so abusive that it harms small businesses and consumers, they have little choice. States have the obligation to protect their citizens and businesses that contribute to the...

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

November 14, 2016

Freddie Mac Criminal Aspects of Its Appraisal Free Mortgages

Freddie Mac is opening itself up to over 150,000± potential individual lawsuits… This is a response from Mike Ford to Kenneth Harney’s article, “Freddie Mac planning appraisal-free mortgages”. I represent the American Guild of Appraisers, #44OPEIU, AFL-CIO, and the real estate appraisal-related consumer and taxpayer interests of our more than fifteen million± AFL-CIO members, retirees and their families. I’m prompted to write this open letter regarding your recent well written & researched article, titled “Freddie Mac planning appraisal free mortgages”. Regrettably, it was too brief to cover several additional critical aspects of the issue, but I assume the Chicago Tribune’s...

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

September 9, 2016

Unintended Use & Misleading Appraisal Reports

Unintended and Potentially Misleading At what point do we ALL say enough? When they insist on unlocked PDF, XML or ENV formats that facilitate recipients in removing portions of appraisal reports they don’t like? Too late. When they blacklist appraisers for refusing to make post effective date contract analysis changes? When they set the fees we charge? When they change the scope of work after assignments are completed? When they LIE to borrowers about how much the ‘appraisal fee’ is? Now we have several that think THEY own MY professional work product? Like HELL they do! Any, repeat, ANY appraiser...

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

March 31, 2016

Simply too BIG to Say No to…

If they can’t even get their own PACE Pro form right, how are these alternative “valuation” providers going to get something as complicated as the value right? First American, and to some extent similar large scale conglomerate “players”, supply everything to the transaction: from the Home Warranty for the buyer, to the escrow services, to the mortgage company, to the mortgage servicer, to the title company, to the appraisal management company, to the appraiser panelists, to the software company that DESIGNS the software used for PACE Pro and almost all other appraisal software (ACI), to the BPO providers, to the...

1004MC / AGA / Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Automated Valuation Models

February 2, 2016

Form PACE Pro – Appraisal or Evaluation?

Frankly this form is so screwed up! To First American Mortgage Solutions…(copy to appraisers around the US): Do you folks really understand what your PACE form report REALLY is?? It is not an Evaluation report. It is an actual appraisal, disguised very poorly as a so-called Evaluation. Here’s what I found in your form, after actually reading it: “This report is provided for the benefit of the named customer only and is not intended to be, nor shall it be deemed to be, an appraisal or any form of an appraisal.” OK, fine, not an appraisal. The main form page says...

Appraisal / Appraisal News / Appraisers News / Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice / USPAP / Valuation Technology