requirements - Appraisers Blogs

The Great Debate on Appraisal Fees

Isaac Peck — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:30:09 +0000

She included several different fee split examples indicating AMCs retained as much as 70 percent of the total appraisal fee paid by the borrower, which prompted her to stop working with AMCs because of the lack of transparency. The appraisal industry is abuzz with a discussion about appraisal fees. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued a Request for Information Regarding Fees Imposed in Residential Mortgage Transactions [Docket No. CFPB-2024-0021] in which it solicited feedback from the public and industry stakeholders on the fees charged to consumers by mortgage providers and related settlement services. The CFPB framed it as...

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Lack of Evidence, Appraiser Challenges Discrimination Claims

AppraisersBlogs — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:30:29 +0000

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...

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

Dave Towne — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 12:30:42 +0000

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...

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Cindy Chance Terminated

Dave Towne — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 12:30:01 +0000

On September 13, 2024, the Appraisal Institute President, Sandra Adomatis, SRA, announced that Cindy Chance is no longer the CEO of the Appraisal Institute. “We are writing to inform you that as of today, September 13, Cindy Chance is no longer in her role as CEO of the Appraisal Institute.” In an interview published by HousingWire, Cindy Chance disclosed that the Board of Directors had terminated her. Rumors that this was pending have been circulating around AppraiserVille for several weeks. I’ve been reading comments on various forums asking “will we be told the real reason for this?” My answer: Nope....

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Lack of Fee Transparency: Exposing the AMC Exploitation

Desiree Mehbod — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 12:30:07 +0000

By keeping the borrower in the dark about the true cost of the appraisal, the AMCs are able to charge exorbitant prices and pocket the difference (as shown in Figures 1 through 10), exploiting the consumer’s lack of knowledge. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Request for Information on Fees Imposed in Residential Mortgage Transactions. The growth of Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs) in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis was driven by a well-intentioned but ultimately misguided belief that they could help “ensure the integrity and independence” of property valuations. The reasoning...

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Uncovering Flaws in FHA Appraisal & Loan Review Process

AppraisersBlogs — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 12:30:32 +0000

The story of this single mother’s harrowing experience with a defective home purchase and HUD’s negligent oversight exposes deep flaws in the FHA appraisal and loan review process. After sacrificing for years to rebuild her credit and earn the right to become a homeowner, this borrower found her dream home in the country – or so she thought. During the home inspection, several issues were flagged. The seller, an investor who had purchased the home in an estate sale, was unaware of the septic system’s location. The seller agreed to have the tanks pumped so the location could be determined....

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The Illogical Reality of Mortgage Appraisal Reviews

Dallas T. Kiedrowski, MNAA — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:30:28 +0000

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...

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Fannie, Freddie’s Offshore Gambit Imperils Privacy of Millions

Jeremy Bagott — Mon, 20 May 2024 12:30:58 +0000

The offshore firm will data-mine millions of images showing the personal spaces of U.S. homeowners and tenants. Fearing the Chinese government could access sensitive user data through the video app TikTok, House lawmakers passed a bill last month that would ban the app if it isn’t sold to new owners. But a greater peril looms. Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are reportedly “bench-testing” an arrangement with a foreign AI firm in which the offshore firm will data-mine millions of images showing the personal spaces of U.S. homeowners and tenants. If your home was appraised for a refinance or...

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Obscure Federal Official Has Hatched ‘Sick Chicken’ in Housing Sector

Jeremy Bagott — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:30:58 +0000

The case eventually found its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it came to be known to the public as the “Sick Chicken Case” It was the Great Depression’s bleakest year – 1933. At President Roosevelt’s urging, Congress passed the National Industrial Recovery Act, a New Deal bill that partially ceded lawmaking authority to private organizations and industry boards to develop codes of conduct that would then be enforced on citizens as binding law. The owners of poultry producer Schechter Poultry Corp. were indicted for violating the new private business code for the poultry industry. The chicken men lawyered...

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LoanDepot Appraisal Discrimination Settlement

Peter Christensen — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:30:18 +0000

Connolly and Mott v. Lanham, 20/20 Valuations, and loanDepot.com, U.S. District Court, Maryland. This is one of the appraisal discrimination cases that has received significant attention – among appraisers, the media and government agencies. A Black couple in Baltimore – Dr. Connolly and Dr. Mott, both university professors – filed suit in August 2022 alleging racial discrimination against loanDepot.com and the appraiser it engaged to appraise their home for a refinance. They alleged that the appraiser had taken into account their race in his valuation of their home in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act and other laws prohibiting...

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Should Property Data Collectors Be Licensed?

Peter Christensen — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:30:02 +0000

Should “property data collectors” who inspect properties and provide information to real estate appraisers be licensed by state appraiser boards? In Mississippi, a bill has been introduced this week to require exactly that. The legislator behind the bill happens to be an appraiser. HB1663 would establish a license category for property data collectors under the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Real Estate Appraisal Board. A property data collector would be defined as an individual or company, who is not a licensed appraiser and “who collects, either physically, virtually, or digitally, any information on real property, and produces such information to a...

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Fannie Mae Filed a Complaint Against Me

AppraisersBlogs — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:30:39 +0000

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,...

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FNMA Continued Effort to Get Rid of Appraisers

Jonathan Miller — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:30:23 +0000

Fannie Mae Continues Their Effort To Get Rid Of Appraisers: Sends “Tips” For the past year, Fannie Mae has sent unsigned complaints to state appraisal boards; when they see something they don’t like, they write it up and send it to the state. In their recent newsletter, this effort is called “Tips.” They emphasize they are not automated: LQC reviews are not automated. Our expert analysts validate the appraisal results by asking questions like “Do the comparable sale selections make sense?”, “Is the data accurate?”, “Did the appraiser make appropriate adjustments?” and “Are we getting the most probable value?” in...

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AMC Engagement Letter: Appraisers Do Not Include Your Invoice

VaCAP Board — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:30:23 +0000

File the complaint against the AMC yourself OR Forward the engagement letter to VaCAP to file on your behalf. At the recent Virginia Appraisal Board Meeting on Wednesday June 28th, a discussion occurred about Appraisal Management Companies prohibiting appraisers from including their invoices with the appraisal report. The overall consensus of the Board Members was this practice could be a violation of Virginia Appraisal Management Company Statute § 54.1-2022 B. “B. The appraisal management company shall not prohibit an appraiser from disclosing in the appraisal report the actual fees charged by an appraiser for appraisal services, and shall otherwise comply...

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And Why Is the Second Appraisal Always the “Correct Value?”

Jonathan Miller — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 12:30:06 +0000

On Friday morning, May 19, I was one of five expert witnesses (and the only as an appraiser) to testify on the topic of appraisal bias in front of the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC). During the first hour of testimony, our fourth grandchild was born. My wife was in the audience and stepped out of the hearing (the nerve!) to take the call from my oldest son on the news of our new granddaughter. The Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) held a second hearing on challenges facing the appraisal industry, including barriers to entering the profession and racial bias in home appraisals. The...

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VA Appraisal Request Form at Heart of AIR Violation Class Action

Peter Christensen — Tue, 23 May 2023 12:30:52 +0000

While the statute doesn’t explicitly mention that providing a loan amount is an AIR violation… When a mortgage lender seeks to make a Veterans Administration-backed home loan, the lender requests an appraisal from the VA’s appraiser panel by using a form entitled Request for Determination of Reasonable Value. For many years, until it was revised in July 2022, this form had a box labelled “Refinancing-Amount of Proposed Loan.” This box asked the lender to fill in the proposed loan amount for refinances. Once submitted, the form begins the appraisal process and is provided to the appraiser assigned by the VA...

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The New & Improved Fannie Mae “FRAUDULATOR 2.0”

Michael Ford — Mon, 15 May 2023 12:30:53 +0000

Originally known as Fannie Mae’s Collateral Underwriter (CU), and subsequently Collateral Underwriter 2.0 (CU-2)i this always dubious product of Fannie Mae is increasingly being referred to by some, if not many American Appraisers as The Fraudulator / Underwriter 2.0 (FU-2). To be clear it is not limited to the Collateral Underwriter (CU & CU-2) software. The new Fraudulator (FU-2) combines the CU products with their numerous improper uses. The end result of which includes OUTRIGHT FRAUD being perpetrated against banks via the repurchase letters Fannie Mae now issues on a quota based system rather than because of legitimate appraisal defects....

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Eroding Consumer Protection

AppraisersBlogs — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:30:06 +0000

Waiving appraisal requirements on residential homes could erode consumer protection, stall attempts to create diversity in the profession… The recent announcement from Fannie Mae that they will waive the requirement for residential home appraisals has caused quite a stir in the industry. Fannie Mae’s decision to waive appraisals during this time of soon to come recession and bank liquidity issues is both surprising and concerning, and could have serious implications for both consumers and financial institutions alike. With falling values across many markets combined with rising mortgage rates putting even more pressure on borrowers’ wallets, this decision could potentially put...

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Dear Representative, FNMA Has Gone Rogue!

AppraisersBlogs — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 12:30:24 +0000

Dear representative, waiving/eliminating property appraisal for lending purposes is wanton recklessness. Fannie Mae’s decision to waive/eliminate property appraisal for lending purposes is nothing more than wanton recklessness that could have serious repercussions in the future. The truth of the matter is that appraisals are an essential part of any mortgage transaction and should not be taken lightly or eliminated without due consideration. Without them, there can be no assurance as to whether a homebuyer will get what they pay for or if lenders will make bad investments with their money. In short, waiving/eliminating property appraisal requirements puts everyone at risk...

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AQB Initial Fair Housing Course

AppraisersBlogs — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 12:30:54 +0000

Mandatory completion of an initial fair housing course lasting 7 hours by January 1st 2025, as well as 4 additional hours every renewal cycle thereafter. Recently, the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) has proposed new requirements for those looking to become an appraiser or renew their certification/license. These include mandatory completion of an initial fair housing course lasting seven hours by January 1st 2025, as well as four additional hours every renewal cycle thereafter if this becomes standard practice. The following is taken right out of the new exposure draft on real property appraiser qualifications criteria. “The core goal is to...

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