Rumor has it there are several Virginia Real Estate State Appraisal Board disciplinary cases against appraisers revolving around hybrid appraisals… Some are for and some are opposed. It is a business decision on which types of assignments you choose to accept. If you choose to complete a hybrid or bifurcated appraisal, you need to pay attention and ask yourself a few questions. Is the fee I am receiving for completing this assignment reasonable for the scope of work I must perform? Notice the term customary was not used as these products are new and there is no customary fee YET....
Class Valuation sucker punches appraisers! Class Valuation has been celebrating completing 1,000,000 orders and sent a Tweet thanking their clients and staff. There is no mention of the boots on the ground licensed professional appraisers who actually completed those appraisals. Is this the true feelings of Class Valuation? Do they not realize not one order would have been completed without appraisers? Not one simple thank you… Meanwhile VaCAP has learned InHouse Solutions, the AMC division of Get Connexions, Inc. is ceasing all operations as of February 28th. Appraisers on their panel across the country have been getting this email: Jan...
The most beneficial part of participating in live CE classes is what you learn from other professional appraisers attending… The Best Decision You Will Make in 2020! What was the one thing your parents answered your “Why” questions with that made you angry every time? You have probably said it to your own kids as well. “Because I said so” would get you every time. You knew you were never going to win that argument, whatever it was about. VaCAP is not going to tell you “Because I Said So”. But we are going to explain to you why you...
2019 is winding down with just one more day remaining. As we reflect on the past, the changes we have seen and the growth we have endured, our hearts are warmed with the accomplishments we have obtained. Appraisers are no longer sitting back and letting others dictate our future. Have we won every battle, no; but our voices are being heard and our regulators are taking notice. Legislators, consumer groups and even Realtors are speaking up in favor of the licensed professional appraiser. This begs the question, are appraisers really professional? According to Webster’s Third International Dictionary a profession is...
…everyone knows that iMortgage / Single Source is the “dollar bidding” company. They send out appraisal requests at $1.00 and ask everyone to provide their fee… The Louisiana Real Estate Appraiser Board has been hit with another legal battle. This time, iMortgage, operating under the name Single Source has filed suit against the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisal Board claiming a violation of antitrust laws. This suit mirrors that of the FTC, which is currently paused by the Fifth Circuit Court. In the suit, iMortgage claims rules created by the Louisiana Real Estate Board, which consists of market participants, set appraisal...
See the announcement by the Veterans Administration basically telling lenders and appraisal management companies we are going to protect our Veterans with sound appraisal practice. …the person providing property information to the appraiser must have entered into an agreement with the appraiser to do so. …the person who provides to the VA fee panel appraiser information must sign the appraisal report in the “Appraiser” section of the left side of the appraisal report. Assisted Appraisal Processing Program (AAPP) This section authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Secretary to issue guidance explaining the conditions under which VA permits VA fee...
Over the past few weeks VaCAP has been hearing from our members on some of the concerns they have with how appraisal management companies are conducting themselves. It started when appraisers on the USDA panel received notifications that USDA was no longer ordering appraisals directly and that task has been outsourced. Verdi Consulting and Jones Lang LaSalle have received the contracts from USDA for appraisal origination. Neither of these companies are licensed as an appraisal management company in Virginia and they are using two appraisal management companies as subcontractors; Valligent and Clarocity. Most appraisers we heard from were highly concerned...
By no means are we promoting bifurcated appraisal products… “Credible valuations of real property are critical to the health of the overall real estate industry; therefore the practice of bifurcated/hybrid appraisals must be regulated” There has been lots of talk over the past few weeks about bifurcated appraisal products. First came the announcement form Working RE Magazine they were conducting a survey on bifurcated appraisal products. VaCAP recommends every appraiser complete the survey if you have not done so already. Next came rumors that Mark Calabria, Director of FHFA stopped all pilot programs which included bifurcated appraisals and appraisal waivers. Working RE Magazine published an...
Here we are over 3 and a half years after the article titled “I Do Not Quit, Not Ever!“. No one has quit yet. AGA™ is now a tax-exempt 501(c)(6). We have successfully renegotiated our affiliation agreement with OPEIU and AFL-CIO. The articles of incorporation revised our previous articles of association. In the past two years Jan Bellas and the National Appraiser Peer Review Committee have helped in excess of 185 appraisers get off blacklists; be reinstated with lenders and assisted those wrongfully accused in defending themselves before state regulatory agencies. Anyone that’s dealt with Jan Bellas KNOWS she doesn’t...
Fannie and Freddie Will Fail! That comes straight from Dr. Mark Calabria, the Federal Housing Finance Director that oversees Fannie and Freddie! In a prepared statement given to the US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, FHFA Director Mark Calabria did not hold back in his comments. But in their current condition, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will fail in a downturn. The testimony of Dr. Calabria before the US House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services was geared around affordable housing goals. Blame is given to local zoning, land use restrictions, environmental regulations, onerous building codes and permitting...
