Tagged: Zillow

The Appraisal Management Company Business Model, Deceitful Little Lies 29

Deceitful Little Lies

At some point, appraisers need to take a stand against the appraisal management company business model. There are simply no benefits to appraisal management companies and there is no accountability for their actions. Haven’t we all been abused enough? Do the lenders really understand they are responsible for every action of the appraisal management company? Do the lenders really know the questionable ethics of the appraisal management companies? Are the appraisal management companies lying to the lenders? Deceitful, liars, bait and switch, trickery, fee shoppers, bottom feeders, empty promises and illegal activity are some of the nicer terms used to...

Zillow in Crosshairs - Zillow Has the Most Flawed Business Models 8

Zillow in Crosshairs

Steve Eisman, the hedge-fund manager famous for betting against the US housing market in 2008 explains why he is shorting online real estate company Zillow. “I would say Zillow has one of the most flawed business models I’ve seen in a very, very long time,” he said during an interview on CNBC. “They had a good business which was their internet real estate platform. The growth in that has slowed dramatically so that now the growth is zero… The most problematic is what they call their, I believe, iHome business, an internet buying business where they actually go out and...

Major Threat to Real Estate Agents on Horizon - Appraisers Blogs 6

Major Threat to Real Estate Agents

Appraisers, in case you are not aware, NINE law firms have begun the process to sue real estate agents and brokers across the US about how the commission process works to compensate the SELLING broker. It is believed that three of the best known internet based property purchasing and selling web sites are behind this effort. It’s being done so that they can build their own businesses, while jeopardizing the livelihood of real estate agents and brokers. The suits allege that there is collusion and racketeering among the real estate participants to ‘bake in’ a set commission for the selling agent...

Didja Know... Zillow is Better than Eyes! - Discern Quality Using Photos 33

Didja Know… Zillow is Better than Eyes!

How in the heck is Zillow supposed to discern QUALITY of these homes, and then magically produce a presumed value, when there is no actual data upon which to base a decision? Maybe it’s done with smoke and mirrors, rather than eyes? Appraisers, I was busy churning out reports, and didn’t have time to send out this bit of news about Zillow earlier: Zillow is watching: New algorithm uses photos of your home to check quality and curb appeal. Zillow is now claiming “it” can discern QUALITY of a home, just by looking at various photos they obtain from various sources! They...

Race Never Considered... Emerging Narrative of Appraisers Being Racists 75

Appraisers Don’t Use Race

Appraisers don’t use race… Race is NEVER considered during a valuation Last week in a congressional hearing on the future of the appraisal profession, some research was used to suggest appraisers are showing racial bias and essentially undervaluing black neighborhoods. I was not expecting the conversation to go that way during the hearing and I’ll admit I’m deeply concerned about the emerging narrative of appraisers being racists… In the congressional hearing a panelist talked about a study that shows black neighborhoods are devalued by $48,000 compared to otherwise similar white neighborhoods. That’s alarming and society needs to have some serious...

iBuying Platforms Misleading Consumers - Honesty in Real Estate Petition 19

Honesty in Real Estate

Stop unfair, deceptive, and abusive iBuying tactics. Consumers are being mislead into believing that heavily funded real estate iBuying platforms are cheaper and easier than using a Realtor. Sign and Share this petition demanding that there be clarity for consumers on these deceitful iBuying platforms. Click HERE. Summary: Real estate agents, and the buyers and sellers they have faithfully represented for decades, are under threat from a small number of technology companies looking to disrupt the real estate industry. This movement began back in 2004 when companies like Trulia and Zillow were formed, and has recently neared a tipping point...

What Makes a Next Generation Home? - Appraisers Blogs 5

What is a Next Generation Home?

What makes a Next Generation home? Appraisers, both FNMA and FrMAC, in concert with manufactured housing builders and the Appraisal Institute, are promoting a new type of MANUFACTURED home, and CE classes to teach appraisers about them (and typical MFH). If your appraisal service area has manufactured homes, and you appraise them, you may want to peruse this essay. The name generically applied to these new manufactured homes is Next Generation (NG). Each GSE has a different name for their LENDING program, see below. Why is this happening? Up until relatively recently, the two GSE’s didn’t purchase manufactured home loans from...

Why Not Qualified Appraisers Instead of Cheap Appraiser Imposters? 29

Appraiser Imposters!

AMC sends a “non-appraiser” to photograph, measure, sketch, and observe a property, it’s quality, condition, and surroundings instead of using a qualified appraiser… I’m not an Appraiser, You just think I’m one Ever see the AT&T commercial where the surgeon walks in and he says “I Just got reinstated, Nervous? That’s ok so am I”. If not see here: https://youtu.be/1YT3erQZoq4   Or the late 1986 commercial with Peter Bergman that states I’m not really a doctor but I play one on TV.   Well get ready Consumers because the person that is about to visit your home IS NOT an...

Protecting Appraisers Against Frivolous & Retaliatory 3rd Party Lawsuits 6

Frivolous & Retaliatory 3rd Party Lawsuits

Appraisers are routinely coerced & intimidated by third parties to violate their independence and integrity… Honorable Committee Members: We are writing to add our voice to that of the Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers (MBREA is a State Coalition of professional real estate appraisers) in support of each of the above bills. The American Guild of Appraisers is a Guild within the Office Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) of the AFL-CIO, representing the appraisal and real estate related financial consumer / taxpayer interests of over twelve and a half million AFL-CIO Family Union & Guild Members; their families, retirees...

Another Huckster Enters the Appraisal Arena 20

Another Huckster Enters the Appraisal Arena

Yet another third party huckster has entered into the real estate appraiser and appraisal arena. It’s that time again! Yet another third party huckster has entered into the real estate appraiser and appraisal arena. Apparently motivated by pure altruism. We identified a need in the marketplace to address a common problem that lenders are regularly challenged with in providing accurate appraisal quotes and then ensuring pricing on the Loan Estimate is consistent and compliant,” stated Vladimir Bien-Aime, president and CEO at Global DMS. (I LOVE this guy, he writes like me!) Global DMS Launches SnapVal to Provide Instant, Accurate, Guaranteed...

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