Readers Respond

AMC Fails, Appraisers Stiffed
Push your state’s licensing board to adopt North Carolina’s system which states that an AMC that doesn’t pay for the appraisal within 30 days of the report being submitted (not addendums or requests for more comps), risks losing their N.C. registration. – posted to OREP/WRE Appraiser Talkback Blog

This AMC cost me or nearly cost me the roof over my head, my vehicle, my credit, my personal relationship and most of all, my sanity. I am willing to do anything to help fellow appraisers get justice and get paid. I would like to see people in this often solitary, underrepresented industry become united, even if just for this cause. – Maureen M Jungers

Why Appraisers Get Sued
Congratulations Mr. Spool and thank you. Reality-based instruction and discussion is what the profession desperately needs. Thanks again for emphasizing the use of fact for support in appraisal. Another effort is needed to convince appraisers to spend the time to figure out what information is relevant fact.  – posted to OREP/WRE Appraiser Talkback Blog

Texas Survey (Appraiser Fees Up)
I am unaware of anyone around here making what they use to make before HVCC.  – Dane County WI

Appraiser Evaluations
USPAP does not prohibit “evaluations” as described in FIRREA. The Scope of Work Rule in USPAP allows an appraiser to determine by consultation with his or her client the scope of the research and analysis necessary to credibly and reliably accomplish the intended use of an appraisal. Under the Scope of Work Rule the appraiser and the client may determine the scope of the assignment in conformance with the description of an evaluation in FIRREA, proceed with the research and analysis in conformance with the determined scope and report the results of the assignment using one of the reporting options in USPAP– certainly a Summary Appraisal Report. Of course it is critical to disclose the scope of the assignment in the report. – William M. James,  MAI, CCIM

Best Way to Handle Complaints: Anticipate Them
(Story from Working RE’s Home Inspector Edition.)
That is one superb “common sense” suggested letter (for home inspector clients). It should be worked up so it can go with the Home Inspection Report…..to offset complaints before they evolve and come to fruition. – Barry Noble

VA Hiring
(Story first appeared in Working RE’s email edition.)
I have been on the VA appraiser fee panel for 20 years. I agree with the author there is no pressure on value…ever. The people at VA Construction & Valuation are the greatest people you will ever work with. They truly work hard for the veterans they serve. They expect high quality work from their appraisers. – Paul S. Dotterman, SRA

The VA will not help collect from dead beat lenders promptly. You will have to wait 90 days then VA will start another 120 day process for you to maybe get paid. VA insists that you continue to do appraisals for the non-paying lenders. The last deal I had like this took nine months and countless hours of my time to get paid. – Michael

Blacklisting with a Twist
In the old days, before the lender would put an appraiser on their “black list,” they would send a certified letter stating the appraisal in question and giving the appraiser an opportunity for rebuttal. Now here is how it works. A broker tells the lender not to use a certain appraiser. The lender then tells the AMC to take the appraiser off the rotation. So the lender does not have to notify the appraiser and there is no chance for any rebuttal because the appraiser is not being taken off the lender’s list but the AMC’s. The broker has more control than before. It doesn’t have to be for any certain appraisal any more, it can be just because the loan officer doesn’t like the appraiser. The AMC doesn’t have to notify the appraiser because they still leave them in the rotation for other lenders who use them. There’s nothing an appraiser can do. This has happened to me. I have no recourse and it was not because of any particular appraisal. I know which mortgage company told the lenders not to use me. I’ve called the lenders and they tell me to call the AMC and vice versa. There is more control than ever by the loan officers.  – Charlotte