Industry News Teach Your Clients Well At a recent industry show in Las Vegas (Valuation 2007), one speaker suggested that appraisers facing pressure may try “educating” their lender-clients about the rules, just in case they don’t know. You may be surprised by what is set in stone. One document appraisers use for this purpose is…
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Lending Crisis: A Bright Side? My message this issue is short and sweet this issue of Working RE; I’ll simply refer you to the cover story: Appraisers Fighting Back! It details the efforts of a handful of individuals who are making a difference to improve the industry. Many issues are coalescing and building upon one…
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Editor’s Note: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are a hot topic these days, especially since earning mention in this year’s State of the Union Address as a promising health care solution for small businesses. But they are not for everyone. HSAs and other health products are explained here by insurance expert Cleeland Green. For more: click…
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Reader Comments >>>Trainee Trouble: Who’s Training Who? read story >You are absolutely correct that we certified and experienced appraisers are paying the trainee to learn the business rather than the other way around. It was difficult for me to train my own son, who is a quick learner, and pay him a reasonable wage on…
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Good News for Appraisers by David Brauner, Editor Just as the seasons turn, so do markets and perceptions. There seems to be good news for (ethical) appraisers this season. Many I spoke with at the recent Appraisal Today show in San Francisco say fear of fraud is driving lenders away from number hitters and toward…
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What is Working RE? Hello and thanks for reading Working RE. This is David Brauner, former editor of the Communicator magazine. Working RE (Working Real Estate) is a new independent industry publication designed to help you build your business, reduce your risk of liability and stay informed on important industry and technology issues. Our promise…
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Industry News HVCC Update At press time, no changes have been announced regarding the landmark HVCC (Home Valuation Code of Conduct) provision in the Fannie-Cuomo agreement, despite the outcry from thousands of appraisers who believe it will put them out of business- except that the agreement date has pushed back one-three months from the original…
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Readers Respond Cuomo-Fannie/Freddie Agreement – read article The story quotes an appraiser saying they spent over 20 years developing their business, which primarily focuses on mortgage brokers. “No longer can I market my business,” he says. Sorry. Had you marketed your services to “reputable” clients over the past 20 years you wouldn’t be sweating the Fannie/Freddie-Cuomo deal. My…
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Director’s Message Lender Pressure: Business as Usual? With respect to lender pressure, many appraisers complain it’s “business as usual” despite the myriad state and federal legislation recently enacted to protect their independence, including the looming Home Valuation Code of Conduct- the centerpiece of the Fannie-Cuomo deal, and the recently passed National Housing Act, which also…
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Industry News Heck No BPOs! Heavy on the minds of appraisers this year is losing work to broker price opinions (BPOs), despite that BPOs for anything other than a real estate listing is illegal in at least 24 states, according to a recent article in the Appraisal Institute’s (AI) weekly newsletter Appraiser News Online. According…
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