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Editor’s Note: Excessive stipulations, reconsiderations of value and other time wasters continue to plague appraisers. Why?
Take a quick survey below!
Overseas AMC Staff: Could I Speak to “Villiam?”
by Isaac Peck, Associate Editor
At least one appraisal management company (AMC) put a new accent on appraising by having the point of contact be in another country—specifically, a call-center in India. According appraiser Bill Streep, this is how the conversation went:
Bill Streep: “Hi, this is Bill.”
AMC Staff: “HELLO! Bill. Could I please speak to Villiam?”
Bill Streep: “This is Bill.”
AMC Staff: “Yes, Bill. I need to speak to Villiam.”
Bill Streep: “My name is Bill, it’s short for William.”
AMC Staff: “Yes… (insert long pause) Could I please speak to Villiam?”
Bill Streep: “This IS William.”
AMC Staff: “No, this is Bill. I need to speak to Villiam.”
Bill Streep: “Hang on…” I set the phone down and shuffle some papers around.
Bill Streep: “Hello, this is William.”
AMC Staff: “VILLIAM! HELLO!”
Bill Streep: CLICK.
While the above story is funny, wasting time and money are not. Ever since AMCs gained prominence, appraisers have lamented having to deal with inexperienced AMC staff who have little or no knowledge of real estate in many instances, let alone the standards and requirements of an appraisal report compliant with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).
Appraisers point out that the inexperience of AMC staff sometimes leads to extra time spent clarifying, providing additional information, answering questions that are addressed in the report, and what some appraisers call “educating” the AMC staff making the requests. Some say this has gotten better as AMCs have matured. Others say it is still a daily struggle. And time is money.
Streep, an appraiser from San Antonio, Texas, says that he now declines work from AMCs that consistently use India for their call-centers. “It’s just too much of a headache. I don’t have anything against India or Indians but I’m tired of hearing the same old script when all of the questions they ask are already addressed in the report,” Streep says.
The outsourcing of AMC staff is not the problem, as Streep sees it, but is simply illustrative of the business model of AMCs to cut their costs while requiring more time and work from appraisers to complete an appraisal order. “So many AMCs are taking the cheapest route to servicing their clients, they’re carving out of the middle as much as they possibly can by fishing for the lowest fee and outsourcing their call-centers. It would be different if they were doing it on a cost-plus basis, but no-one likes getting a fee-haircut AND being pestered by unnecessary requests and stipulations on top of that,” says Streep.
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Streep doesn’t think that all AMCs are bad or “greedy,” he just tries not to work for the ones that don’t pay fair fees or invest in hiring competent staff. “Right after the real estate crash, business was tight and we knew we had to deal with AMCs with untrained staff. But as the real estate market picked up, appraisers have more options and they’re going to remember which AMCs treated them well,” says Streep.
Joseph Cagle, an appraiser from Warner Robbins, Georgia, is an appraiser who worked for one AMC both before and after they began utilizing call-centers in India. “I really don’t have a problem with the call-center in India,” says Cagle, who admits that globalization has changed the way that we all do business. “The problem is that it’s incredibly difficult to discuss issues regarding an appraisal when the person you’re talking to usually doesn’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” says Cagle.
“We’re talking about someone who usually has little or no knowledge about the appraisal process, your geographic region, or even what an appraisal report is supposed to contain—it makes it pretty difficult to negotiate fees, let alone deal with the 100 follow-up questions that typically follow,” says Cagle.
Echoing the sentiments of other appraisers who raise their fees on AMCs that are difficult to deal with, Cagle says that he usually charges “problem” AMCs two to three times his normal fee because their staff typically have 100 questions, many of which have already been addressed in the report, which makes it clear that the report wasn’t even read by the staff. In fairness, Cagle says that inexperienced AMC staff is nothing new to the industry, but the language barrier and the lack of knowledge about appraising certainly make things a little more difficult. “The calls at eight o’clock on Sunday night certainly don’t help either,” says Cagle.
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Richard Hagar, SRA, has a similar story, but this time it involved a review appraiser. He says that about two years ago he received a call from a review appraiser. “He had impeccable British English and there was significant time lag in our conversation, the kind you would expect when you talk to someone on the other side of the world. After speaking to him further, he ended up telling me that he was calling me from India,” says Hagar.
Great Expectations
David Brauner, Editor of Working RE and Senior Broker at OREP E&O insurance sees a disconnect between the increasing pressure on appraisers to provide more complex data and analysis in their appraisals and the silence about situations like this from lenders and regulators. “Appraisers are directed to improve the quality of their reports and expand the products they deliver beyond form filling into more analytics, if they wish to remain competitive,” Brauner says. And worse: with Fannie Mae’s new AQM (Appraisal Quality Monitoring), appraisers now must meet very specific reporting requirements or face “blacklisting.” “According to many, what Fannie Mae is asking for is simply sound appraising,” Brauner says. “But we really won’t know until we see who makes the blacklist and why and how the rebuttal process works. Stories like this overseas call center and many others (See “Low Bid” Appraisal Ordering and Its Effect on Quality) illustrate a seeming indifference to quality and a smooth process. You wonder why these issues on the ordering side are not being so vigorously addressed or even acknowledged by industry leaders,” said Brauner.
The “India” story may be an anomaly because it involves overseas staff, but appraisers have complained about underqualified AMC staff, time-wasting stipulations and reconsiderations of value for years. (In an OREP webinar The Top 5 Questions Asked of an Appraiser and How to Answer, Richard Hagar, SRA and others, explain how this back and forth can move beyond the annoying to coercive.)
Many appraisers view the tangled submission process as a more serious threat to their livelihoods than even a lack of customary and reasonable fees. (We’ve included a three question survey below to see what you think.)
“Something or several things are bogging the system down and robbing appraisers of time, money and their pleasant dispositions,” Brauner said. “Perhaps those who can make things happen ought to be concerned with finding ways to increase quality, streamlining and consistency on both sides of the lending equation.”
If Streep is right about appraisers having more options when times are good, the AMCs that invest in experienced, knowledgeable staff and pay fair fees are the ones that appraisers will want to work for.
And Wait, There’s More
WRE found this on ISGN’s website at the time of publication:
ISGN is Hiring in India
With a state-of-the-art operations center in Bangalore, we have a wide variety of positions available to support our servicing and default outsourcing capabilities, including mortgage loan processing and fulfillment, underwriting, valuations, title and settlement, closing, post closing, quality control, loss mitigation, foreclosure, REO disposition, IT services and more.
India Jobs at ISGN
If you are interested in exploring mortgage career opportunities, including but not limited to, Mortgage Processers, Underwriters, Mortgage Closers, Title Specialists, HUD Reviewers, and Appraisal Reviewers, please search for available positions below.”
Additionally, in June of last year, Bloomberg reported that Bank of America opened a unit in India conduct appraisal reviews for residential appraisals, with employees following checklists to verify appraisal “completeness.” The move came after Bank of America laid off 5% of its Landsafe employees in an effort to cut cost earlier that year. (Read more here.)
>Find the Best AMCs, Fire the Rest
The 2014 AMC Resource Guide, with nearly 300 of the best AMCs listed, helps increase orders so you can turn down low-fee AMC work, negotiate fees from a position of strength and confidence, and refuse to work for the AMCs that undervalue you with low fee work and endless corrections and stipulations. The Guide provides direct links to AMC applications and the contact information you need to sign-up. Expand your business and find the AMCs that pay fairly and treat appraisers like a professional. You control who you work for instead of the other way around. Click here to learn more.
>Click Here to take WRE/OREP Appraisal Process Satisfaction Survey.
1. How would you rate the appraisal submission/review process overall with the clients you work for?
-Generally Reasonable
-Sometimes Unreasonable
-Often Unreasonable
-Almost Always Unreasonable
2. You refuse to work with clients that have a difficult/time-consuming appraisal submission/review process:
-Always
-Frequently
-Sometimes
-Not Often Enough
3. Are excessive and sometimes questionable demands by your client/lender/AMC impacting your business?
-Frequently/Often
-Sometimes
-Rarely/Never
We’re always listening: Send your story submission/idea to the Editor: dbrauner@orep.org.
About the Author
Isaac Peck is the Associate Editor of Working RE Magazine and Marketing Coordinator at OREP.org, a leading provider of E&O Insurance for appraisers, inspectors, and other real estate professionals in 49 states. He received his Bachelors in Business Management at San Diego State University. He can be contacted at Isaac@orep.org or (888) 347-5273.
by Jim Smith
I do allot of work for Springhouse. First, they do not pay customary and reasonable (not even close). Second, they do not have one appraiser in whatever office it is that I am dealing with. They literally will send ridiculous revision requests, and just recently I had one that defies explanation. The property was a legal 3 bed 2ba. There was an illegal bath and and an illegal bed (essentially just a bed in a small portion of the garage, with a dilapidated bath). I explained in detail that there was an illegal bed and bath in the garage. I provided photos and gave no value, again, explaining in detail. They sent me a revision request, telling me to match up the number of baths and beds so that the grid shows a 4bd/3ba home. They do not even understand the most basic appraisal principles, yet I receive $295.00/report, minus a $13.00 “technology” fee (have requested to speak to IT 3 times and no response). SH makes just a LITTLE less than I do on each report. When you explain that a property is very complex and a fee increase is needed, they just immediately cancel and lie by writing, “the lender has not agreed to your terms and the order is canceled”. Mind you, I have created a file, called the agent and then, cancelled over a $50.00 fee increase. Also, they say in the engagement letter that if any property is over 100 miles round trip, they will pay a distance fee. Every distance fee I have requested, results in a cancellation of the order. They have absolutely no idea what it is that they are doing.
-They do not have one single appraiser in the office and are probably one of thee most profitable AMC’s out there. So why does Ocwen use them? I actually received emails from a a made up name of a guy called Micheal Johnson. I checked and could not find anybody by the name of Micheal Johnson at SH, I accept orders and the very next day I receive an email that states, “quality is not important, turn-time is the most important and as we would like to send you more work in the future, please provide this appraisal ASAP”. Mind you, I have not even been able to set-up an appointment yet. They threaten me with not sending me any additional work if the report is not uploaded BEFORE the due date. They actually state, “quality is not important”. I wonder if Ocwen feels this way? Try calling that office and the people do not understand colloquial American -English. They offer fake names like “Bill” or “Scott” (it just makes me laugh). They have absolutely no concept of what an appraisal is and most shockingly is that in order to get an appraisal licence, you have to be squeaky clean, as the government believes that the information we deal with is sensetive and should only be put in the hands of someone that has no record and is not unscrupulous. Yet, our reports are going to India and who knows what they are doing with all of this sensitive info? I am completely whoring myself out to these people, but the industry has slowed to a crawl and the only reason I created a relationship with them is because they do secondary marketing work. This is the best work to have when rates increase and properties have reached again, all time highs in California. I wonder how much money Ocwen losses due to the poor report quality that I know they receive. I reviewed for 2 AMC’s and at one AMC, I handled the PNC Bank secondary marketing work and the quality of reports was disturbing. Yet, I assure you, SH is using the worst appraiser’s in the land. I still provide excellent quality wok, however all they care about is getting the report back, and if any photo offers a similar angle of any property available on the web, they immediately send it back and write, “this photo was found online, please provide an original photo”; I explain that it is original and they still will not accept it (I had to go back to one property and take a photo from a different angle- 1.5 hours from my office; this was the front photo and is if I would not take a photo of the front. The first picture we all take is of the street scene or the front of the home). Also, several times I have gone to a property only to find no lock-box or key-less entry(one was in Hollywood Hills; 50 miles from my office and a 2.5 hour drive, one way, in the constant LA traffic). I submit “No-Show” invoices and I have yet to be paid for one (something I will be addressing). I have a 100% on-time rating, I speak Spanish and many times in San Diego (I cover San Diego for them, along with Riverside and Orange, LA Counties), the only way to get into a property is if you speak Spanish, yet over the last two weeks I have had access issues for just about every property, accept D-By’s. Now, I go from getting 3-4 order requests a day to none (have had a 100% on-time rating since I started taking work and has been over the last 11 months). As if I can control when these people can be around for an inspection. Also, they do not even tell you the purpose of the appraisal. It took me about 6 months to figure out that many of their reports are for a shared appreciate Mortgage (SAM). The borrower’s that got a loan mod, signed a contract that states, when you want to refi or sell, they get 25% of any appreciation since the date of the Mod. Clearly, these people have no interest in letting me in. So, I have now started threatening the borrowers with the fact that Ocwen will file a Lis Pendens on the property if they do not allow me in. I am now a bill collector. Yet, I eventually get access and because they are extending due dates, they are now not sending me orders. I have become reliant on them, yet they do not even bother sending me an email explaining why I am not receiving work (yet I have 100% on time record for the last 11 months!). I speak and listen to appraiser’s all the time. We all have to form a union. That is the only way we are going to either eliminate AMC’s or create a scenario where they get no more than 10% of OUR fee. Anybody interested in this, you can reach me at myappraiser@yahoo.com. I already have about 20 appraiser’s ready to go, and found an office that actually has 50 appraiser’s and they all want to get involved (just spoke with one of the appraiser’s and trying to get in touch with the head guy). One great idea is if all appraiser’s stopped accepting work from AMC’s (mentioned above). But, unfortunately we have to pay bills and keep a roof over our heads. AMC’s do NOT have to be used by banks. There is no law that states that a bank must use an AMC. Banks would get their reports allot faster without the needless middleman; lso their revision requests have always been reasonable (over the 25 years I have been appraising, I rarely received unwarranted requests from an underwriter. They ask questions that are relative to value and usually feel that they deserve a better explanation if the report provided resulted in a question. My mentor started an AMC in 2005. He shut it down in 2015 after making millions. He owns a stable of race horses in Kentucky, has a beach-front home in Del Mar, San Diego, just bought an insurance company for passive income and did it all on the backs of other appraiser’s . He was also planning on sending his appraisals to India, but his main clients, Fannie and Freddie, both said, “no way, we do not want these reports sent to India”. I said “good” and he looked at me like I was now his enemy and told me I “don’t understand”. Right Joel, I do not understand. I am the one who taught you everything you needed to know about the lending industry. At any rate, Fannie will not allow appraisals to be sent to India, yet Springhouse uses India to REVIEW my reports. I suggest nobody accept work from these people. I HATE them!!!!!!!!!! Find other work. They might as well send my reports to the local 7-11 as they are just as capable of doing what their brother’s and sister’s are doing in their homeland. Finally, I also worked for USRES AMC. Right before I left, the owner had just bought a new Ferrari, owns a luxury box at Anaheim Stadium and does not even know what an appraisal looks like. So many AMC owners are not appraiser’s. The government created unnecessay regulation that has essentially rendered this profession a very poor choice for college student, yet now one must have a college degree to beome an AR (Certified). I support the college requirement, but it is only ging to result in a lack of necessary appraiser’s as I cannot tell any college student to consider this field as a profession. In 1998 I made over $240,000. In 2018, I have written over 300 reports and will make less than I did in 1998 (about $80,000). And for next week, “0” (Zero).
by Mark@Sovereign.com
All the mandates of appraising call for “Geographic Competency”,
-yet an AMC operating out of India can review your work and tell you
your comps are wrong? Where are the state boards?
by Dan Harashe
I was working for an AMC company for the last 2 years (Springhouse). I am a certified appraiser with experience. I ordered and reviewed appraisals nationwide. I took pride in what I did and worked with all the appraisers that I ordered appraisals from. We started training people in India to help with the large numbers of foreclosure and shortsales brought on by B of A and others. These trainees were supposed to help with loans that were within a set loan to value range. With the ones exceeding that going to our staff appraisers. We had plenty of problems dealing with the staff in India due to difference in housing and lifestyles. They didn’t know what closets were, story height and all kinds of things including location differences from proximity to commercial buildings or recreational facilities like Golf courses. Last December 2013, the company laid the majority of our staff off, (Merry Christmas) and transferred the jobs to India. From the quality I saw while working with the overseas people, my opinion is it is just a matter of time before the industry collapses again.
-by Mike Ritzenthaler
Dan: I am not at all surprised at your experience. I just sent an e-mail to Springhouse today asking that they remove my appraisal firm from their list of approved appraisers, due to continued frustration with their completely inept communication system, largely due to call center employees that speak English very poorly and cannot communicate the simplest of messages in an understandable manner by e-mail. I don’t predict a sunny future for their appraisal management division. Bye Bye Springhouse!!
-by Jack Van Wyk
When we appraisers finally grow a set and tell ALL amc’s to sing into the wind, and demand reasonable fees/conditions for our services, then and only then will the appraisal business return to what it should be. Any appraiser who takes a low fee not only denigrates themselves, but just hurts every other appraiser in the business.
-by Mike Ford
Michele,
I hadn’t even heard or considered the equal treatment aspect of the Indian company. Most I dealt with were polite, but robotic. I once had a problem with a Landsafe National or District Director telling me what to do. I was threatened. I sent a letter to B of A’s Investor Relations Chairman pointing out the circumstances and asking if they advised their investors that this is how their collateral analysis was handled.
About three to six months later I got a call & Email from a VP of Corporates Security for B of A out of Texas. We talked at length. He indicated BofA was unhappy with the Landsafe situation too, but corporate inertia takes years to resolve problems like that. In the meantime he insured I was NOT on any LS blacklist AND assured me the lady that was attempting undue influence over me would be ‘counseled’ thoroughly on corporate appraisal review policies-and basic business etiquette.
I urge ALL appraisers to go to the top when you have a problem that cannot be fairly resolved locally. My personal choice is always a Director or Chairmen of Investor Relations; but CEOs can be just as good too. Of course it gets referred, but it usually gets referred to someone with the power to resolve the problem.
Heck, when I had problems with T-Mobile I finally wrote an email (in bad German) to Deutche Telekom. Eventually got a call from some kind of VP out of Colorado that resolved the problem completely in one call. BTW-Now They have US contacts that you can find online. Then they didn’t.
-by Mike Ford
To Anonymous re [Residential Real Estate Review (RRReview)]
-I understand the desire to continue eating.
Let me ask this though. If you lose your license for failing to meet Standard Rule Two; or for disclosing non public, private information to someone other than your client in a FOREIGN LAND that may or may NOT protect the confidentiality of the data, how will you eat then?
You and I and every single appraiser here should boycott ANY and ALL work originating from OR being processed through Indian or any other foreign lands call centers.
As for reviews; IF I received a review or request for additional data that was merely an email OR message withion their site software rather than a direct communication from an underwriter OR reviewer (meaning I want a copy of the review and license information for the reviewer), I simply decline to address it until they DO provide a USPAP compliant review. (Yes, I’ll double check and make sure I’ve done my job correctly and not forgotten something dumb-like how to spell my own name first).
In the end if you are demanding my time I expect a reasonable question or request indicative of someone that READ the appraisal and is not simply just using a check list. I will NOT respond to third party interpretations of what a reviewer or underwriter has ostensibly asked for-except to demand copies of the original correspondence or communication from those parties.
by Mike Ford
Nicely put Rick! Agree.
-by Mike Ford
I have no problem identifying the ‘overseas’ amc. Ocwen wasn’t too bad to work with when they started. Fees were too low but they paid on time. The biggest problem was in communication or resolving problems without getting the order cancelled automatically. THAT affected income. Another problem was coordination. I cant tell how many times I drove 40 miles away (same city I lived in though) only to find no lock box on the property and no valid agent contact data. A $25 “trip fee” did not compensate me for my gas, oil and time. Forty miles in L.A. is an hour drive on a good day. EACH way.
THEN they started throwing work out for bids and you had to ‘jump on it’ and accept right away -no time to research the job first.
Their reputation got so bad they changed the name of the company to Alturis , and some other name too.
The biggest problem is in having nice people that speak English but who have no grasp of colloquial American -English OR real estate, acting as intermediaries between appraisers and lender clients.
BofA and all you others. You are saving hundreds per appraisal at the cost of tens of thousands in net asset recovery because of your inept system. Extend THOSE numbers out. I have SEEN it repeatedly.
I will not work for, nor respond to messages from a foreign based AMC customer service department. I sure as hell wont be responding to any of their ‘desk reviews’!
-by Rick
I’ve reconciled living with offshore call centers for tech support and other retail vendor type services, but to use them for AMC placement and micro-management is absurd, and reveals the true colors of the industry. But I agree with the consensus that the broadcasting of orders is the absolute bain of our formerly-respectable profession. Can there be a bottom lower than that? Give them time, they’ll find one. If it weren’t for the relative sanity of VA work (a set timeframe to complete orders, the freedom to manage my business within it, the opportunity to deal directly with client staff, and underwriters who actually pick up the phone to ask for a reasonable clarification instead of stipping you to death with inane and superfluous changes), I’d quit the business to to sell my body on a street corner. It’s preferable to selling my soul to the machine…
-by CB Oliver
If all appraisers would take the simple step that I took about three years ago, simply refuse to accept ANY assignment from an AMC, the problem would disappear very quickly!
-by Anonymous Appraiser
I have a client, Residential Real Estate Review (RRReview) I do occasional reports for. Their customer service office and all contacts are located in India. They have a Utah office and the company’s corporate headquarters are located in Utah, but it is nearly impossible to get anyone in the Utah office to speak with me. I have left message, emails, and spoken with the India reps and asked them to transfer me to the Utah office. Invariably, they tell me they are unable to transfer me and I have to speak with them. They have no knowledge of the appraisal process and barely speak English and are mostly incoherent. I usually cannot understand them and they seem to have trouble understanding me. On the few rare occasions when I have been called by the Utah office, they told me that if I call the 800 # in India the Indians are supposed to transfer me to the Utah office upon request. I have told them that this does not happen but they have done nothing about it.
The company does pay my fees and sometimes they have increased the fee slightly upon request, which is why I have continued to accept appraisal orders from them. They broadcast orders and the first appraiser to respond gets the order. About 3-4 weeks after report submission, I get a check. That is the reason and only reason I have continued to work for them. If I have a question or problem, I email them since I cannot understand the reps on the phone, but I have never gotten a response to my emails – never!! The (the Indians) call me and leave messages sometimes about report status or if I can accept an order but for the most part, the messages are barely coherent. Usually I know its them by the caller ID on my phone. The messages are a garbled mess of Indian accent with very little English mixed in and usually a bad connection. The company is frustrating to work for but I am reluctant to “fire” them because they do pay and they do send work on a regular basis. I prefer my other clients, but sometimes my other clients, most of which are AMC’s don’t have enough work in my area to keep me busy so I can make a decent living. This forces me to accept work from difficult clients. In the past, I have “fired” clients for non-payment or for being difficult to work with, usually coupled with low fees. I usually don’t fire a client for one reason only. It takes a lot for me to come to that decision.
I had another client, the William Fall Group. They paid very low fees, were very demanding about revisions sending me pages and pages of revisions for each report, and only allowed me 24 hours after an inspection to deliver a report. I only worked for them because I had no other options. Once business picked up, I terminated my relationship with them. Soon after, their recruiter called me and offered me a bonus (too small) to re-sign with the company. No go, I was done with them. They wanted more than perfection on each report, a very short turn time and very low fees, about 1/3 of my usual fee.
I often get emails or phone calls from AMC’s offering me lots of volume with low pay. They think the American dream is to work more for less money. I usually ignore those offers but sometimes I send them a sarcastic email telling them they are ridiculous and should get out of the business so more reputable companies can take their place. Sometimes though, I just recommend they shoot themselves in the head and do us all a favor . They usually don’t bother me again.
-by anthony
And still there are plenty of bottom feeders that will do the work at any price. What they don’t get is if you and me and the rest ask for a reasonable fee, fee will have to rise. With out us AMC’s are nothing but a Call Center with nobody to call.
-(A 6,000sf 1.5mil house for $225) No thanks. But some one will say yes I bet
by Endoftheroad
AMC’s are a mixed bag. I believe the India connection may be an isolated issue. For the most part (in my experience) AMC’s pay low fees and have little appraisal knowledge/experience…I will not have a client that requires me to provide appraisal services under those circumstances. Some of the smaller AMC’s that our local/regional banks and lenders use have a client-provided fee panel of appraiser’s that provide loan facilitation documents. While the VA is not an AMC, they operate like one on many levels: very lender-centric and expect the contract price to be met…or else. There is no appraiser independence and their “rules” are a constantly moving target. TSI is the only true AMC I will work with….their fees are reasonable and I can live with their review process. At the end of the day, AMC’s are simply a reflection of their clients wants: to process as many loans as possible with no roadblocks, all with the appearance of “quality” via FM’s AQM system….it’s all window dressing.
-by Carolyn@pinnacle.com
Nothing trumps the AMC clerk that told the appraiser to get another
-photo of the attic because the one he has in the report has the rafters
(ridgeboards) in it. They are hired at job fairs simply because
they know how to use a computer.
I’m sorry you elected a major in college that was fun instead of practical and now your student loans are due. Someone needs to look into the staffing at AMCs.
by FRANK BIGELOW
The biggest problem I see is when the AMC’s have six to twelve different staffers going over a report. That essentially keeps you going on files for days on end after they’ve had it for a week or so and then start calling and emailing you back to change this and that and eventually are wanting changes of the changes they wanted originally. That’s when I put my foot down. Then three months later you get a letter from commerce on the file like you’ve created a felony and then you have to stop everything and deal with commerce, who at least are doing what they are supposed to do but get these frivolous complaints. It’ll drive you crazy to the point where you want to jump out the basement window:-)
-by Michele
Good story! But not an uncommon one for sure. I can add to that…same company wanted me to do something that was a direct violation of USPAP and I refused. I explained over & over, asked to speak to someone else and man on the phone started yelling at me “You will do as I say!” Literally screaming at me….I started to laugh and I told him I don’t know where you are sitting right now, but I am sitting in Phx Arizona, USA and here you don’t ever tell me what to do! Sorry to say, but look at the news that country has huge problems with attacks on women, children, rape, barbaric punishments and corrupt police and authorities, I will not do business with them anymore, at some point in this industry and in our country don’t we ever just have to stand together and say this isn’t acceptable therefore we no longer choose to do business with these people. Our country is so glued to reality TV and misinformed that it is hard to get the point out to so many but we appraisers have been thru the wringer….we know better. I just don’t understand why its so difficult to get all of us to stand together to take back our careers and profession. Why do we keep undermining each other, we need to set an standard and that is it….no we can’t do that appraisal for $150…if no one takes it then the price will go up. I don’t have another paycheck to fall back on but in the long run we would be able to make things better if we all stood together. Just a thought…..
-by Steve Hook
One of my primary clients was using Indian reviewers last year. I found it quite ironic that I had to be geographically qualified but it could be reviewed by someone in another country. When I brought this issue up to a manager with the client his response was “God bless you”! The client has since brought they’re reviews back to the USA.
-by Jack Rogers
Amusing article regarding the language barrier. For me its Jack/John, not Bill/
-William, but I have had the same conversation with the same company on numerous occasions.
by Terry Hotz
I agree with Gary in regards to the broadcast request. I can not have my planned day change every time the request for a new assignment takes up my attention. Maybe some appraisers can, but I find with all of the attention to detail we have today it is very distracting and leads to more follow up than necessary.
-by dfabs
How can anybody NOT have a problem with offshoring (technically it’s both outsourcing and offshoring). It’s a direct slap in the face to every person who provides them with the millions in profits they are realizing. They make their money within the American market, and good money at that. Then, instead of creating jobs within that market, they have to offshore their employment to somewhere where they can take advantage of poverty wages. That’s an insult to their clients, to the appraisers, and quite frankly, to the American worker who spent 200 years creating the lucrative banking and real estate markets and all the related industries and infrastructure that support those markets to be callously cast aside for an extra 0.0017% on the bottom line!
-How do you NOT have a problem with that!?
by Gary Kristensen
I don’t have a big problem with outsourcing. I do have a problem with finding appraisers thru the use of broadcast, rather than selection. Here is an article that I wrote on the topic: http://www.aqualityappraisal.com/How+Some+AMCs+Find+CRAP+Appraisers
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