Understanding Residential Construction from the Ground Up Expand Your Knowledge, Gain CE Credit Appraisers who would like to understand residential property “from the ground up” can expand their knowledge of the systems of a home while earning continuing education credit through two courses offered by Mckissock. New HUD guidelines, which expand the role of appraisers...…
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Editor’s Note: Do you have a survival plan if the real estate market slows dramatically like it did in the early and mid 90s? Barry Lebow has been there and back and has some excellent advice for appraisers and home inspectors on how to prosper in hard times. The key is being prepared. Making the...…
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They say a word to wise is sufficient - let’s hope so.
Of all the stories in the premier issue of Working RE, appraisers were most passionate in their response to 2006: Cleaning Up the Lending Mess. The story, written by long-time appraiser Stewart Heller, is set in the future but based on his very real…
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Calling All Appraisers! Valuing Cell Sites By Sean Heath A homeowner, concerned about a new wireless site going in next to her condominium, stood up to speak at a recent City Council meeting. “I realize that it takes a lot of antennas to make a wireless world work but does it have to go through...…
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Fighting Back By Sam E. Blackburn Client pressure, especially from mortgage brokers, continues to be a serious problem for appraisers. Lender pressure will continue to be a problem until Congress enacts predatory lending legislation to prohibit unethical conduct. As long as lenders and brokers control who receives appraisal assignments and can act with little fear...…
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One on One with the Appraisal Foundation Exclusive Interview The following is the first in a series of question and answers with The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) on behalf of licensed real estate appraisers nationwide. TAF is charged with establishing uniform minimum appraiser qualifications and Uniform Standards of Professional Practice (USPAP). Working RE: Many state appraisal...…
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Editor’s Note: The following three stories (Truth or Consequences) shed some light on what it means to be a working appraiser today. You are invited to draw your own conclusions about what may be wrong with the industry and what you can do to help fix it. Please forward your stories to dbrauner@workingre.com.(Thanks to the...…
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“EDI” Open Standard Arrives Anyone remember EDI? It was the often discussed “standard” for transmitting appraisal reports electronically that was always in development and right around the corner (for about six years). Without much fanfare, an open standard for describing property and appraisals, using XML markup language, has recently been ratified by the Mortgage Bankers...…
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Sending PDF Appraisals How to Hit a Home Run Every Time By David Biggers, CEO of a la mode I’m writing this article while at Cooperstown Dream Park, which hosts week-long baseball tournaments for 12-year old kids, just outside of Cooperstown, New York, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s a unique experience...…
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Why PDF?
Adobe Acrobat is becoming a dominant standard for transmitting appraisals over the Internet because it is a stand-alone product that can be used with any appraisal software package. While many clients might prefer that we use a particular software package, most will accept PDF files as an alternative. Many appraisers also have clients other…
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