2006 Your Way by John Holbrook About seven years ago I remember walking into my local one-hour photo shop and telling the owner Steve that I wouldn’t be dropping in anymore. I was so proud of my new $700 digital camera that I just had to share it with him. I remember him chuckling about...…
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Editor’s Note: Here is some food for thought from regular contributor and Mobile Appraising Training Package author, Dustin Harris. His suggestion makes sense from a valuation perspective and also might release some of the pressure on appraisers to “hit the number.” The OREP/WRE Appraiser Independence Survey has over 1,000 respondents and hundreds of comments. We…
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Comp Checks: Shifting Liability to Appraisers By Steven R. Smith, MSREA, MAI, SRA In case you are not aware, a loan can be funded under desktop underwriting guidelines with as little as a list of sales. So why all the comp check requests by mortgage brokers if in many cases they already have all they...…
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“Comp” Checks: Turning Requests into Orders “Please check the comps first and call me immediately if the value is not there.” Sound familiar? Or the mortgage broker who calls from parts unknown asking: “Do you check comps first? I don’t want my borrower to pay for an appraisal they can’t use.” Just as lender pressure...…
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Three quarters of the way through the year, some appraisers are still unsure about how to deal with the change in reporting requirements that took effect January 1, 2003 (USPAP 2003). Some appraisers are going back three years on the subject and on the comparables; some on the subject only. What’s required? What’s prudent?
In…
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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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Background
The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) has been at the center of a tug of war for some time. On one side is the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) of the Appraisal Foundation, which wants ultimate control over USPAP course materials and providers. On the other side are the states, which like to make…
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Editor’s Note: In this installment of Valuation Issues and Answers, Lifflander, ASA,explains how to handle foreclosures and short sales when choosing comparables. Valuation Issues & Answers Foreclosures & Short Sales as Comps By John Lifflander, ASA Question: Please explain the difference between an actual foreclosure sale and a short sale. Should short sales be used…
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Editor’s Note: In this installment of Valuation Issues and Answers, John Lifflander, ASA discusses how to avoid problems in the new world of bailouts, tax credits and, as he points out, business as usual. Liability Landmines– Appraisers Beware By John Lifflander, ASA The current economic crisis was largely precipitated by loose credit and loose lending...…
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This article is about common mistakes in appraisal reports, whether the appraisal is for a mortgage transaction or other intended use. Most mistakes are not violations of USPAP but errors caused by a lack of common sense, trying to satisfy a client or not following Fannie Mae guidelines.
After reviewing countless appraisal reports, I noticed a…
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