Editor’s Note: We found the following quote among many similar comments online over the summer: “I took the seven-hour USPAP class to update myself on the new changes to USPAP. Most of the class left confused and unclear with regard to some of the changes.” (Appraiser wishes to remain anonymous.) The following is excerpted from...…
Read More
“Your magazine writes that ‘purveyors of AVMs have routinely lifted data from appraisal reports for years without asking permission or paying remuneration.’ I have been hearing this over and over again. However, I have never seen one piece of evidence that proves this assertion. Do you actually have proof?” – Michael R. Cartwright, CMA/RPG MythBusters:…
Read More
Editor’s Note: As the copyright controversy simmers, WRE takes another look- making source documents available and reporting that appraisers are not alone in grappling with this issue: agents, inspectors and surveyors also have an interest in copyright protection and controlling work product. And there is the issue of AVMs and the prospect of a landscape…
Read More
Appraiser Wins Copyright Suit: Now What? And they said it couldn’t be done. Tim Vining, MAI becomes the first appraiser in the U.S. to successfully sue and win for copyright infringement of his intellectual property – his appraisal. The culprit is a real estate broker who lifted Vining’s work for use in a sales brochure.…
Read More
Editor’s Note: WRE reported last issue that according to the FBI, state regulators and appraisers themselves, fraud and identity theft are rampant throughout the industry (Best of Show, Feb. 2006). One fraud prevention expert told us that thieves don’t even need your digital signature to fabricate an appraisal in your name; all they need is...…
Read More
Editor’s note: Expert knowledge of your local market is key to expanding your practice into consulting and review assignments. Many banks and national appraisal firms employ “sub-contracted” independent appraisers for administrative reviews. According to the author, knowing your local market will helps you understand potential factors affecting future sales prices, instead of relying entirely on historic sales. Understanding...…
Read More
Leveraging AVM Technology From Form-Filling to “Collateral Valuation” By: Darius Bozorgi & Jeff Bradford What business are you in? It’s a question that ice manufacturers should have asked themselves as the refrigeration business advanced with the invention of the refrigerator and they lost business. Or railroad tycoons pondered as the transportation business evolved from the...…
Read More
Can AVMs Work for You? By Bradley H. Ellis, IFA, RAA By now, most of us have utilized technology to change the way we do business. We’ve been able to leverage technology to work faster, smarter and cheaper. But what do we do about AVMs, which many feel will eventually put appraisers out of business?...…
Read More
Enhanced Appraisers Data/Seamless Delivery The Future is Now Flash Gordon, move over. Reality (and technology) have finally caught up with the visionary dreams of many appraisers: a high octane blend of public records and enhanced appraisers data that can be sorted, downloaded and integrated seamlessly into appraisal forms with just a few mouse clicks. The...…
Read More
Many appraisers are spending their time worrying about how and when AVMs will replace their services but few actually understand how AVMs are being used today. I hope this article will debunk some commonly held beliefs and shed light on how AVMs are being used today. It will also take you inside the review…
Read More
