by David Brauner, Editor
Looking over the current issue it seems obvious what ails appraisers: the marketplace is not incentivizing quality work.
The system of appraisal orders by email blast used by some appraisal management companies (AMCs), as reported in Low Bid Appraisal Ordering (in upcoming issue), leads to…
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Like being in the middle of a paintball free-for-all, messy things are coming at appraisers from all sides these days. In addition to lenders trying to pin buybacks on the backs of appraisers (while seeming to ignore the wild-west underwriting practices that floated the bubble), State Boards also are bringing complaints against appraisers in…
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From the Publisher Older, Wiser and Greener In February of this year WRE became the first publication in this industry to post an interactive digital edition of the print magazine online for free- readers can zoom in/out, flip pages, click links to advertisers and more! The print magazine is posted in its entirety in the…
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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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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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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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Director’s Message HVCC Appraiser Talkback Blog and Survey Giving Voice to Appraisers Nationwide Appraisers called the real estate/lending collapse years before it happened, based on what they were seeing- liars loans, inflated values, excessive pressure, an over reliance and misuse of AMVs, but no one was listening. It’s our belief that those “in the trenches”…
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Director’s Message HVCC Ruinous for Many Between our Appraiser Talkback Blog and Survey we received nearly 1,000 individual comments from appraisers regarding the negative effects HVCC is having on their businesses and on the profession in the first 30 days since the Code’s implementation. Many say the new rules will likely put them out of…
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Director’s Message Appraisers and AMCs: Mixed Results According to our readers, most appraisers continue to revile appraiser management companies (AMCs). There are a couple of reasons they give; stingy fees, unrealistic turn times and a lack of competence on the part of AMC staff. Most say AMC work goes to the lowest (and quickest) bidder…
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From the Publisher Defining “Customary and Reasonable” Fees What’s all the fuss about customary and reasonable fees? FHA wrote into recent regulations that appraisers should be paid fees that are fair; customary and reasonable is the language they use. FHA did this in response to feedback that pressure for low fees from appraisal management companies…
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