Sincerity vs. Competency By Diana Jacobs Question: “Can you believe in your heart that you did the right thing and still be wrong?” The answer is yes. Why? Because USPAP instructs us that “ethics” are about intent while “competency” is about judgment and execution. When developing a “scope of work” decision, professional appraisers are not...…
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Editor’s Note: Lore DeAstra is our resident FHA expert and author of the FHA Inspection Checklist, Checklist Instructions and eManual. The eManual is recently updated with 23 new pages of material, visit https://www.workingre.com/fha-checklist-ebook/.
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The new normal for too many appraisers these days is being banished to a “do not use” list by a lender, without any opportunity for rebuttal or even knowing why. Now here’s a new twist: at least one large lender is giving appraisers the chance to rebut a questionable review- the problem is that doing…
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Editor’s Note: You’d be amazed all you don’t know regarding your rights as an appraiser. The following was gleaned from the webinar series: How to Limit Liability, Maintain Independence, and Fight Influence by Richard Hagar, SRA. How Well Do You Know Your Rights? By David Brauner, Editor Here are some questions for you- the answers...…
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Editor’s Note: Here are details on a new “recovery” fund designed for appraisers who are owed money by bankrupt AMCs. AMC “Recovery Fund” for Appraisers First of Its Kind by David Brauner, Editor More than one appraisal management company (AMC) has shuttered its doors owing millions of dollars to appraisers in unpaid fees- now one…
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Editor’s Note: Appraiser Nelson Boswell shows us how to leverage new appraisal independence laws into more business. Making “Appraisal Independence” Work for Your Business by Nelson Boswell, Jr., SRA New federal legislation is leading to greater “appraiser independence” for many, but not in the way legislators intended. Smart appraisers are using the new laws to…
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Editor’s Note: What seems to bother appraisers most these days, even more than low fees, are what they consider to be "unnecessary" challenges to their reports by AMC staff who, in many instances, appear to be less than qualified.
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According to appraiser David Smith, AMCs just need to be told to do their job.
“When an AMC receives a request from a lender for more information, BANG, it is immediately forwarded to the appraiser for correction without the AMC reviewing the legitimacy of the lender’s request,” says Smith (not his real name). “I often wonder…
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Editor’s Note: Appraisers report that despite tough new appraisal independence laws, lenders, AMCs and others haven’t stopped trying to influence the process- they’re just being more careful about covering their tracks. Fraud expert Richard Hagar, SRA, explains how to protect yourself and your independence. Pressure, Subtle Influence and Plausible Deniability by Isaac Peck, Associate Editor...…
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Editor’s Note: Here, one appraiser explains why he is better off after HVCC and shares the names of a few AMCs he says are worth working for. The individual profiled here has been appraising 21 years in a large metro area in Texas and wishes to remain anonymous. Diary of a Happy (AMC) Appraiser I’m…
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