In almost all cases mold grows where there is excess moisture in a building or on building materials that contain cellulose or other organic material. This means that to find mold you must first “find the water.”
Mold grows by using moisture in the form of water and vapor. Catastrophic events such a roof leak, sewage…
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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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Mortgage Broker Information by State Editor’s Note: These regulations were taken in 2002 thanks to http://www.bankrate.com/nsc/news/mtg/20010104b.asp. STATE REGULATOR (linked to Web site, where available) CONSUMER HOTLINE WHERE TO CHECK YOUR BROKER’S LICENSE INFORMATION SELECTED REQUIREMENTS Alabama (No regulations) N/A N/A N/A N/A Alaska (No regulations) N/A N/A N/A N/A Arizona State Banking Department 1-602-255-4421 Licensing…
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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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It Pays to be Considerate By Mike Casey Many of us realize that we must be professional with our clients. In addition to completing a quality inspection report, being a professional also means being considerate. It’s easy to forget that little things impress not only our clients but sellers too. And remember, every seller is...…
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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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Loss Prevention – Nine Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make By Douglas A. Glass, Esq. I’ve spent the last 17 years defending home inspectors in civil lawsuits. Along the way I’ve seen a number of mistakes that often cause inspectors to wind up in litigation. Here are a few suggestions for staying out of trouble. Defer to...…
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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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