Appraisers are finally being heard.
As a result of grass roots complaints by appraisers about diminishing appraisal quality in industry blogs, publications, the general media, and in a formal appeal by a coalition of appraisal organizations, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced several important policy changes intended to increase accountability and due diligence in the appraisal…
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If you’re struggling to survive post HVCC; if you’re angry at having control of your business taken from you; if you’re having trouble getting orders from AMCs even though you’re trying; if you can’t make a living working for reduced fees; if your experience is that AMCs hire based on the lowest fee rather than…
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Readers Respond Editor’s Note: The HVCC and FHA comments here are representative of many hundreds of similar sentiments expressed at the OREP/Working RE HVCC Appraiser Talkback Blog and Survey. To find a report from a “happy” AMC appraiser, see page Diary of a Happy (AMC) Appraiser. HVCC We watched revenue drop from $12,000 per month…
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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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Industry News Appraisal Friendly Legislation (Taken from the story Working the System-In a Good Way, first published in Working RE Online News Edition.) Appraisers have some work to do. As you may know, H.R. 4173, which passed the House (See HVCC: Appraiser Last Laugh), has numerous appraisal provisions including the termination of the HVCC (Home…
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Editor’s Note: Social media expert and appraiser Bill Cobb offers tips on using new technology to solve an old problem: increasing business. Five Ways to Grow Business (Online) by William D. Cobb Here are five ways to attract visitors to your self-hosted real estate appraisal blog to grow business! 1. Establish your appraisal Twitter account…
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Editor’s Note: Matt Krodel shares a simple and cost free trick to increase business by landing your website in the “Maps” area of Google’s search results. Mapping for Success with Google by Matt Krodel, Product Manager at a la mode Whether we’re talking to real estate appraisers, real estate agents, loan originators or home inspectors,...…
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Appraiser Tony Bamert, Bamert & Associates, Champaign, IL, feels he’s been asked to assume some new and unwanted responsibilities on recent appraisal orders and wonders if his are isolated concerns or issues other appraisers are grappling with as well.
“Traditionally, with any conventional appraisal, I’m not asked to touch the mechanical systems in a home in…
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Editor’s Note: Appraiser Lore DeAstra shows you how to change, grow and succeed. Growing Appraisal Business – Your Way By Lore DeAstra, MBA, SRA, CDEI, CTM Over the past several years, the volume of requests in many appraisal offices has dramatically decreased. While the current economic and regulatory climates have contributed to this phenomenon, another...…
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FHA appraiser William R. Pruett, SRA has a problem that we're sure you can relate to.
Pruett, appraising 12 years, five in West Des Moines, Iowa, knows what a "customary and reasonable" fee is for an FHA 1040 in his market and so does everyone else, he says, except the large national bank and its in-house…
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