A move is underfoot to change the appraisal regulatory system. The first shot across the bow was fired by the Georgia Board, which is calling for the elimination of the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC), among other things, and a shift from federal control to the states. Two respected appraisers, Frank Gregoire and George Hatch, take a…
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“If men were virtuous, there would be no need of government at all.” Thomas Jefferson 2006: Cleaning Up the Lending Mess By Stewart Heller The following is a summary of notes taken from the official audio recording of the sworn testimony of a chief appraiser of a major mortgage lender. The chief appraiser appeared before...…
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Bye, Bye ASC? Appraisal Subcommittee Under Fire Is it Time to Start Over? You may already know that late last year the Georgia Appraisal Board, in a letter to Sen. Zell Miller, (D-Ga.), called for broad changes to the appraisal regulatory structure, including sun setting the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC). What you may not know is...…
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In business, with every change comes opportunity: the radical changes expected to hit this industry may mean new opportunities for appraisers.
On the minds of many fee appraisers this fall is how the new Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) will affect their businesses. The agreement between the New York Attorney General’s office and Fannie Mae/Freddie…
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Question: I have been performing a lot of exterior drive-by appraisals for REOs and pre-foreclosure purposes. The intended use is not for any type of financial transaction but for estimating market value purposes only. What is the level of risk for these types of appraisals compared to purchases and refis? Typically these appraisals are for…
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Out of all the sport hero commentaries I have heard, the most beneficial one for me involves a remark by the great Wayne Gretsky. The story goes something like this: a reporter asked Gretsky what was the secret of his success on the ice. The reply was that he didn’t skate to where the puck…
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Here’s a riddle: how do you grow your business without adding new clients? The answer is, you grow business by cultivating your existing client base. Here are a few simple ways to add to your bottom line without spending time and money chasing new clients.
The appraiser does not exist who fully maximizes the potential inherent…
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FNC, Inc. is once again at the center of a firestorm in the appraisal world– this time over a user agreement that appraisers fear signs away their E&O insurance coverage. Appraisers are required to authorize the agreement if they want to continue working with many of the nation’s largest lenders via AppraisalPort. While the agreement…
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Editor’s Note: As this story illustrates, new laws supporting appraiser independence are beginning to bite and may be indicative of a new day. Appraiser Board Turns Tables on Broker by Cary Barker, Assistant Editor The times, they are indeed changing. A previous WRE cover story, Turning Tide? Appraiser Independence (Volume 18), covers a spate of...…
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Editor’s Note: The Housing Recovery Bill signed into law this summer promises to benefit appraisers, but the rules have changed. Here’s what you need to know. National Housing Act: What Appraisers Need to Know by David Brauner, WRE Editor The National Housing Act (H.R. 3221), signed into law on July 30, 2008, may generate a...…
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