ANSI Resources – What are the best for you?

There are many different ways to learn. What is the best for you? Read, listen to speaker (podcast, webinar, or class), look at sketches, watch video demonstrating how to measure or practicing measuring yourself.

When writing about ANSI, I include references at the end of each article. I had a lot of trouble understanding stairs and sloped ceilings. I read the ANSI standards document  and Fannie Mae Fact Sheet. Plus watched videos with static images, and a video with Hamp Thomas walking up and down stairs and demonstrating measuring a finished attic per ANSI. When I watched Hamp’s video demo, I finally understood!!

For me, best way to learn is physically doing (measuring a house), next watching a video, next listening to a podcast. Last is reading. I have been listening to podcasts every day for a long time while exercising and driving. I don’t like exercising, but really enjoy the podcasts!

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Fannie’s New ANSI FAQS July 2022

Standardized Property Measuring Guidelines

Excerpts: Updated guidance, including some new and substantively revised FAQs

In response to your feedback, we’ve updated the Standardized Property Measuring Guidelines with some new and substantively revised FAQs, including clarifications on the terms “declaration” and “statement of finished sq ft.”

A few of the Q&As

Q5. When common practice in the local market differs from the ANSI standard, can the appraiser modify the subject’s GLA to conform to local custom?

Q6. The standard mentions a “statement of finished sq ft”; does Fannie Mae require appraisal reports to make an affirmative statement that the standard was followed?

Q7. The standard describes three scenarios in which a “declaration” is required. What is the difference between the statement of finished sq ft and the declarations?

Q19. Will appraiser adherence to the ANSI standard cause confusion when the subject GLA differs from other sources such as MLS or public record?

Q20. The GLA of comparables available to appraisers may not be based on the ANSI standard. How should appraisers manage this issue?

To Read this 5-page Update click here

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Bryan Reynolds speaks with a Fannie Mae representative about the new ANSI FAQ. 37-minute podcast. Listen to this podcast!!

Speaker: Bryan Swartwood III, Fannie Mae Credit Risk Senior Manager – Single Family Collateral Policy

Topics: The two Bryans discuss below grade, subject GLA different from MLS, comps not measured using ANSI, what happens to appraisers not following ANSI, ceiling height below 7 ft., manufactured homes, using exception code, and many more from the FAQs.

To listen to the podcast, click here

It is on the top of the web page, or search for: Episode 109. If possible, a copy of the ANSI Standards and the new FAQs makes it easier to follow the speakers. 

My comments: I listened to the podcast. The speaker was very good with practical advice. Reading the 5-page FAQs was okay, but the speaker helped me remember and understand what was written.

I received the Fannie email notice on July 19, 2022, at 10:30 Pacific time. The Appraiser eLearning podcast was available on July 19 at 2 PM. Whether or not the FAQs were original, revised, or new is not indicated in the document.

When Fannie first announced in December 2021 that ANSI would be required on April 1, 2022, there was lots of confusion among appraisers who had never used ANSI or were not using it properly. ANSI was designed by home builders, not appraisers or lenders. Also, what Fannie wanted was not clear.

ANSI standards and Fannie requirements sometimes appeared to conflict. The forms were not designed to accommodate ANSI, such as where to put the square footages on the form. Owners, reviewers, underwriters, real estate agents, and anyone who read the appraisals were confused. These FAQs help to answer some of the questions.

Reprinted from the July 22, 2022 issue of the Free Appraisal Today weekly newsletter. 

NOTE ON CLASSES AND WEBINARS BELOW. Most of them are still being offered. Live classes as ANSI new to appraisers, since it was required by the GSEs starting April 1, 2022

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Appraisal Today monthly newsletter focused on ANSI, in the February and March 2022 issues. To subscribe go to www.appraisaltoday.com/products

The  most recent ANSI information is in my FREE weekly appraiser newsletter. Signup at www.appraisaltoday.com 

Must Have Now

“Square Footage – Method for Calculating: ANSI Z765-2021” 16-page document.

There are only 3 pages of standards, 2 pages of explanation (Annex) and 6 sketch pages. Lots shorter than USPAP and does not change every two years!!

When you read the 16-page document, the Standards are only three pages. The rest of the document is diagrams and explanations. The process started in 2019.

Don’t rely on what others say is in ANSI. If you put in your appraisal reports, “Measurements using ANSI standards” but have never read it, you really need to read it, including the 2021 changes.

The standard is available exclusively for $25 through Home Innovation Research Labs, formerly the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center. www.homeinnovation.com and click on Store in the upper right. Order it with a credit card. They send it to you via email. Copyrighted, protected PDF.

Includes sample ANSI Required Disclosure Samples

Hamp Thomas’ Book (Measuring Square Footage with ANSI 2021: Home Measurement Textbook $29.95 paperback, available on Amazon) has different types of ANSI disclosure samples. You can make up your own. My appraisal measurement disclosures are much more detailed than the ANSI document.
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UPDATED 7-22 – NEW ONLINE CLASS

New online McKissock Class – Residential Property Measurement and ANSI Z7654 hours CE, $105 Approved in 39 states and territories so far.
For more info, click here

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Introducing ANSI: New Requirements for Appraisers $49
Very good 2 hour recorded ANSI webinar – Richard Hagar
Excerpt: This class will cover:
(1) How to handle stairs!
(2) What to do with low or sloping ceilings;
(3) Why Fannie Mae is adopting uniform standards;
(4) How to handle unique rooms, curves, and more;
(5) How to stay out of trouble!
To watch the webinar, Click Here.
My comments: I have taken many of Richard’s classes. Excellent instructor. Has some very good photos and illustrations to help you understand ANSI. I watched the 1-hour version and more time was needed, so Richard did a 2-hour webinar!

The Move to ANSI Standards March 31 One hour. Free Webinar. Recorded and available to watch

Fannie Mae’s Lyle Radke, Carolina Appraisers’ Hamp Thomas, and American Home Appraisals’ Richard Hagar as they share their expertise and highlight:
  • Requirements of the new guidelines
  • Possible exceptions to the standards
  • Consequences of not adhering to the standards
  • And much more…
The recording is available at https://www.octoberstore.com/webinars 
My comments: I attended this webinar live. It is great having them all together on one webinar! Lyle Radke from Fannie, Hamp Thomas aka “Mr. ANSI” and The Expert In home measurement, and Richard Hagar, who started using a standard method before ANSI started in 1976. (He worked at a lender who developed one for the staff appraisers to use.)  Hamp has taught a lot of ANSI classes and webinars. He knows what appraisers want to learn. Richard had some good illustrations and examples from his appraisals.

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Fannie ANSI FAQs Update 3-15-22

Updated Standardized Property Measurement Guidelines – 19 new FAQs, 5 Pages

Excerpt from the short Fannie email sent 3-15-22 at 8 AM (Pacific time): “…Are you ready? We’ve updated the Standardized Property Measuring Guidelines fact sheet to include more answers to your frequently asked questions. Thanks to all the appraisers, AMCs, and lenders who submitted questions.”
My comment: There are no changes to the first page, including comps measured differently and the exception process. Links are included for references in Fannie’s Selling Guide in the Guidelines.
FAQ topics include:
Q5. When common practice in the local market differs from the ANSI standard, can the appraiser modify the subject’s GLA to conform to local custom?
Q8. The ANSI standard specifically notes that the definition of above and below grade could cause some houses to have no above-grade finished square footage.
How should appraisers report GLA in this scenario?
Q9. How will lenders know that appraisers used the ANSI standard?
Q15. Will appraiser adherence to the ANSI standard cause confusion when the subject GLA differs from other sources such as MLS or public record?
Q16. How should appraisers account for rooms located in above-grade finished areas that do not qualify as GLA under the ANSI standard?
Q18. The GLA of comparables available to appraisers may not be based on the ANSI standard. How should appraisers manage this issue?
Q19. How should appraisers value finished areas that the ANSI standard does not include in GLA, such as where the ceiling height is less than 7 feet?
To download the PDF to read the answers and other FAQs,  click here
My comments: Read This Document! I have been waiting for an update to the one-page original Fannie document since it was first released about 3 months ago. There are many, many issues when using ANSI for lenders and AMCs. Appraisers sent many questions to Fannie and made comments during webinars with Fannie.

Click here to read FAQs from a recent ANSI class taught by Hamp Thomas

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FEBRUARY 25, 2022

Appraisal Institute: New 4-hour ANSI online class and Webinar

I attended both the class and the Webinar and recommend them.

Online Class: Measure It Right! – Using the ANSI Z765-2021 Standard for Residential Properties 4 hours online $80 AI members Non-members $95

  • Recognize the purpose behind the creation of the Z765-2021 Measurement Standard.
  • Identify and apply key components of the Z765-2021 Standard.
  • Apply measurement techniques and analyze measurement results through real-world examples.
  • Identify causes that may lead to measurement errors.
  • Compare and contrast the Z765-2021 Standard protocol with other measuring methods, such as FHA, VA, and ERC.

To register, google the full class name. This is the only recent online class available.

My comments: I took the class this week. Very good and comprehensive. Most of the material is text. It is well written and includes references to inconsistencies and lack of information when relevant.

One of the class authors, Byron Miller, was on the ANSI consensus committee for the 2021 update. The other author, Craig Harrington, has developed appraisal courses for many years. I review all the available classes and webinars in the March issue of Appraisal Today.

There are not very many online classes available. Course providers have been telling me for a while that getting national approval for online classes takes much time, hassle, and more money. Requirements increased in 2010 because some state regulators were worried about appraisers taking only 2 hours to complete a 7-hour USPAP class. The number of test questions significantly increased.

I had not taken an online class for over 15 years. There definitely were many more questions to answer for a 4-hour CE class. I probably will not take another online class. I was not used to the questions, and it took me much longer than 4 hours to finish the class. I have always been an excellent test taker until this class. There are many Zoom classes offered in my area. No live classes because of Covid.

Who knows how long ANSI will be a hot topic? Livestream is much easier to get approved. No tests are required. A few other ANSI online classes are waiting for approval. Maybe they will be approved before April 1.

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Webinar Policy Update – Desktops and ANSI Square Footage Calculation

February 21, 2022 – Watch this 90-minute Webinar!

Lyle Radke from Fannie started the Webinar with an overview. The appraiser panelists provided some tough questions on ANSI and the new Desktops.

I finally learned more about the new Desktops with interior floor plans. Looks like they will have a slow adoption with lenders who did not like the Covid desktops. Lyle Radke says Cubicasa and Inside Maps will have ANSI-compliant smartphone software. Listen and hear what he said.

I am ready to start using a smartphone app to measure from the inside. No more rose bushes with thorns, trying to measure around big bushes, dogs, mud, etc. I quit doing drivebys because of the lack of information on the subject. Remember the “comp checks”? They were desktop appraisals. I am hearing from appraisers using a few free samples from Cubicasa. I am ready to test it.

Panelists:

•  Lyle Radke, Senior Director, Collateral Policy, Fannie Mae

•  Allen Gardiner, MAI, SRA, Owner, Gardiner-Ray Real Estate Appraisal and Consulting

•  Dawn Molitor-Gennrich, SRA, AI-RRS, President, Molitor-Gennrich Consulting

•  Mark Verrett, SRA, Chief Innovation Officer, Accurity Consolidated

The Webinar is recorded and available on the Appraisal Institute’s youtube channel www.youtube.com/c/AINational/videos

My comment: Watch this Webinar! Three appraisers were grilling Lyle Radke from Fannie! Two of them had negative comments about ANSI. About 1,000 people registered for the Webinar. I have a full review of the Webinar in the March 1 issue of Appraisal Today.

Appraisers seem to be divided into two primary groups: Have never used ANSI and hate it, or use ANSI and say it is ok. Some have been using it since 1996 when it started. I am in a middle group. I have never used ANSI, but I think standardization is an excellent idea. I don’t do lender work now, so I don’t have to use it. But I did residential lender work for 20 years and know what this Fannie requirement means for appraisers. No one likes changes, especially when everyone is (still) busy! 

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New ANSI book by Hamp Thomas, Measuring Square Footage with ANSI 2021: Home Measurement Textbook $29.95 paperback

To purchase the book at amazon, search for “Hamp Thomas book ansi”

This book has lots of information, including many illustrations, sketches, disclosures, etc.

The February issue of Appraisal Today used many excerpts and some images from Hamp’s book. Information from Fannie was limited. TAlso, the $25 ANSI document is copyrighted and written permission was required to include very limited excerpts and one sample sketch. he March issue of the monthly Appraisal Today will have a review of the book.

The Author, Hamp Thomas, started writing about ANSI in 2006 and has taught many classes.

Hamp’s “mission”, for over 20 years, has been trying to get home measurement standards for appraisers and real estate agents. He wants to get accurate and reproducible home square footage for appraisers and real estate agents. He was a real estate broker for 10 years before starting to appraise.

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Appraiserelearning:

Note: go to www.appraiserelearning.com and click on the link to ANSI – indicated first on the list below.
4-22-22 NOTE: 4 hour seminar is being offered once a month. 

CE

  • (Live Virtual CE) 4 hour live streaming CE $99.95 Measuring with ANSI & the 2021 ANSI Update. Feb. 9 and 28, March and April. I took the class Jan. 27 and highly recommend it. Hamp Thomas (aka Mr. ANSI) is an excellent instructor. I liked his North Carolina accent. He is the course developer. Hamp has been writing and teaching about ANSI for almost 20 years and developed two alternate Standards. The class went smoothly with some interaction with the123 attendees. The moderator did a good job. February, March and April sessions available. There are 354 pages of slides (PDF) you will receive the next day, so you don’t have to get a hand cramp trying to write it down!!
  • (Online CE) 7 hours CE online credit $119. ANSI, Home Measurement, & the Power of Price-Per-Square-Foot Created Exclusively for Residential Appraisers based upon Square Footage-Method for Calculating ANSI Z765-2021 Note: This class is being completely updated to focus on ANSI. Good if you need a longer CE class now and some good ANSI videos. The current class includes information on 2021 ANSI changes, but the first part is introductory and discusses related topics that are non-ANSI specific.   https://appraiserelearning.com/product/ansi_home_measurement_course/

No CE

  • Webinar Free.  Fannie Mae Answers your Questions About ANSI
    Lyle Radke Senior Director of Collateral Policy at Fannie Mae on Feb. 28 at 10am CT. To watch, go to www.youtube.com and search for appraiser elearning. Recorded so you can watch  it. Worth viewing.
  • 45 minute video of the 2021 changes The ANSI® 2021 Update with Hamp Thomas $49.95. Good class if you already know and use ANSI (and know what is in the 2021 ANSI document.  Included for free if you take the 7-hour class above. Direct link: https://appraiserelearning.com/product/ansi-2020-2021update-non-ce-video-class/
  • Free recorded webinars on the Youtube channel. Go to www.youtube.com and search for appraiser elearning.
  • List of weekly Webinars ($28.95) and Free Podcasts at www.appraiserelearning.com and click on Updates at the top of the page.

Note: appraiserelearning has been offering ANSI classes for awhile. Hamp Thomas started writing about ANSI in 2006-2007 and has also been  teaching about ANSI and home measure standards. He started teaching for appraiserelearning in 2014.

McKissock

Measuring 1-4 Unit Residential Properties-with ANSI Z765 Standard Livestream.

Being offered in May, 2022.

4 hours CE. Per the instructor: About 3 hours is spent on ANSI. There is an introductory section and a section on measurement “best practices,” which can be applied to the ANSI part of the course as well. There is also a section on measuring 2-4 unit properties, which ANSI does not cover.

To sign up:
Go to www.McKissock.com
1.-Click on Appraisal, then CE Livestream
2. Click on State, then Continue
3. Search the list (control-F keys) and search for ANSI
Online version waiting for state approval.