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A very, very funny appraiser video!

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Appraiser Recovers From COVID-19(Opens in a new browser tab)

Posted in: appraisal business, appraisal regulations, Coronavirus, Fannie, FUN, humor, Mortgage applications

Tags: appraisal business, appraisal fees, appraisal regulations, Coronavirus, humor, mortgage loan volume

Appraiser Covid Survey Results April 2020

By Ann O'Rourke on April 9, 2020 / Leave a comment

Survey Results April 2020

April 1 Wednesday Facebook Poll results:

Doing interiors 142 – 57%

Turn down interiors 80 – 32%

Transiting away. 28 – 11%

Total 250

—————————-

Bradford software customers – Started April 30, last Monday

I took this survey.

Q1 Have you been been accepting new appraisal assignments? (check all that apply) (1,087 responses)

Responses

– I do Desktops using the new COVID-19 Flexibility Desktop addendum 29.35% 319

– I do Drive-bys using the new COVID-19 Flexibility Exterior addendum 49.22% 535

– I do traditional 1004s with interior and exterior inspections 65.96% 717

– Not doing appraisals during the pandemic crisis 8.92% 97

Q2 Did you know lenders will accept a desktop or drive-by in lieu of a traditional 1004 with interior inspection?

Yes 83.90% 912

No 16.10% 175

Q4 Would you complete an appraisal that included interior photos

completed by a homeowner if you could verify the photos were taken

inside the home?

Yes 72.13% 784

No 27.87% 303

Many thanks to Jeff Bradford for this data!!

To read about lots more appraisal topics, continue reading below!

Posted in: appraisal business, cat, Coronavirus, Fannie

Tags: appraisal business, Coronavirus, Fannie

Appraisal Covid stats April 2020

By Ann O'Rourke on April 3, 2020 / Leave a comment

Hot real estate stats during the pandemic? FROM APRIL 2020

By Ryan Lundquist

Excerpts: I can see the headlines now. “Prices rose despite the coronavirus,” or “The housing market shows strength in March despite the pandemic.” But let’s step back and think critically about glowing stats from March and what they really tell us. I hope this will be helpful. Any thoughts?

Five good comments

#3. 3) What to watch right now: If you want to see the current market, watch what is happening in the listings and pendings rather than recent sales in March. Are listings moving or sitting? Are we seeing more price reductions? Are properties spending less or more time on the market? What is the sentiment among buyers and sellers? Who is gaining or losing power? Has there been a change to the number of listings and pendings? Do sellers have to give more credits to buyers? Are contracts getting bid up? Are contracts falling apart more often? We need to ask these questions in every neighborhood and price range. My advice? Look to neighborhood stats and let the numbers inform your narrative about what is happening in the market.

Go to the end to see his last comment.

To see the other 4 comments, click here

Covid-19 Residential Appraisers Tips on Staying Safe

Appraiser Covid Survey Results April 2020

For Covid Updates, go to my Covid Science blog at covidscienceblog.com

To read more of this long blog post, click Read More Below!!

Posted in: Coronavirus, liability, real estate market, weird properties

Tags: Coronavirus, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, unusual buildings

Covid humor for appraisers

By Ann O'Rourke on April 1, 2020 / Leave a comment

Fun video – Take a 3 minute break!

One Day More – A Quarantined Broadway LipSync

Fantastic!! Made me smile. Regular people.

Many thanks to John Regan, a long time subscriber and big opera fan!

To watch click here

Covid-19 Residential Appraisers Tips on Staying Safe

COVID Risk When Appraising Apartments and Commercial Properties

For Covid Updates, go to my Covid Science blog at covidscienceblog.com

To read more of this long blog post, click Read More Below!!

Posted in: appraisal business, Appraisal Foundation, Coronavirus, Fannie, FHA, unusual homes, va

Tags: Appraisal Foundation, Coronavirus, Fannie, FHA, unusal homes, va

Fannie Appraisals Covid Update March 27 2020

By Ann O'Rourke on March 27, 2020 / Leave a comment

THIS IS THE MARCH 27, 2020 OLD POST. SIGNIFICANT APPRAISAL CHANGES SINCE THAT DATE. UPDATED 11-8-20

NOTE: This information is changing on a daily, and often hourly, basis. The amount of information is almost overwhelming. What you read today may change tomorrow. Most of the info below is summary with more details in the monthly newsletter next week. Also, lots more on personal COVID-19 such as data availability, safety, etc. I am spending 10+ hours per day trying to keep track of it so I can let you know.

Per Fannie, this is a “fluid event”. There are many questions about health and safety for the appraiser and the borrower (and their contacts if infected) when doing interior inspections.

There is lots of appraisal misinformation online. It is not a good source unless it includes a link to the correct information or the source that can be located online. I only use email chat groups that I have used for many years, such as National Appraisers Forum To read more, click here

Covid-19 Residential Appraisers Tips on Staying Safe

Covid humor for appraisers

For Covid Updates, go to my Covid Science blog at covidscienceblog.com

To read more of this long blog post, click Read More Below!!

Posted in: Coronavirus, Fannie, fees

Tags: appraisal fees, Coronavirus, Fannie

Covid-19 and appraisals. March 20 2020

By Ann O'Rourke on March 20, 2020 / Leave a comment

March 20, 2020

There are many, many issues which seems to be changing on a daily basis. I wrote this yesterday. There have already been changes I am sure. I am including links to relevant information below

The big refi boom is causing lots of desperate lenders and AMCs trying to find appraisers.

You don’t need more info on keeping safe as it is available all over. What I discuss today is shift from interior inspections to drivebys, forms, what lenders are saying, what real estate agents are doing, the market changes (maybe), liability, etc.

What are lenders and AMCs doing?

Some direct lenders, such as Citibank, are sending out emails about what they recommend. On the other side AMCs are acting like nothing has happened and sending out email blast low fee appraisal request. FYI, it is a lot easier for one lender to change. AMCs work for many lenders.

Info on what Citibank is recommending from VaCAP:

Many are fearful exterior only appraisals will be the end of the traditional appraisal as we know it. Right or wrong, exterior only appraisals are a possibility that may be acceptable in certain situations. VaCAP does not believe it will end traditional appraisals with interior inspections. The profession has been down this road before. It will not fly long term, especially if the market turns downward.

Some lenders are establishing COVID-19 protocols to follow and some have remained quiet on the subject. There are rumors that one lender has instructed appraisers not to inquire as the health of the occupants of the home due to privacy laws. Others like Citibank have developed their own protocol on how appraisers should handle COVID-19 concerns. There is great flexibility to the appraiser. See Citibank’s protocol below:

Worth reading. To read more, click here

Covid-19 Residential Appraisers Tips on Staying Safe

For Covid Updates, go to my Covid Science blog at covidscienceblog.com

Appraiser Recovers From COVID-19

To read more of this long blog post, click Read More Below!!

Posted in: appraisal business, Coronavirus, va, weird properties

Tags: appraisal business, Coronavirus, va, weird properties

Coronavirus and Appraisals March 13 2020

By Ann O'Rourke on March 13, 2020 / 1 Comment

Appraiser’s (Changing) Role

Q&A with Mark Verrett, Chief Innovation Officer at Accurity Valuation

Excerpts: WRE: How can appraisers adapt to meet the profession demands?

Verrett: I think there are several ways to adapt to these challenges. The first is to work toward diversifying your practice away from 100 percent mortgage business niches. Our firm is a leader in green valuation, rural valuation, valuation consulting and litigation support and we help our offices diversify into those spaces. However, this solution isn’t for everyone….

To directly take on the challenges facing appraiser relevancy in the mortgage space, significant change is required. Appraisers need to unite to create a like-minded national voice that is not rejecting proposed changes for the profession, but rather working with stakeholders (regulators, lenders, clients, etc.) in conceptualizing, testing, tweaking, and ultimately modernizing the appraisal process on the mortgage side.

The appraisal community has a tough assignment in their role in this modernization. To be useful in the discussion, we need to challenge ourselves to be creative and open-minded, yet diligent in maintaining or, even better, improving the quality of the valuation being produced. I think it is extremely important for appraisers to listen and understand the needs of their clients and to creatively develop solutions that meet those needs.

Worth reading with some good ideas. To read more, click here

My comment: Accurity has franchisees and some very savvy appraiser officers and directors.

Covid-19 Residential Appraisers Tips on Staying Safe

For Covid Updates, go to my Covid Science blog at covidscienceblog.com

Appraiser Covid Survey Results April 2020

To read more of this long blog post, click Read More Below!!

Posted in: AMCs, appraisal business, Appraisal fees, appraisal management company, AVMS, future, lender appraisals, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, unusual homes, weird properties

Tags: AMC, appraisal business, appraisal fees, appraisal management company, future, mortgage loan volume, unusal homes, unusual buildings

Does a Bedroom Need a Window for Appraisals?

By Ann O'Rourke on March 6, 2020 / Leave a comment

Does a Bedroom Need a Window To Be Legal?

Excerpts: Bedrooms are one of those features of a home that sounds good if there are more of them. I get calls all of the time from real estate agents asking if a certain room can be considered a bedroom.

Of course, there are other ways to look at this as well. There are two components to the value of a bedroom including the utility of the room to be used as a bedroom and also the actual square footage that it occupies in the house. Does a Bedroom Need a Window for Appraisals?

To read more, click here

My comment: Written for agents, but very good analysis of relevant market factors plus what building codes say (International Residential Code – IRC). I have an excellent article on bedrooms on the paid subscriber page, with lots of details on different standards, such as FHA. I get questions about what is a bedroom regularly from real estate agents.

To read about lots more appraisal topics, continue reading below!

Which Appraisal Clients are used the most?(Opens in a new browser tab)

Posted in: adjustments, AMCs, appraisal regulations, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, weird properties

Tags: adjustments, AMC, appraisal management company, appraisal regulations, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, weird properties

Building A Secure Appraisal Business

By Ann O'Rourke on February 28, 2020 / Leave a comment

Building a Secure Appraisal Business

by Joshua Walitt

Excerpt: Like many of you, I got my start as a real estate appraiser in residential mortgage work. At the time, residential mortgage work was all that I knew, and for a time, all that I thought I could do!

As a residential real estate appraiser focusing heavily on 1004 work, I had blinders on and I had not adequately considered the many, many opportunities available to me. As I developed as a professional, I began to realize that the potential career paths, types of work, and the different roles available to a real estate appraiser vary widely. I think too often as appraisers we severely limit ourselves into what we can or can’t do and define the services we can offer to the marketplace far too narrowly.

The industry is changing, and I like to think of myself as being part of the change, rather than being apart from the change. As appraisers, we each need to ask ourselves: “Do I want to be a part of the change that is taking place in the industry, or will I be apart from it?” Either way, as things change in life and in business (and they will!), we are all faced with a choice about how we will adapt to the changes and overcome the obstacles we encounter along the way. As the appraisal industry continues to evolve and change, it’s important that we appraisers understand that we are capable of providing a very wide range of services in a variety of roles.

For example, here is a list of valuation-related services that appraisers are suited for and can diversify into…

To read more, click here

My comment: worth reading with lots of ideas. I have been writing about this since 1992.

To read about lots more appraisal topics, continue reading below!

Posted in: adjustments, appraisal business, data, weird properties

Tags: adjustments, appraisal business, weird properties

Urban, Suburban, Rural in Appraisals

By Ann O'Rourke on February 14, 2020 / Leave a comment

Urban, Suburban, Rural?

By Tim Andersen, MAI

Excerpt: QUESTION: Can you help me to understand the differences between urban, suburban, and rural? Where I live and work, everything is essentially one big megalopolis for 30 miles in every direction. Therefore, in my reports, I tend to refer to everything as suburban. A reviewer called me on this, but I can’t figure out why. Please set me straight.

ANSWER: At one time, a location was urban if there were high-rise office buildings and no houses close by, suburban if there were merely low-rise office buildings and many houses nearby, and rural if there were no office buildings and lots of farms, ranches, and vacant land close by. However, that was back in the day, so we need new definitions….

To read more, click here

My comment: This is a tricky issue. This post has some good tips. Tim is a regular contributor to the paid Appraisal Today with much longer articles, focusing on USPAP, lender appraising, state board complaints, etc. He reviews lots of lender form appraisals and wants to help appraisers write better reports. More info at https://theappraisersadvocate.com/

10-20 UPDATE: For lots of Covid analysis and news, go to my new covidscienceblog.com

What’s the appraisal definition for suburban?(Opens in a new browser tab)

For lots more appraisal topics, Click Read More below!