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The Big Issue for Appraisal Fees (if you want to get higher fees) – Consumers are paying more for appraisals if AMCs are used

There is only one relevant consumer issue: they are paying more for appraisals since AMCs took over.

They just want to get their loan. Why would they care about the appraiser? Plus, much more complicated issues such as Dodd Frankenstein, AMCs, etc. etc. are very difficult to understand for consumers. Lenders don’t care. They just want to pass their regulatory audits and sell their loans to investors.

I have no idea why appraisers don’t promote this simple message.

You could change the pitch to all consumers in the U.S. : “Why have borrower’s appraisal fees gone up?” Nobody cares about what appraisers are paid, except appraisers and a few others. Everybody, including appraisers, does not want to pay for inflated appraisal costs.

But, for appraisers, AMCs are a much easier target. AMCs work for lenders and do what they want.

I have been hearing that a few direct local lenders have started changing their fees up and down depending on the market. I don’t know why they hardly ever changed their fees before.

FYI, before licensing and mortgage brokers, lenders managed their own appraisal departments but didn’t change fees much and there was no or little bidding (residential) – since the 1930’s, when lender regulators started requiring appraisals and American appraising took off.

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What are customary fees?

I don’t know. AMCs have about 80% of the market. What is left for lender fees? VA (doesn’t change fees very often) and direct lenders are dropping fees.

What about non-lender fees? With borrowers paying lots more for appraisals, I keep increasing my fees to well over customary lender appraisal fees. They are still less than what borrowers are paying.