Appraisal News and Business Tips

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6-7-18 Newz//Square footage, Novelty Architecture, Appraisal Fraud

By on June 7, 2018   /   adjustments, appraisal how to, appraisal waivers, evaluations, Fannie, FHA, Fraud, hybrid appraisals, mortgage loan volume, square footage, weird properties   /   Leave a comment
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It’s not all about square footage in real estate

By Ryan Lundquist

Excerpt:
Myth: Extra square footage is always worth more.
Factors:
1) Single story vs two story
2) 55+ Community
3) Layout
4) Dangerous to always adjust

Worth reading, plus appraiser comments at:

Goofy Buildings: Revisiting the Heyday of California’s ‘Crazy’ Novelty Architecture – Giant hats, portly pigs, and drive-thru donuts.

Just For Fun!!

Excerpts: In the 1930s, a British traveler in Southern California wondered if the local architects had gone a little nuts. It was either that or he had stumbled into a fantasy universe. There was something trippy about the roadside shops he saw along the way…

The unusual businesses he saw weren’t on some Hollywood backlot, but were California’s classic coterie of mimetic architecture-that is, buildings shaped like, well, anything but buildings. According to Cristina Carbone, a professor of art and architectural history at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, the practice dates back to at least the Renaissance.

Fascinating!! Lots of photos and interesting comments at:

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5-24-18 Newz//UAD and Fannie Form Changes, Floating Island, Refis dropping

By on May 24, 2018   /   adjustments, AMCs, appraisal business, appraisal how to, appraisal management company, data, Fannie, Freddie, lender appraisals, marijuana license, real estate market, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, weird homes, weird properties   /   Leave a comment
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It’ll never sell that high (but then it did)

Excerpt: There’s no way it’s going to sell that high. Have you ever thought that in real estate? Well, let’s talk about a property that many said would never sell at $4.1M, but then it did. I definitely have some takeaways about this lofty condo in Downtown Sacramento (CA), and I hope non-locals will relate to the commentary. (My note: median home sale price is $367,500)

Details and lots of graphs at:

My comment: The median home sale price is $367,500. This is definitely an outlier for the area.

A floating Pacific island is in the works with its own government, cryptocurrency and 300 houses

Just For Fun!!

Excerpts: The Floating Island Project plans to create off-shore housing that uses its own currency and operates outside of government regulations.
– The project is a pilot program in partnership with the government of French Polynesia.
– A long-term vision for the project is hundreds of new countries floating on the ocean.

As well as offering a home for the displaced, the self-contained islands are designed to function as business centers that are beyond the influence of government regulation.

Check out the video and lots more details at:

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5-17-18 Newz//New Fannie Forms, Appraisal Waiver saves up to 2 weeks, Golden State Killer House Survey

By on May 17, 2018   /   adjustments, appraisal how to, Appraisal Qualifications Board, appraisal waivers, hybrid appraisals, real estate market, unusual home, unusual homes   /   Leave a comment
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$1 listing prices

Excerpts: A $1 house listed in Edmond, OK, has stirred up a huge hubbub among home buyers, home sellers, real estate agents, and others: Come on, is that even real? There must be a catch.

In other words: After less than a week, the home is under contract. While Hukill won’t share specifics until the deal is officially done, he says, “we ended up a little bit above what the sellers initially thought they’d get.”

Which begs the question: Should more home sellers consider pricing their home at $1?

My comment: interesting discussion of the pros and cons.

Appraisal Waivers save up to 2 weeks time

From Fannie Mae’s May 15 2018 Selling News
Save your borrowers time and money with a PIW

Did you know that a property inspection waiver (PIW) can save you up to two weeks in loan cycle time while saving your borrower the expense of an appraisal? A PIW can both reduce costs and shorten the loan origination process by eliminating the need to obtain and review an appraisal, removing the chance of any appraisal-related delays.
Exercising a PIW offer will also give you Day 1 Certainty®, freedom from reps and warrants on property value, condition, and marketability. Learn more about these benefits and more on the PIW page.
My comment: And I was thinking that Hybrid Appraisals were a big market… No way to beat No Appraisals…

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5-10-18 Newz//Market Value Fallacies, Broken Mortgage Market, Crazy Appraiser Stories

By on May 10, 2018   /   adjustments, AMCs, appraisal how to, appraisal management company, data, hybrid appraisals, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, real estate market   /   Leave a comment
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Is it all a big lie? Are there really 6 fallacies of market value?

By George Dell, MAI, SRA, ASA

Excerpts: Some ten years ago, we saw the start of the economic meltdown. Were appraisers to blame?  Some tried to pin the blame that way. But was there a big lie underneath? The required (federally insured) definition of value has seven distinct elements. Were appraisers doing what they were told?
Seeking entertainment for my Stats, Graphs, and Data Science¹ classes, it seemed fun to see if these assumptions had not been religiously followed.  This led to a PowerPoint slide entitled:
 “Dell Operative definition of market value”
Check it out at:

My comment: Interesting comments plus some humor ;>

In the Trenches, Crazy Appraiser Stories

Just For Fun!!

Excerpt: You’ve all got them… The crazy car chases, the surprising living conditions, the exotic assignments and the unique collectors. Here are a few of our stories we found buzz worthy.
This was a beautiful 3,200 sq ft home with all the extras. After measuring…
The Stories plus 10 comments with more stories.
My comment: I love the foto of the crazy appraiser!!

Which of us does not have a weird experience… or lots of them ;>

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4-12-18 Newz//What’s a Comp?, Multiple offers way over list, Rotating House

By on April 12, 2018   /   adjustments, AMCs, Appraisal Foundation, appraisal how to, Appraisal Qualifications Board, Fannie, fees, forecast, lender appraisals, listings, Mortgage applications, real estate market, Strange homes, unusual home, unusual homes, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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Advertise with us. Very reasonable rates!

What’s a comp?

 
By George Dell, MAI, SRA

Excerpts: Our education tells us a comp is similar and competitive. So how do we measure “comparability”? If our job entails studying market data to get an answer … might it be important to know exactly how to describe a comp?

So what’s the issue? Why should we care? I am a highly trained expert. I have a license. “Trust me. I know a good comp when I see one.”

My comments: George is writing a longer article than his blog posts for the May issue of the paid Appraisal Today. I often wish his blog posts were longer, but they are designed to be short ;>

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3-29-18 Newz//Last Minute Tax Tips, FHFA-Value of AMCs, Time Capsule Homes

By on March 29, 2018   /   adjustments, AMCs, appraisal business, appraisal how to, appraisal management company, Barry Bates, lender appraisals, real estate market, Strange homes, unusual home, unusual homes, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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New FHFA report says AMCs are not much different than direct lender appraisals – value added??

From the March 2018 paper (“Are Appraisal Management Companies Value-Adding? – Stylized Facts from AMC and Non-AMC Appraisals”:

“In this paper, we study whether there are any systematic quality differences between appraisals associated and unassociated with appraisal management companies (AMCs). We find that compared to non-AMC appraisals, AMC appraisals on average share a similar degree of overvaluation despite being more prone to contract price confirmation and super overvaluation.
“AMC appraisals also share a similar propensity for mistakes, despite employing a greater number of comparable properties. Our evaluation employs relatively simple statistical comparisons, but the results indicate no clear evidence of any systematic quality differences between appraisals associated and unassociated with AMCs.”

Note: FHFA is the Federal Housing Finance Agency, established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) and is responsible for the effective supervision, regulation, and housing mission oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) and the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which includes the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) and the Office of Finance. Since 2008, FHFA has also served as conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Read appraiser comments here:

Link to the report. Worth reading… or skimming ;>

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3-22-18 Newz//The Way Things Used To Be, Can the Appraisal Profession Be Saved?, Cultural/Religious Effects on Value

By on March 22, 2018   /   adjustments, appraisal how to, future, lender appraisals, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, Strange homes, unusual home, unusual homes, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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Can the Appraisal Profession be Saved?

By George Dell, MAI, SRA
Excerpt: What does it mean “Can the profession be saved?” Does anyone else care except us?

The second question first. Who might care? Clients who have developed a trust for you and who are comfortable with the traditional ways of doing things. There is a group of us and of them who like doing things as always. It’s comfortable, requires little change, and is a ‘safe’ way of doing things.

But who might not care? We can break these down into two subgroups: 1) those that dislike our getting in the way of their deal; and, 2) those who genuinely want something different, more modern. For now, let’s dismiss the first group, and consider those who do want a better product, a better service.

What do you think? Post your comments!!

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3-15-18 Newz//$2,358 PSF Small Tract House, Water Heaters, Affordable Beach Towns

By on March 15, 2018   /   appraisal how to, appraisal waivers, evaluations, lender appraisals, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, square footage, Strange homes, unusual home, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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$2,358 per sq.ft. for small home in Sunnyvale CA

Excerpt: This home on Plymouth Drive in Sunnyvale, Calif. recently set the highest price per square foot ever recorded by the Multiple Listing Service. The two bedroom, two bath home – 848 square feet in size – sold in two days for $2 million. It had been listed for $1.45 million. That means it sold for $2,358 per square foot, which is the highest price per square foot in Sunnyvale recorded by MLS Listings which has data going back to Jan. 1, 2000.

My comment: It did have new paint inside and outside plus refinished hardwood floors ;> Check out the fotos for a boring tract house. I got Mine. I am sooo glad I bought my house in 1985 for $145,000, worth about $900,000 now!! Mine is twice the size of this one, but not close to Google or Facebook (30 miles away, but could take the employee Google bus which comes here.)

The World’s Best Affordable Beach Towns

Just For Fun!!

Excerpt:
Here are two, not too far away:
3. Tulum (Mexico) Luxury condos in new developments and single-family houses under $100,000
9. Dominical Beach (Costa Rica)

Check out all of them at:

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2-22-18 Newz//ASB Meeting Live Streaming, McMansions, Risky Appraisal Alternatives

By on February 22, 2018   /   appraisal business, appraisal how to, Appraisal Standards Board, bad appraisers, desktop appraisals, evaluations, hybrid appraisals, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, unusual home, unusual homes, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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Who Ordered All the McMansions? 10 Cities Where They’re Piled Highest

Excerpt: You know them when you see them.

The imposing, ostentatious structures looming over surprisingly wee plots of land. The crazily mismatched architectural styles. The hipped roofs, gabled roofs, and pyramidal roofs-all on the same house! The bank columns. The front yard Romanesque fountains. The puzzling profusion of window sizes and types. The gigantic, two-story front doors.

Click here for more info and where there are lots of them:

https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/metros-with-most-mcmansions

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2-15-18 Newz//Fannie Appraiser Webinar, Magical Appraiser Wand, Refis Dropping

By on February 15, 2018   /   adjustments, appraisal how to, appraisal waivers, evaluations, Fannie, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, rental market, unusual homes   /   Leave a comment
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The Magical Appraiser Wand

By George Dell
 
Excerpt: Can you just give me some magical software which will calculate my adjustments?

I get asked questions like this often. Can you just show me how to do a graph a client wants? Can you just give me your class stuff so I don’t have to come all that way? So often, the question degrades into something like “Why does the regression software give stupid answers?” I pushed the magic button!

People do not like the answer. You’re paid to do an analysis, not wave a magic wand, or push a magical appraisal button. We have another name for that, it’s called an AVM.   In addition to a point value prediction, AVMs can be tested for reliability. This is called the FSD (Forecast Standard Deviation). The AVM. It gets results. It’s fast. It’s cheap. And it provides a measure of reliability – the FSD.

Why would a client want something slower and more expensive with no measure of reliability? Why hire a pesky appraiser?

Click here for the answer!!

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