$200 appraisal fees – appraisers removed for refusing low fees!!

Blacklisted for Refusing Low Fees
Source: WorkingRE

Excerpt:
Dawson (quoted under an alias because she fears retaliation), tells a story that many appraisers can relate to. She says she was blacklisted for requesting what should be protected under law-her right to customary and reasonable fees. Dawson is different because instead of being secretly blacklisted and left to wonder why she stopped receiving orders after requesting a fee increase on an assignment, she was formally removed from an AMC’s panel after insisting that the AMC’s fee was not customary and reasonable…

Recently, however, her client began using an AMC to manage the appraisal process. After an 18-year relationship with a quality client, Dawson found herself dealing with an AMC that wanted to pay her considerably less than her standard fee. Dawson says the AMC wanted to pay her $290 for an appraisal. “For five years my standard fee with my client was $375. They decide to go through an AMC and now I’m expected to accept a fee of $290 for the same work,” says Dawson.

She discussed her concerns multiple times via telephone with the AMC. “I told them that I would not accept a fee of $290 for the same appraisal that my client had previously paid me $375 for. Their fees are unprofessional and not in the spirit of Dodd-Frank. One girl just laughed at me on the phone because I wouldn’t take $290. She told me they didn’t need me because there are plenty of other appraisers who will do it,” says Dawson.

Dawson was removed from the fee panel for “Unprofessional Conduct – Derogatory responses to communication from Nationwide Appraisal Network,” according to a document supplied to Working RE . Dawson says it was her pushback on fees that led to her removal, which followed her sending the AMC an email pointing out that the C&R fee established between her and her client was $375, and that the fee offered by the AMC was neither customary nor reasonable. The return letter from the AMC concludes: “Due to the issues we have experienced with your conduct… you are hereby notified that you are being removed from our approved appraiser list.”

http://www.workingre.com/blacklisted-refusing-low-fees-2/

My comment: Appraisers are getting letters or emails that they are being removed from AMC lists because they are turning down low fees. I am also hearing about desperate AMCs who can’t find anyone to work for their low fees. This often happens in rural areas with few appraisers. Low fees can be ok in nearby conforming tracts but go rapidly go downhill from there. I have no idea who will be doing appraisals as more and more appraisers are turning down the low fees.

I am also hearing some AMCs are raising fees. Maybe they have figured out that one fee for an entire state often does not work well!!

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$200 Appraisals – Poor Business Decisions for the Appraiser AND Lender
By Joanna Condé
Source Arizona Association of Real Estate Appraisers

Excerpt:
As many of us fight for customary and reasonable fees of $350 or more, some of our appraisal brothers and sisters are still taking the $200 appraisal and not only hurting the cause for the rest of us, but doing something that will eventually, if it hasn’t already, hurt themselves.

… there are many AMCs that pay customary and reasonable fees of $350 and more, that give five business days to do the report, and that will pay more if the properties are complex, in an area that requires more work and research, and will allow more time if there are reasons…

So why would anyone accept a fee below $300, let alone in the $200 range. I can only attribute it to not thinking it through.
Below are the reality checks as I see it.

Reality Check – $: The net from doing one $350 appraisal is about the same or even more than doing two $200 appraisals…

Reality Check – Time: There is twice as much time spent on two appraisals as there is on one. So, the appraiser taking the $200 appraisal spends twice as much time for the same money unless corners are cut. If an appraiser tells me he doesn’t do the same amount of work for the $200 appraisal as he would for the $350, then there is no other choice but to believe he is: a) cutting corners, or b) not doing a full report and providing the information necessary for a credible report, i.e. USPAP compliant. Not smart. The issue becomes not “if” you get reported, but “when” you get reported.

Reality Check – Liability: It seems apparent to me that the same lenders that have the highest foreclosure rates are also the lenders that work through AMCs that pay low appraisal fees and ask for short turn around times…

To Lenders: For those lenders that do not inquire of the AMCs they use what they pay their appraisers, and the time they give them to complete the report, shame on them. They are putting their own company at risk as well the borrower. Why?
The best appraisers won’t work for cut-rate fees. They know the quality of their work and they charge for it. Those appraisers who work for low fees usually produce low quality. “You get what you pay for.”

Low quality appraisals put the lender at a higher risk of making a bad loan.Isn’t it time ALL appraisers and lenders realized that!

Cheap is Expensive!

My comment: well written. Not just a lot of whining and complaining. Explains why it is important to the lender.

CLICK HERE TO READ WHAT OTHER APPRAISERS SAY ABOUT LOW FEES AND POST YOUR COMMENTS ON MY BLOG

Read the full commentary at:
http://appraisersblogs.com/appraisal/the-folly-of-the-200-dollar-appraisal/

 

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Appraiser-AMC symbiosis?? Not!!!

An Evolving Symbiotic Relationship Between AMCs and Appraisers  ????
Monday, August 11, 2014, posted on Appraisal Buzz
Scott Pickell – vice president and chief appraiser at LRES

A few quotes:

“As a former appraiser with nearly 30 years of experience and now an executive working at an AMC, I have observed a true evolution in the way appraisers and AMCs work together. The relationship between AMCs and appraisers started off unsteadily but has improved over the years. It has now reached a point of mutual respect.“

“When working as an appraiser, I recall some AMCs treated me as though I was a rookie in the industry despite my 20 years in the field at the time. There was no reason for that. When AMCs treat appraisers with the respect they deserve, appraisers will return that respect and produce better work.“

My comments: Maybe Pickell’s AMC respects appraisers but the way appraisers are treated by most AMCs does not indicate any respect.

Appraising in the U.S. started during the Great Depression when lenders needed appraisals for foreclosures. Until the 1990s, when mortgage brokers took over, lenders somehow managed their appraisals without armies of telephone calls for updates, 10+ page engagement letters, sending broadcast emails trying to get the lowest fees, etc. etc.

Somehow, since HVCC, appraisers are managed as if they were children, who have to be prodded incessantly and corrected to do their appraisals “right” to ever increasing requirements.

Appraisers are seen as barely competent and unreliable, who have to be heavily managed. But, all of this costs a lot of money, as compared with the old lender management of appraisers. Of course, mortgage broker management cost very little, if anything. Who pays for it today? Appraisers and borrowers.

The same “barely competent” appraisers are increasing required to provide lots of time consuming information and analyses which often do not contribute to the accuracy or reliability of their opinions of value.

Residential appraisers are often required to “support” all their adjustments. That’s fine if you are doing a conforming tract home. If not, it all goes downhill fast. What’s my answer? Turn down as much as possible anything not a conforming tract home. Or, change your geographic area to one that has a lot of tract homes. Working for AMCs with less hassle can help, but scope creep seems to be affecting all lenders.

Few residential appraisers are willing to do non-lender work. Learn how to do it, including marketing. I have special reports that can tell you about how it differs from non-lender work, and how to get work. This will reduce some of your lender dependency. See my ad above.

FYI, I have a Certified General license. I do a lot of 5+ unit apartment properties. They are easier than 2-4 units and I get much, much higher fees. There are few appraisers who do them in my area. Cert residential are not licensed for it and local commercial appraisers don’t like to do them as they prefer commercial and industrial properties.

Very interesting comment posted on an appraiser chat group by Charles Baker, SRA: (editor addition: A more appropriate comment by Pickell would be) “It’s my job to maximize profits for the company. If you wish to participate as a contractor that’s your choice. But make no mistake, our job is to service the client, reduce costs, boost our bottom line and reward our principals and shareholders. You may wish to participate in those profits by contacting our investor relations department, but don’t expect to get rich as an appraiser. Thank you very much.” I really like this comment as it says what a corporate manager would view the situation.

Link to the full article. http://appraisalbuzz.com/buzz/features/an-evolving-symbiotic-relationship-between-amcs-and-appraisers#sthash.QH5TBFby.dpuf

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Bracketing – lenders gone wild!!

Filling up an appraisal report with “comps” that “support” adjustments is a hassle for appraisers and often does not contribute to the accuracy and reliability of the subject’s value. Note that the “comps” are sales, but not necessarily comparable sales.

Sure, it often works fine when you are appraising a typical home in a conforming tract with few adjustments. But, what if you work where I do, where most homes were built prior to 1930 and many Victorians were modified over the years? I am hearing about appraisers being asked to use sales from 2-8 years ago for “bracketing”. What if you have an “oddball” home in a conforming tract, such as a home with a large addition or an “inlaw” space?

One of my first appraisal clients was a local lender who still has an appraisal department, is very savvy and treats their fee appraisers as professionals. They specialize in Fannie Mae loans. I recently spoke with an appraiser who does appraisals for them. She said they were asking for “bracketing”, including asking their appraisers to consider using very old sales if necessary.

Why are lenders asking for “bracketing” of adjustments? The same reason we have been hearing since 2008. They don’t want Fannie to require buybacks of the loans they sold to Fannie. They are also worried that Fannie will not buy a loan. I have noticed that lenders are often like sheep. When one does it, or says it should be done, they all do it.

Perhaps they are doing this in order to have some sort of “support” for adjustments. I guess they finally figured out that putting “adjustments done using matched paired sales” in an appraisal doesn’t mean much.

More important, state regulators want to see “support” for adjustments. I don’t know how to “support” all the adjustments in many of my appraisals. I know what buyers will pay more or less for. But, the exact dollar amount can be very difficult to determine. I don’t think it is right to conclude an incorrect value just because I cannot prove the exact dollar amount. Matched paired sales and statistical analysis doesn’t work for many adjustments. Matched paired sales can be manipulated and statistical analysis often does not work due to lack of data.

Market conditions is the easiest adjustment. Square footage and number of bedrooms, lot size, can often be supported statistically. If I spent many, many hours I might be able to “support” some of the other adjustments. But, would my appraisal be more accurate? Does my scope of work agreement with my client include spending 2 weeks or much more on a home appraisal for a loan?

Appraisers should consider what affects value. I worry about appraisers not making adjustments that are indicated by the market because “support” can be very difficult resulting in a less reliable, or inaccurate, value.

I have been thinking about not using any adjustments in my non-lender residential appraisals. Instead I could just use plus or minus signs. Why? I can’t “prove” most of the adjustments for my state regulator. I worry about losing my appraisal license. My clients don’t care about dollar adjustments.

What’s the answer? The only answer I can think of is to carefully pre-screen appraisal requests so you only accept appraisals of conforming homes in conforming tracts.

Should you do bracketing when the sales you use are not comparable? Some appraisers refuse and others do it. In my business, when requested to include information that is not relevant to the value, I always put “Included at client request. Given no weight.” Only you can decide what works best for you.

I am writing an article for the August issue of the paid Appraisal Today about making more money increasing your hourly billing rate. Working in conforming tracts is Number 2 of my primary suggestions.

To subscribe, and increase your hourly billing rate, click on the ad below!!

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Low appraisal fees

Appraisal Fee vs. the Cost of Gas

Excerpt:

Two decades ago, gas cost about a dollar per gallon.  Let’s face it – almost everything (milk, eggs, etc.) was cheaper, including obtaining and maintaining your appraisal license. But surprisingly, one thing that has pretty much stayed the same is the amount you charge for an appraisal. In 1994, the average appraisal fee for a residential property was $320. Today, the average appraisal fee is $350. This is a 9% increase over 20 years, far below the rate of inflation.  In inflationary terms, this means we are currently being paid less than we were 20 years ago.

Let’s compare the average appraisal fee to the cost of gas during the last 20 years. … Gas has increased 239% over 20 years while the amount appraisers collect on average over the last 20 years has increased only 9.375%. This is a pretty scary picture for appraisers.  After factoring in the AMC percentage (25-50%) and our overall higher operating costs, it’s amazing that any of us can survive in this business.

My comment: Interesting analysis. I have been setting my residential non-lender fees based on what borrowers are paying for loan appraisals. I am still slightly under those fees. But, if prospective clients call around, some appraisers are charging much lower fees, even close to typical AMC fees. Why? The same reason many appraisers have always worked for low fees, even prior to hvcc. Fear and Greed. Afraid they will never get another assignment (Fear) and don’t want to turn down any assignments (Greed). This applies to all types of businesses, not just appraising. Remember the Primary Rule of Business – There is Always Someone Cheaper. Sometimes competing on price works out, such as Walmart. But, for most businesses it is a death sprial to the bottom.

Click here to see the graph, read the full commentary and comments, and post your own comments!!
http://www.frea.com/blog/appraisal-fee-vs-cost-gas

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Why You’re Not Charging Enough For Your Work, And How To Change That
Source: Forbes magazine. It’s not just appraisers!!!

Excerpts:

“If you’re making $50,000 or less in your business, it’s not a business, it’s a job, and it’s not a good job either.” … If you were working for someone else, and had to toil for 18 hours a day to make ends meet and still generated less than $50,000, you’d say something would have to change, right?”

4.  Develop stronger boundaries. Start saying “no” to outlandish requests for your time and effort.  Know what your time is worth, and demand respect for that.

6.  Charge 20% more starting today. Just do it.  Then figure out what the right number is within the next few months, and start charging it. You can transition your existing clients to your higher fees in a more gradual way, but new customers and clients need to pay you more, starting now.

Worth reading. Thanks to appraiser John Carlson for posting this most interesting link!!
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2014/06/28/why-youre-not-charging-enough-for-your-work-and-how-to-change-that/

VA loans up and FHA loans down

VA loans up and FHA loans down because FHA increased its mortgage insurance cost
Excerpts:
Of the 16.4 million active-duty service members and military veterans with mortgages, less than 12% have a loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A sharp increase in Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance premiums is making the VA more competitive, according to Megan Booth, senior policy representative at the National Association of Realtors.
“There is not a Realtor alive today that thinks FHA is a better deal” for veterans, Booth said. “That is helping the VA grow and it will continue to help the VA grow.”
VA lenders originated a record 629,300 single-family loans in fiscal 2013, which ended Sept. 30. The agency endorsed 90,820 single-family loans in the fiscal second quarter, totaling $20.1 billion, down 10.5% from the prior quarter. FHA endorsements declined at twice that rate over the same period. Sixty-three percent of VA loans are going to homebuyers rather than for refinancing, according to agency officials.
…..
Meanwhile, lenders continue to complain that there is a shortage of VA-approved appraisers and underwriters, which slows processing times. …
But the VA is becoming more responsive. “VA is trying to get more appraisers and weeding out the bad ones,” Booth said at the conference.”

http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/origination/underused-va-mortgage-program-makes-inroads-as-fha-costs-rise-1041954-1.html

If you can’t access the full article without registering, there is a summary at: http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2014/06/13/va-loans-gain-popularity-fha-costs-rise

The June 2014 issue of the paid Appraisal Today had an article on how to get on the VA panel. It is very different than applying for panels for AMCs, Lenders, or FHA. No AMCs, C&R fees, appraisers treated as professionals, etc. I spent a lot of time interviewing many appraisers and VA personnel to find out about reference letters, re-applying, etc.

To read this article, and many more, subscribe to the paid Appraisal Today!!
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Second unit or accessory dwelling?

Source: www.sacramentoappraisalblog.com  – Ryan Lindquist
Note: Ryan’s blog postings are written for home owners in his area, but are often helpful for appraisers also.

Excerpts:

Is it a second unit or an accessory dwelling? How do you know the difference? If the post office gives the second structure an address, that makes it a second unit, right? Or if the dwellings are separately metered, it must mean there are two units. Let’s talk through some distinctions below, and then discuss a bit of a “monkey wrench” since there is an added subjective layer when making this call.

The Short Answer: A second unit and an accessory dwelling might look like the same thing to a casual observer, but what matters most in determining whether a structure is a second unit or accessory dwelling is what zoning allows and whether the market perceives the structure as a second unit or not. The post office might have a separate address for an accessory dwelling, but that does not make it a legal and legitimate second unit. The utility company might have two meters on site also, but even that does not mean there are two units. The key comes down to the property being legal as two units in the eyes of the city or county, recognized by the market as a second unit, and even how the dwelling contributes to value.

The Monkey Wrench: Part of determining whether something is an accessory dwelling or second unit comes down to its contributory value, and the appraiser is really going to have to give this some thought…

My comment: I’m working on an appraisal of a property that has two legal homes on one lot. The front house is 2 bedroom/1 bath 1,500 sq.ft. The rear house is 2 bedroom/1 bath 1,000 sq.ft. In my city, most detached units are small “cottages” behind much larger homes and are marketed as homes with an extra unit and as duplexes. Most sell as homes with a small rear unit. Of course, when I got to the property, I found out the rear unit was much larger than the typical rear cottage!! Our market is very, very strong with a shortage of inventory. Many buyers are priced out of the sfr market and are looking at properties with 2 units, but they want a unit with at least 3 bedrooms for owner occupancy. I am still trying to figure out how my subject fits into this market as the front unit lacks a third bedroom, but does have a small room that could be used as a child’s bedroom. I am interviewing lots of agents and going on the weekly open home caravan looking at listings. Fortunately, this is not for a lender so I can take extra time to figure it out!!

http://sacramentoappraisalblog.com/2014/06/17/is-it-a-second-unit-or-an-accessory-dwelling/

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How to use Google addresses in your appraisals!!

How to use Google addresses in your appraisals!!

Google’s Street View is doing photos all over the world!!

I used to spend a lot of time doing preliminary research on an appraisal by looking up property data on public records. Now, I just google the address!! Google provides a front photo and the search often includes other services such as zillow and trulia that provide public records data.

Someone calls or emails you about an appraisal. Hopefully, you check out the property before you decide whether or not you want to do the appraisal and decide your fee. Just google the address!! You can do it in your car with your smart phone.

Do you ever get back to the office and notice that your comp photo doesn’t match the MLS photo or, more likely, you are not sure you are selecting the correct photo?
You sometimes can also zoom in on google photos to check the address of a property.

Living in a rural area? Keep a lookout for a Google car,motorcyle,bicycle,camel,?? They seem to be everywhere!!! Or, just check out your relatives’-friends’-ex’s-child hood homes. It is endless!!

Click here to see where Google is now, has been, and where it is going?
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/68384?hl=en

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The Big Issue for Appraisal Fees – Consumers are paying more for appraisals if AMCs are used

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.

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Japan's disposable homes

During my morning walks, I listen to podcasts. One of my favorites is Freakonomics Radio (Yes, the same guys that wrote the book)
I recently listed to a podcast where they analyzed Japan’s very unusual home sale market. They consider many homes to last about 20 years (economic life) and then they are demolished and new homes built.
A few excerpts from the summary of the podcast:
It turns out that half of all homes in Japan are demolished within 38 years – compared to 100 years in the U.S.  There is virtually no market for pre-owned homes in Japan, and 60 percent of all homes were built after 1980. In Yoshida’s estimation, while land continues to hold value, physical homes become worthless within 30 years. Other studies have shown this to happen in as little as 15 years.
In the podcast, we look into several factors that conspire to produce this strange scenario. They include: economics, culture, World War II, and seismic activity.
Richard Koo, chief economist at the Nomura Research Institute, has argued in a paper called “Obstacles to Affluence: Thoughts on Japanese Housing” that whatever the rationale behind the disposable-home situation, the outcome isn’t desirable…
My comment: Fascinating and worth listening to!! Very interesting for appraisers, especially.

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How accurate is the reported square footage from the tax records in your primary service area?

To keep up on what is happening in appraisal businesses, mortgage lending, USPAP, etc. , Plus humor and strange homes, sign up for my FREE weekly appraisal email newsletter, sent since June 1994. Go to Home on the left side of the menu at the top of this page or go to www.appraisaltoday.com
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How accurate is the reported square footage from the tax records in your primary service area?

3/10/14 poll – www.appraisalport.com
Poll Results
– Very accurate for most homes 869 votes – 16%
– Mostly accurate (about 75% of the time) 2495 votes – 55%
– Hit and miss (about 50% of the time). 1470 votes – 27%
– Not reliable (accurate less than 25% of the time). 475 votes – 9%
– The tax records do not usually show the square footage in my area. 127 votes – 2%
Total votes = 5,346
My comment: AMCs seem to be assuming that tax records are more reliable than appraisers’ measurements. WRONG!! I started appraising at an assessor’s office in 1975. We were no more accurate than any other appraisers and never thought that our square footages were exact.
I used to do a lot of relocation appraisals where 2 or 3 appraisers were hired to appraise the same property. Very, very seldom did the appraisers have the same square footage.
A few years ago, a local real estate agent asked me about an appraisal where the sketch did not match the house. Tax records sq.ft. was way off. The appraiser had “fudged” the dimensions to match public records.
Do many appraisers do this to avoid AMC hassles or they were taught to do this by their supervisors?
I have always looked at tax records sq.ft. as a cross-check, but never assumed it was more accurate than my measured sq.ft. In some neighborhoods and cities, they are accurate and are very unreliable in other areas as they often are not correct.
9/20 update. Not much has changed. Still a big problem!!

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Generally speaking, how accurate do you find MLS data in your area?(Opens in a new browser tab)

10 reasons why public records and the appraiser’s square footage can differ(Opens in a new browser tab)

12-27-18 Newz:// Change Your Templates!!/Corelogic takeover?/Square footage?(Opens in a new browser tab)

6-7-18 Newz//Square footage, Novelty Architecture, Appraisal Fraud(Opens in a new browser tab)