Fannie

Q3 Fannie Update – Concessions, Rural, Environmental Hazards

By Ann O'Rourke on October 4, 2024 / adjustments, Fannie, real estate market, state appraiser regulators / Leave a comment

Tags: adjustments, Fannie, real estate market, state appraiser regulators

Newz: Fannie Update, Concessions Are a Mess, State Board Complaints

October 4, 2024

What’s in This Newsletter (In Order, Scroll Down)

State Board Complaints and Renewal
Q3 2024 Fannie Mae Appraiser Update – Concessions, Rural, Environmental Hazards
$47 Million Ski Chalet With Private Tesla-Style Gondola, Bowling Alley, and Basketball Court
September 2024 Real Estate Market Update: What Appraisers Need to Know By Kevin Hecht
The hot mess of concessions in real estate By Ryan Lundquist
That A-Frame Life: What It’s Really Like To Live in These Triangular Houses

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Appraisal Business Tips

Humor for Appraisers

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Q3 2024 Fannie Mae Appraiser Update – Concessions, Rural, Environmental Hazards

Excerpts:

Rural

Worth reading with links to Fannie info, including a link to: Free Fannie online Rural Appraisal Challenges eLearning course. Plus other tips.

Environmental Hazards

While Fannie Mae does not expect the appraiser to be an expert in the field of environmental hazards, we do expect appraisers to analyze and report any information about environmental hazards that is available in the normal course of business…

If an appraiser has knowledge of or identifies an environmental hazard in or on the subject property or on any site within the vicinity of the property, we require the appraiser to…

Seller Concessions

The article about seller concessions in our December 2023 Appraiser Update generated a lot of questions and buzz.

First, we heard that some appraisers, in reaction to our article, adopted a practice of always adjusting dollar for dollar for seller concessions. While this may seem sensible from a theoretical perspective, it could have adverse unintended consequences (such as undervaluation) if the concession did not actually have a dollar-for-dollar impact on the price. Making either assumption (that there is no impact or that the impact is dollar-for-dollar) is not the correct approach…

PSAs – UAD, Bias with useful links to Fannie info

To read more, Click Here

My Comments: Read the concessions section to see what Fannie Mae says on this hot topic! Plus the useful info and links on other topics above.

See Ryan Lundquist’s post below on Concessions – A Mess

AVM Accuracy?

By Ann O'Rourke on June 28, 2024 / AI, AMCs, appraisal business, appraisal reviews, Fannie, Freddie, liability / Leave a comment

Tags: AI, AMC, mortgage lending, real estate market

Bank AVMs Are As Wildly Inaccurate As A Zestimate – But Will Be Regulated As Legitimate Values

By Jonathan Miller

June 24, 2024

Excerpts:

AVMs are incredibly inaccurate and are being misused in property valuation
AVMs don’t consider the condition of a home
The mortgage industry’s push toward automation has reduced valuation accuracy

AVM or Automated Valuation Models have been incorrectly seen as the human-less way to value property. The technology has been drifting into mortgage lending reliance for more than a decade because it has been marketed as having the ease of “pushing a button.”

The Zestimate product by Zillow introduced the consumer to the concept nearly twenty years ago…

The recent ruling to regulate the credibility of AVMs by the OCC and FDIC essentially legitimized the use of AVMs in lending. The driver behind this final rule was to eliminate potential bias in valuations by replacing appraisers with AVMS. Yet the Urban Institute study Revisiting Automated Valuation Model Disparities in Majority-Black Neighborhoods said: But even with data improvement and artificial intelligence, we still find evidence that the percentage magnitude of AVM error is greater in majority-Black neighborhoods. This finding indicates that we cannot reject the role historic discrimination has played in the evaluation of home values.

AVM software is built by humans who have inherent biases. The void in representation by the appraisal industry over the past decade on the AVM issue, to talk about those 200 feral cats living in the house being valued, has enabled AVMs to be legitimized by the federal government.

During my career, I have observed that valuation accuracy has become weaker as technology has expanded in the mortgage process. The wiz-bang concept that the appraisal of a property can be completed at the push of a button is missing the realities of valuation.

To read more, Click Here

My comments: Worth reading. Miller was involved in AVM history and, as usual, has some very interesting stories plus lots of Zillow comments.

For pro-AVM information from AV Metrics and to see how they test AVM accuracy, Click Here I have been following them for many years.

Miller used to send out a very long post once a week. I often just scrolled fast through most of it to get to the appraisal section, but I missed a lot that was worth reading. Now, he has divided it into daily posts.

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NOTE: Please scroll down to read the other topics in this long blog post on Mortgage appraisal reviews, AI and ChatGPT, freddie and fannie mortgage forecast, unusual homes, mortgage origination stats, etc

How to Find Comps With Few Sales

By Ann O'Rourke on February 23, 2024 / appraisal, bias, Fannie / Leave a comment

Tags: appraisal, bias, Fannie

The challenge of pulling comps in 2024

By Ryan Lundquist

February 14, 2024

Excerpts: Pulling comps in 2024 is tough. Think about it this way. If we have 40% fewer sales happening, that means there are 40% fewer comps. Yikes. Let’s talk about this. I also have some market recap visuals to unpack what’s been happening in 2024 so far.

GO BACK FURTHER IN TIME:

One of the things I’m doing more often today is looking at older comps in the immediate neighborhood. I find myself scouring 2021 onward especially. The truth is there are portions of 2021 and 2022 where prices are exactly the same as today too, so if I use an older comp, I don’t always need to adjust for the way the market has changed. But backing up, I can look at older stuff for the sake of research, but this doesn’t mean I’ll use a super old comp in a report. In short, it’s not enough today to go back 90-180 days because there just aren’t enough data points in so many cases…

WATCH THE MEDIAN TREND

The median price for the region doesn’t translate rigidly to neighborhoods, so be careful about saying stuff like, “The median is up 3% this year, so neighborhood prices are up 3%.” Maybe. Maybe not. Look to the comps most of all. In my experience, some people get really upset when I share median trends because the sentiment is the median isn’t a perfect metric (true)…

EXPAND TO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS:

Looking up other nearby neighborhoods is something I’ve done much more of lately since sales volume has plummeted. The ideal is to compare areas with similar prices, but even if the price point is a bit different, it can be valuable to see what is happening in a different nearby neighborhood. I may or may not use comps from a different neighborhood. I’m just trying to understand what the market is doing…

To read more and see the graphs with excellent illustrations, Click Here

My comments: Very good tips from Ryan. Market conditions is the easiest adjustment to make. This is my first choice for any unusual homes without current data in any market. I quit making dollar adjustments on form appraisals many years ago, but I always do market conditions adjustments when needed. I appraise a lot of 2-4 units and regularly go to other neighborhoods for comps.

I have been doing this for many years. I do a lot of estate appraisals, which are not current value.

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NOTE: Please scroll down to read the other topics in this long blog post on residential fee appraiser testifies at bias hearing, what happens to Fannie complaints, Why I love real estate appraising, unusual homes, mortgage origination stats, etc.

2024 USPAP For Appraisers

By Ann O'Rourke on October 6, 2023 / adjustments, appraisal how to, Economic analysis, Fannie, hybrid appraisals, non-lender appraisals, real estate market, USPAP / Leave a comment

Tags: adjustments, appraisal business, appraisal how to, Fannie, non-lender appraisals, USPAP

2024 USPAP

Source: Appraisal Foundation

The 2024 Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice is now available for purchase in physical and digital formats.

This year, for the first time, you can purchase just the book of USPAP standards for $35. This covers all Definitions, Rules, and Standards.

We also have a new product launching this year. All Advisory Opinions, Frequently Asked Questions and the recently launched Reference Manual will now be part of a standalone publication called the 2024 USPAP Guidance and Reference Manual.

This change reflects the maturation of USPAP, resulting in longer effective dates. The ASB will continue to review USPAP for changes when necessary but will shift much of its focus to providing more guidance to the marketplace. Appraisers can now buy one set of USPAP standards and keep that publication on their bookshelf for as long as that edition is effective and purchase just the Guidance and Reference Manual as needed for coursework and updates.

If you like having the USPAP standards and guidance material linked, we still have you covered. You can also purchase a linked digital version of the eUSPAP and Guidance and Reference Manual and get seamless access across both documents.

To read the full letter, click here

My comments: USPAP 2024 is effective January 1, 2024. I’ve been waiting for a very long time for longer than 2 years between effective dates. Also, there is no ending date for the 2024 version.

When USPAP started, it was very exciting as appraisers had to decide what needed to be changed or added. Lots of people wanted to be on the ASB. Over time, I quit following the updates as there were few significant changes.

2024-2025 USPAP 7-Hour Update Course is being approved or is approved, in the states. I assume a new class will be required every two years in the future. Gotta keep that money coming into the Appraisal Foundation, I guess…

I really hated the classes when there was not much to say except a rehash of the past. I taught USPAP before the ASB told you what to teach. It was my favorite class as we could focus on issues in our current market. Of course, now there is appraiser discrimination, the current hot topic. Personally, I think there is very, very little intentional discrimination by appraisers, compared with the intentional discrimination by lenders (and others). “Red Lining” still exists, some are in the same locations.

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NOTE: Please scroll down to read the other topics in this long blog post on non-lender appraisals, economics analysis, Fannie getting rid of appraisers?, unusual homes, mortgage origination

NAR Appraisal Survey 2022

NAR Appraiser Survey July, 2023

By Ann O'Rourke on September 15, 2023 / adjustments, ADUs, AMCs, appraisal how to, Fannie, non-lender appraisals / Leave a comment

Tags: adjustments, ADUs, AMC, appraisal how to, Fannie, non-lender appraisals

NAR Appraiser Survey July, 2023

In July 2023, NAR Research conducted a survey of all 9,800 appraiser members and 50,000 randomly-selected residential-focused non-appraiser members.

The survey results had a comparison of 2022 and 2023, which was very interesting.

Appraiser Topics
Greatest challenges in business
Lesser challenges with business
Valuations
Comfort with valuation tools
Radius in which appraisals are conducted
Radius by area type (rural, small town, urban, resort, suburban)
How often asked to conduct appraisals outside geographic area/Property type of expertise

Sample: Greatest challenges in business

(AMCs) in general among their greatest challenges. This year, this option was broken into three separate AMC-related issues. Forty-four percent cite at least one of these, with 28 percent specifically citing AMC requests for revisions.

This year, however, the single greatest challenge, cited by almost half (47 percent), is “fee pressures,” which, based on comments, is also related in many cases to pressure from AMCs. This is up sharply from 27 percent last year.

One-quarter (26 percent) cite technology fees (not an option in 2022). Appraisers are less likely this year to cite expanding regulations/interpretations of regulations, lender requirements, pressure from real estate agents/brokers, and liability concerns.

The 21 percent who cite other challenges are most likely to cite lack of business/slow market, rising interest rates, low fees, and to reiterate pressure from AMCs.

A very good graphic is included for each section.

To read the report, click here

My comments: Read the appraiser sections in the long report. Fortunately, appraiser results are in the first section. I read the full survey. Most of the questions were for all NAR members, both appraisers and non-appraiser members. Some may be of interest to you. Much of the appraiser results were what we already sort of suspected, but it is good to see actual survey results.

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NOTE: Please scroll down to read the other topics in this long blog post on GSE Appraisal Independence Update, Private money lender appraials, ADUs, adjustments, unusual homes, mortgage origination

Appraisers: Be Careful with Your Words

By Ann O'Rourke on July 28, 2023 / bias, Fannie, Fannie Forms, george dell, non-lender appraisals / Leave a comment

Tags: bias, Fannie, mortgage lending

Pesky Words. Keeping Appraisers out of Language Purgatory

Appraisers: Be Careful with Your Words!

by Dave Towne

Excerpts: Appraisers, on July 17, 2023, a document from Freddie Mac was circulated to numerous appraisers around the US which identified certain words and other info that can be considered to be ‘BIASED’ in appraisal reports. Here is the Link to the Bulletin.

We need to step back for a moment and carefully analyze and consider why that was done, and what it means to appraisers.

In many ways, appraisers forget the purpose of the appraisal assignment – which is to value real estate. In other words, the physical structures tied to the land.

But too often, elements of personal or neighborhood demographics or other comments seep into the reports. Maybe not consciously or on purpose, but because appraisers are not critically reading what they write and may not realize the implications of how what they write can be interpreted.

To read more, click here

To read the Freddie document, click here

My comments: Well written and worth reading. Thanks to Dave Towne! I have subscribed to his emails for a long time. To join his list, send an email to dtowne@fidalgo.net requesting to join. I wrote about the July 17 Freddie announcement in this newsletter’s June 16, 2023 issue. Guess it finally got out into the appraiser internet world.

Fannie: Words and Phrases in Appraisals

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NOTE: Please scroll down to read the other topics in this long blog post on non lender appraisals, USPAP and Bias, Fannie changes, unusual homes, mortgage origination

What Tools for Measuring Houses for Appraisals

By Ann O'Rourke on July 14, 2023 / E&O, Fannie, real estate market / Leave a comment

Tags: E&O, Fannie, real estate market

What tool do you prefer to use when measuring a house?

Recent Appraisal Buzz survey

Measuring tape – over half
Laser – less than half
Guesstimate – a few, but way too many!
Phone app. – not many

To see the graph, click here

My comments: I have always wondered about this. I prefer my phone app – no more rose bush thorns, dog poop, tripping over miscellaneous stuff, etc. I was hooked the first time I used it! I was surprised to see how few use phone apps.

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NOTE: Please scroll down to read the other topics in this long blog post on changing real estate market, E&O tips, Fannie condo appraisal requirements changing, unusual homes, mortgage origination stats, etc.

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Appraiser Countersues Alleged Discrimination

By Ann O'Rourke on July 7, 2023 / Fannie, non-lender appraisals, real estate market, state appraiser regulators / Leave a comment

Tags: Fannie, non-lender appraisals, real estate market, state appraiser regulators

Appraiser Countersues Black Plaintiffs Who Alleged Discrimination

by Isaac Peck, Publisher WorkingRE

There are now a number of lawsuits facing appraisers where the primary allegation is racial discrimination.

Tate-Austin v. Janette Miller, filed in California in Dec. 2021, was one of the first (and perhaps the most publicized). But since late 2021, a number of similar lawsuits have popped up—from North Carolina to Maryland.

Connolly & Mott v. Shane Lanham et al. is one highly publicized lawsuit covered at length by mainstream media–CBS News, The New York Times, NBC, CNN, ABC News, and more.

Filed in August 2022 in the U.S. District Court of Maryland, Connolly and Mott allege that Lanham discriminated against them and violated professional appraisal standards because of his allegedly “racist beliefs” (among other things).

Mr. Lanham is now countersuing Connolly and Mott for labeling him a racist, making false and defamatory accusations, and causing severe harm to his business, his reputation, and his well-being. Alongside his counterclaim, Lanham has also filed a Motion to Dismiss Connolly and Mott’s initial claim, arguing that they have failed to show any facts that support he discriminated against them.

“Plaintiffs cannot transform allegations of incompetence or a breach of appraisal industry standards into racial discrimination by baldly alleging that Mr. Lanham believed that Plaintiffs did not belong in their neighborhood and that their home was worth less than other homes because of their race. There are no facts alleged in the First Amended Complaint, and none can be alleged with good faith, that Mr. Lanham treated Plaintiffs any differently than homeowners of other races,” the motion reads.

To read more, click here

My comments: Long article and worth reading. Discusses many issues and lawsuits. I don’t write about this topic much. My opinion is that everyone is biased against something. I learned I was biased against young Black men when I was on a criminal jury many years ago.

When a young Black man, the defendant, walked into court, I immediately thought he was guilty. I sent a note to the judge who excused me publically in court. I was very, very embarrassed. But it would have been a lot worse to stay on the jury and vote to convict him. My parents raised us not to be prejudiced against anyone. But I grew up in Tulsa, OK, next to Greenwood, an area of successful Black residents prior to 1921. The Tulsa race massacre occurred on May 31, 1921. I never heard it mentioned by anyone. Older people, who knew about it, never spoke of it. Some newspaper issues were destroyed.

I assume that since I had been appraising in high crime neighborhoods, I became prejudiced. I work hard not to show it. I don’t cross the street when I see a young black man coming towards me, and I smile when we pass, but I do get a little nervous. What is most important is recognizing and not acting on your prejudice.

I have been tempted to lower a value when an owner’s large do dog jumps on me or tries to bite me. But I know I don’t like aggressive large dogs and don’t let it affect my value.

Of course, some appraisers could be biased. But, for residential lender appraisers, there is no advantage to coming in “low” on any residential lender appraisal. You may lose a client.

In the past, appraisers were trained by FHA to redline, with lower values in Black neighborhoods. Appraisal textbooks and classes included this. But, it all changed in the mid-1970s, when I started appraising and was no longer allowed. Hopefully, I would not have become an appraiser working for residential lenders before then because of the obvious bias.

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Appraiser Liability Risks

By Ann O'Rourke on June 23, 2023 / AI, appraisal how to, AVMS, Fannie, real estate market / Leave a comment

Tags: appraisal how to, AVMs, Fannie, real estate market

This Is Where Appraisal Liability Risks Lie (Plus Tips on How to Avoid Them)

By: McKissock

Excerpts: While it’s difficult for a litigant to win a judgment against an appraiser, that doesn’t spare appraisers the inconvenience of being sued, which can be costly, time-consuming, and harmful to one’s reputation even if the suit fails.

Attorney Peter Christensen, general counsel at the Christensen Law Firm in Bozeman, Montana, notes that lawsuits against individual residential appraisers, or small residential AMCs, are fairly rare, and successful suits rarer still. However, it’s a good idea to know where the risks lie—and how to avoid them.

Topics include:

USPAP and state laws
Types of lawsuits brought to appraisers
Disclosures and disclaimers to reduce appraisal liability risks

To read more, click here

My comments: Peter Christensen is very knowledgeable. Well written, short, and worth reading. As we all (should) know, any person or company. can sue you for any reason at any time.!

NOTE: Please scroll down to read the other topics in this long blog post on AVMs and AI, good appraisal book, Real estate market, Fannie, non-lender appraisals, unusual homes, mortgage origination stats, etc.

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