Appraisal News and Business Tips

real estate market

6-21-19 Newz: MLS Cyber Attack – McMansions – FHA and Risky Loans

By on June 21, 2019   /   adjustments, appraisal business, appraisal regulations, bifurcated appraisals, Fannie, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, unusual home   /   Leave a comment
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Valuation Is Not A Guessing Game, It’s a Development Process

Excerpts: If you’ve ever had an appraisal of your home completed, perhaps you can relate to the following scenario: insert image

The appraiser arrives at your home. You know that they have probably done a little research on what potentially comparable sales in the neighborhood are selling for.

The appraiser views each room in your home, taking photos and notes as they go. The appraiser asks you about any improvements you have made to your home in recent years.

At the end of the inspection, you assume that the appraiser has to have some idea about what the value is likely to be. You ask the appraiser, “Well…What do ya think?” What you’re probably really wanting to know is what the appraiser thinks your home is worth. At this point the appraiser is likely to give an evasive reply that doesn’t answer your question. Why?

To read more and see the funny animated fotos and gifs click here

My comment: written for homeowners, but some good ideas for appraisers. You can use for ideas for speaking to real estate agents, for example. Or, can give (or send) the owner a link to this article.

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6-14-19 Newz: Refis up 47% – Appraisal Hearing – Suburb Definition

By on June 14, 2019   /   appraisal regulations, Fannie, FHA, forecast, lender appraisals, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, weird properties   /   Leave a comment
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Lender Overlays and FHA Appraisal Requirements

Excerpt: FHA requirements re: approaches to value

Regarding the approaches to value, the HUD Handbook states, “The Appraiser must consider and attempt all approaches to value and must develop and reconcile each approach that is relevant.”

Translation: If the appraiser determines an approach is necessary for credible assignment results, the appraiser must develop that approach. When appraising new construction or a dwelling that is one year old or less, it is likely that the appraiser will need to develop the cost approach. As in any appraisal, if the appraiser decides not to develop one or more of the approaches, he or she will need to support that decision.

For info on site requirements, etc click here

My comment: AMCs and lenders can have some strange requirements. It’s always good to know what FHA says.

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How Should We Define the Suburbs?

Excerpt: The problem (lack of a definition) stems from the fact that U.S. statistical agencies (the Census Bureau and Office of Management and Budget) do not provide a systematic definition for suburbs. They offer classifications for metropolitan areas and micropolitan areas, a classification of urban and rural areas, and a category of principal cities, but nothing of the sort for suburbs.

Very interesting with a good table To read more, click here

My comment: Appraisers have to identify on forms if a property is urban/suburban/rural. Also percent built up. Rural can affect loans sometimes. I have never seen any clear definitions. Now I know why!

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6-6-19 Newz: What’s Fannie Doing and Why – Shadow Banks – Photoshopping

By on June 7, 2019   /   Fannie, hybrid appraisals, lender appraisals, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, square footage, Strange homes, unusual home   /   Leave a comment
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Tracking the Economy Through New-Home Square Footage

Excerpt: The U.S. housing market may not be synonymous with the business cycle, as a famous 2007 paper proclaimed, but the ups and downs in housing, which represents a big part of the economy, usually do offer hints about what’s going on more broadly.

That’s why economists closely watch housing market indicators like sales volumes and home prices — as well as how Americans are accessing the market and managing their obligations to mortgages, rental costs, taxes, and so on.

To read more, click here

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5-31-19 Newz: Hit the Sales Price – Hybrid Warning – Guitar shaped Hotel

By on May 31, 2019   /   adjustments, bifurcated appraisals, commercial appraisal, humor, hybrid appraisals, Mortgage applications, real estate market, state appraiser regulators, Uncategorized, weird properties   /   Leave a comment
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Why do appraisers hit the sales price?

By George Dell

Excerpt: A recent study includes a graph which shows that some 90% of appraisals hit the sale price exactly, or were higher, while only some 10% were below the sale price (when the sale price is known).

Is this a bias on the part of appraisers, or is the bias the cause of the system? What could possibly cause this strong upside skew?

First, ignore the ongoing pressures from the entire ‘loan industry’ to make the loan, make the commission, make the quota, make the bonus, and look successful. Ignore the claimed purpose of the public trust (of our quasi-governmental standards and licensing quagmire).

The goal of protecting the public trust failed, and will fail again— this time with different excuses and blaming— but it will fail again.

Let’s look at some underlying economic truths and social/governmental policy. What economics and public policies come into play here? Three come to mind immediately:

To read the full, very interesting post click here

My comment: When I started my appraisal business in 1986, I was told by local very experienced appraisers to appraise at the sales price or I may be kicked off a lender’s approved list. Of course, since I was trained at an assessor’s office, I was shocked and refused to do this… There was always another lender client I could get.

Dell’s blog has very short posts. My June paid newsletter will have a much longer article written by him: “Old Versus New: Conflict or Opportunity?” It has a brief look into the past, including a photo of an acoustic coupler for connecting to remote sites. Plus, of course, comments on the future! I remember 30 baud transmission rates in the early 1980s connecting from my home PC to my company’s servers;>

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5-17-19 Newz: Dancing and Crooked Houses – Will Appraisals Be Transformed??

By on May 17, 2019   /   hybrid appraisals, marketing, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, unusual homes, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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Will Fintech Transform/Disrupt Appraisals?

Bifurcated appraisals is the “tip of the iceberg” in changes coming to lender appraisals

I recently attended Jeff Bradford’s excellent presentation on coming changes in the type of valuation used in the residential mortgage industry. I also attended a webinar “New Valuation Trends Disrupting the Industry” that focused on the lender side, especially loan originations. Both saw significant changes coming in the next 5-10 years, going from legacy to digital lending that will transformational.

Both used the term “Fintech” regularly.
Here are two definitions “computer programs and other technology used to support or enable banking and financial services” and “fintech is one of the fastest-growing areas for venture capitalists”. I have written about several VC funded appraisal companies in this newsletter, both residential and commercial, working on new ways to make appraisals more efficient.

Both presentations talked about many ways, such as using AI, photos and data to evaluate interior condition, estimating square footage without measuring, “real time” google earth, etc.

I will be writing about both presentations in the next month’s issue of the paid Appraisal Today.

For more info, google Fintech and mortgage lending and/or Fintech and mortgage lending appraisals. FYI, I did not know what fintech referred to and had to google it after the presentations;>
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5-3-19 Newz: AMC Shockwave – Zillow Accuracy – 25 Appraisal Errors

By on May 3, 2019   /   AMCs, appraisal management company, Mortgage applications, real estate market, weird properties, zillow   /   Leave a comment
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25 Common Errors in Appraisal Reports

A compilation of the most common errors and deficiencies found in appraisal reports by reviewers, regulators, and appraisal boards.

Here are a few:
– Not providing enough analysis for the intended user or reader to understand the report properly.
– Inconsistencies between the description of the subject property in the improvements section and the photographs, sketch, sales comparison grid, and other areas in the report.
– Inappropriate use of boilerplate commentary in the appraisal report to describe the neighborhood or to explain the reconciliation of the sales comparison approach.
– Failure to summarize the analysis and rational that supports the Highest and Best Use opinion.
– Not complying with the most current USPAP.
Read the full list here:

My comments: Reminders are always good. For unknown reasons, I don’t see much CE or writing on these problems. These apply to all appraisals because we are licensed, not just lender appraisals.
It was soooo nice in the “old days” before licensing ;> Two Rules: Tell the  truth and disclose what is bad. No USPAP changing every two years, overzealous appraisal boards, renewal fees, etc.. Of course, the reason we have licensing is the lender mess in 1989, resulting in FIRREA,  regarding bad commercial property development loans by S&Ls
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4-18-19 Newz: Strange Bathrooms; Secret Suburbs; Accurate MLS Data?

By on April 18, 2019   /   Appraisal Foundation, Mortgage applications, real estate market, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, unusual homes, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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SUBSCRIBER NOTICE:
Starting next week this email newsletter will be sent out on Fridays.
Why? After 25 years of sending on Thursdays, time for a change! Also, fewer emails on Fridays, so more time to read this newsletter (and not lose it in your inbox) ;>
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3-21-19 Newz: Using Previous Sales – 12 Tech Tools – Floating Neighborhood

By on March 21, 2019   /   adjustments, appraisal how to, marketing, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, unusual home, unusual homes   /   Leave a comment
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The problem of giving too much weight to previous sales (or not enough)

By Ryan Lundquist

Excerpts: It must be worth more than it sold for in the past, right? In many cases, YES. But sometimes NO. Let’s talk through some things to consider when pulling comps and noticing a previous sale. I find many of these points coming up lately in conversation, so I hope this is helpful.

8 issues are discussed.
Here are a few
2) Unique property:
3) Unicorn buyer overpaid
8) Not penalizing because it sold too low

Closing advice: I recommend paying close attention to previous sales to get clues to understand how a property fits into the market. But don’t get so stuck that you don’t see the most important thing – current comps.

Good topic I have not seen discussed in detail before. Worth reading. Lots of comments!!
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3-14-19 Newz: Terrible RE Agent Fotos – Appraiser Article in Rolling Stone – Appraisers and Ipads/Tablets

By on March 15, 2019   /   AMCs, appraisal how to, AVMS, commercial appraisal, data, listings, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, Strange homes, unusual homes, weird homes, zillow   /   Leave a comment
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The Property Valuation Reckoning is Imminent

How Technology is Highlighting Underwriting’s Shortcoming

Excerpt: some high-level aspects that can be used to get conversations started.

1. Increasing the availability of detailed, property-specific information, including both operational (ongoing) activities and transactions (sale, refinance, etc.).
2. The collection and analysis of macroeconomic, microeconomic, and capital markets influences that affect the real estate industry.
3. Using concepts such as systems thinking, systems engineering, and advanced technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning to design semi-automated models that capture and make sense of both property-specific and larger capital markets factors.

Very interesting ideas and analysis. Long, but worth reading. FYI PropTech is a newish acronym. See the next link.

What is PropTech?

My comment: The article gives commercial examples, but is relevant for residential. I have been watching commercial applications, such as AVMs, attempted since the 1990s. The biggest problem is the lack of data. Costar is the major source of data in many areas and has not allowed its data to be commercially used by AVM developers, as far as I know. For leased commercial properties you must have income and expenses, which is not always available. For some types of non-leased properties, such as owner occupied warehouses, AVMs could work well.

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3-7-19 Newz: Digitally-Doctored Listing Photos – Mermaids and Camels at Open Houses – Manufactured Home Webinar

By on March 7, 2019   /   adjustments, appraisal business, appraisal how to, Fannie, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, Uncategorized, unusual home   /   Leave a comment
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7 Women in the Building Business, Including an Appraiser

Excerpt: In 1986, when Dina Miller, her brother, Jonathan, and other family members founded the real estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel, “there were very few female appraisers,” said Ms. Miller, 56, whose specialty is specialty work – determining the value of a common hallway that a co-op shareholder wants to buy, for example, and handling stratospherically expensive property, including the top-floor apartment at 432 Park Avenue.

Scroll down the page to Dina Miller

My Sister, My Business Partner Gets Her New York Times Due By Jonathan Miller
Excerpt: The New York Times weekend real estate section has a cover story The Boss? You’re Looking at Her: 7 Women in the Building Business and my sister Dina was one of them. I’m very proud of her. She, myself and my wife are the principals of our firm Miller Samuel we co-founded with our parents in 1986. Dina is not a public person like I seem to be but has often said her brother (me) “never met a microphone he didn’t like” which I wear as a badge of honor. Congrats to my sister for her well-deserved recognition.

My comment: Not often an appraiser is featured in an article in a major national publication!! Hardly ever is it a female appraiser.

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