Appraisal News and Business Tips

state appraiser regulators

4-5-18 Newz//Weird home interiors, Reduced AQB requirements and state regulators, Data analytical tools

By on April 5, 2018   /   adjustments, Appraisal Foundation, Appraisal Qualifications Board, appraisal waivers, appraiser shortage, data, evaluations, lender appraisals, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, new appraisers, real estate market, rental market, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, trainees, unusual home, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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The rage of Airbnb rentals (and stuff to keep in mind about value)

By Ryan Lundquist

Excerpts: The owner has a cash cow. Her second unit is bringing in $3,300 per month as an Airbnb rental, and it’s paying her mortgage. Since these types of rentals are all the rage right now, let’s talk about some important details to keep in mind from a value perspective. This isn’t meant to be exhaustive, but I wanted to share some things on my mind. I’d love to hear your take in the comments.

Topics:
1) Airbnb rent vs. market rent
2) Lenders and market rent
3) Investors & seller expectations
4) The fine print and a 12% tax

Click here to read the details, plus the appraiser comments:

My comment: This stuff gives me a headache ;> These seem to be everywhere now, especially room rentals. The Local Politics can be a mess. I look at the income as a business. Very different than renting by the month or year (at much lower daily rates), unless it is in a popular vacation rental market.

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3-1-18 Newz//”Just” a Residential Appraiser?, Turret Living, Price Fixing?

By on March 1, 2018   /   AMCs, appraisal business, appraisal management company, appraiser shortage, bad appraisers, mortgage loan volume, new appraisers, real estate market, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, weird homes, weird properties, zillow   /   Leave a comment
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I Am Not “JUST” a Residential Appraiser

By Rachel Massey, SRA
Excerpt: There is no doubt that moving to obtaining a certified general appraisal license opens doors to varied and interesting work. If it is in one’s capacity to obtain this level, it is a great idea. That said, the idea of being “just” a residential appraiser has got to stop.

A good professional residential appraiser who studies the market, knows how to analyze and solve a problem, and can communicate effectively and succinctly, is a very valuable appraiser at that!

Worth reading, plus read the comments and post your opinion.
My comment: Rachel wrote a much longer, very interesting article for the paid Appraisal Today March issue: “What being designated means to me”
When I started appraising in the late 70s, residential was somehow considered “inferior”. I guess it has been going on for a very long time. I have always thought that residential appraisers are experts in one type of property: 1-4 units. If you are testifying in court on a single family home and the opposing attorney’s appraiser is an MAI who appraises a few times a year, you will blow them away!!

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10-12-17 Newz//FHA-Appraisers responsible for water quality reporting?, Hybrid appraisal survey

By on October 12, 2017   /   Collateral Underwriter, CU, data, evaluations, FHA, lender appraisals, Reviews, state appraiser regulators   /   Leave a comment
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New CU 4.2 makes it easier for lenders to change comp and subject data. MI companies can access CU

Excerpts: During the weekend of Dec. 9, we will implement Collateral Underwriter® (CU™) 4.2, (which includes) the ability to edit the subject and appraiser-provided comparable sales property characteristics. CU 4.2 will also provide mortgage insurers (MIs) with access to CU. Lenders will be able to give their MI risk partners access to appraisal-specific data by providing them the Doc File ID generated at the time of appraisal submission.

Comparable Sales Review Edit Feature
The ability to edit subject and appraiser-provided comparable sales property characteristics (currently available via the pencil icon in classic CU) will be added to the Comp Review page. Clicking on the pencil icon in the Edit column of the comparable sales review table will open the Edit Property Characteristic pop-up. If there are data errors or missing data elements, the edit feature can be used to modify the data elements and rerun the model with the revised data.
Click here to read the full release
My comment: Lenders have been able to change subject and comp data and now it will be easier? I didn’t know that they are able to change the data now. MI companies have access to CU? What about appraisers?

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9-28-17 Newz//Fees up or down?, Credit easing, San Francisco Castle

By on September 28, 2017   /   AMCs, appraisal management company, Fannie, lender appraisals, Mortgage applications, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, unusual homes, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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Albion Castle – A 140 year old castle with underground caves hidden in San Francisco.

Just For Fun!!

Excerpt: When Bill Gilbert was growing up near Candlestick Park, all the kids said that Albion Castle was haunted. Gilbert himself wasn’t sure, but every time his parents took him to eat at the at the old Dago Mary’s restaurant across the street, he would look at the gates that front the 145-year-old stone structure and wonder. Little did he know that as an adult, he would own the keys to the castle (literally).
My comment: It was listed in 2009 for $2,950,000 (a very bad market). The six-story square tower has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,436 sq.ft. It sold for 11/2011 for $890,000 and has been rehabbed. It needed a lot of work!!
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Info on the history and historic photos

My comment: It was listed in 2009 for $2,950,000 (a very bad market). The six-story square tower has four bedrooms, two bathrooms and 1,436 sq.ft. It sold for 11/2011 for $890,000 and has been rehabbed. It needed a lot of work!!

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7-20-17 Newz// Fannie data, USPS gyrocopters, Costar data

By on July 20, 2017   /   appraisal business, Collateral Underwriter, data, E&O, Fannie, mortgage loan volume, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, unusual homes, weird homes, weird properties   /   Leave a comment
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When the U.S. Postal Service Used Gyrocopters to Deliver the Mail The flying machines hopped from roof to roof of post offices.

Excerpt: Sensing opportunity, the United States Postal Service-then the U.S. Post Office Department-decided to invest in the new technology. In 1937, Congress appropriated money to fund a series of experiments on autogyro mail delivery, and within a year the first flight-from Bethesda, Maryland to Washington, D.C.-was made.

My comment: Check out the photos (no videos in 1937). Very interesting!!

Why Fannie Mae Shouldn’t Keep Data Secret

Excerpt: Today’s lenders have access to massive amounts of data. According to (Richard) Hagar, government lenders have access to every recorded sale in most every county across the U.S. via information providers like CoreLogic. He believes appraisal adjustments should be cross-checked against sales metrics of the five million home sales that occur each year.
However, appraisers typically use Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for residential appraising. Data provided by MLS may vary from information shown by providers like CoreLogic. MLS has more detailed information that county records don’t contain. Oftentimes, though, MLS contains errors or missing data. In other words, both types of systems have errors, but not necessarily the same errors.
My comment: Controversial topic!! Fannie says that they want appraisers to be objective, not using Fannie’s data. For example, appraisers changing their building sketches to match public records sq.ft. to avoid underwriter/review hassles. I remember CMDC books (in california) back in the 1980s where appraisers submitted the first pages of their appraisals to go into a shared appraiser database. Before appraisers could get MLS access. Seems like that was okay…

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6-8-17 Newz// Appraisal Waivers, Blue Bathrooms, Corelogic buys Mercury Network

By on June 8, 2017   /   appraisal business, Appraisal fees, appraisal management company, appraiser shortage, forecast, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, unusual homes, weird properties, zillow   /   Leave a comment
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 The Sunken World Hiding Under the Water’s Surface

27 drowned places that used to be above ground.
Excerpt: here is an entire submerged world hidden just below sea level, largely out of sight to terrestrial beings today. The Earth’s shores are lined with sunken cities, flooded crypts, drowned forests, and submerged structures that have been lost underwater over the millennia, overtaken by nature or human development.

Rising sea levels and flooding caused by earthquakes, landslides, changing tides, melting glaciers, or manmade dams have wiped entire villages off the map. And sometimes, when the water recedes, these submerged cities and landscapes reemerge from the depths, an eerie glimpse at the invisible sunken world.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/sunken-cities-flooded-drowned 

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Appraiser shortage = appraisal waivers??

Excerpt:
Key government agencies finally addressed the critically growing appraisal shortage crisis that’s hampering the mortgage process, highlighting two alternative options to help areas that are facing a shortage.
Particularly, the alternative options are aimed at helping rural areas that are struggling with the availability of state certified and licensed appraisers.

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6-1-17 Newz .Our 25th Anniversary! .Zillow Class Action Lawsuit, FTC Says No to LA Setting AMC Fees

By on June 1, 2017   /   adjustments, appraisal, data, fees, mortgage loan volume, state appraiser regulators, weird properties, zillow   /   Leave a comment
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FTC Challenges Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board Regulations that Restrict Competition

Restrictions on fee setting violate federal antitrust rules, agency alleges

Excerpt from FTC: The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board, alleging that the group is unreasonably restraining price competition for appraisal services in Louisiana, contrary to federal antitrust law. The complaint will be submitted to adjudication before an Administrative Law Judge, who will review it and render an initial decision.
In the administrative complaint, the FTC alleges that the Louisiana appraisers board limits the freedom of individual appraisers and their customers to engage in bona fide negotiations to set appraisal fees for real estate appraisals in Louisiana.
Excerpt from LA appraisal board comments:
In a statement, the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board denies the FTC claims, adding that it is operating well within its rights and any accusations beyond that are “ludicrous” and without merit.
“Respectfully, the FTC is just plain wrong. By issuing this legally faulty and factually incorrect complaint, the FTC is seeking to punish a Louisiana state agency for following federal regulatory mandates,” Bruce Unangst, executive director of the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board, said in a statement.
Read the details here from the FTC:
More info, including comments from LA appraisal board
My comment: Very interesting angle… I always wondered if it was ok for states to set AMC appraisal fees. I wondered who complained????
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When Stairs and Slides Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Play real-life Chutes and Ladders at these obscure thruways.

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4-20-17 Newz// The Narrowest House, State Appraisal Boards, Low Housing Inventory

By on April 20, 2017   /   appraisal business, fees, lender appraisals, Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, real estate market, state appraiser regulators, weird homes   /   Leave a comment
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Keret House- The world’s narrowest house makes for an awkward, four-foot-wide living space.

Excerpt: Designed by Polish architect Jakub Szczęsny, the Keret House in Warsaw is wedged inside a four-foot crevice, nicknamed a “cushion of air,” between two buildings. The Keret House stretches over 30 feet tall but is simultaneously only 28 inches wide at its narrowest point-thinner than a stovetop-and just four feet wide at its widest.
My comment: Check out the fotos and full article. Wow!! I have written about narrow houses in this weekly email before, but this is definitely the narrowest!!
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When You Get Notice of a State Complaint…

By Ted Whitmer
If you are an appraiser, it is likely that at some point in your career you will receive notice that a complaint was filed against you. In one particular busy year in Texas, roughly one in six residential appraisers were filed against with the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board. When you run the number of complaints in one year against the number of appraisers, one can expect a complaint every eight to ten years.

Read more!! →

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3-16-17 Newz: Appraiser indicted, Public records sqft, 3-D printed house

By on March 16, 2017   /   Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, unusual home, unusual homes, weird homes   /   1 Comment
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3D Map Shows America’s Most Expensive Housing Markets

Excerpt: Which U.S. housing market is the most expensive?
 It seems like the question should have a single, straightforward answer. But with varying definitions of what constitutes a housing market and with different ways of measuring home value, the question is not so clear cut.
Using data from Zillow, this 3D map shows the cost of housing by U.S. county. The height of each area represents the average price per square foot of its homes.
My comment: Fascinating graphic. Lots of counties well under $100 per sq.ft. My urban county: $477. Other CA rural counties under $150. Warning: Can Be Addictive ;> I love Microcosm graphics!!
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Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You’d Actually Want to Live, 2017 Edition
Excerpt: But does this (small towns) mean you have to trade excitement for enervation? As the city-dwelling comedian Lenny Bruce once said, “I hate small towns, because once you’ve seen the cannon in the park, that’s it.” So we focused on life beyond the cannons-small towns offering up rich cultures and a surprising amount of fun side diversions.

Read more!! →

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10-20-16 Newz// Appraisal oversight, VA wants fee appraisers, Amazing things disguised as Boring

By on October 20, 2016   /   Mortgage applications, mortgage loan volume, state appraiser regulators, Strange homes, unusual home, unusual homes, weird properties   /   Leave a comment
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9 Amazing Things Disguised as Boring Things

Look twice-these seemingly mundane objects are hiding something.

Excerpt:

Narnia hid behind a wardrobe. Doctor Who’s Tardis was disguised as a blue police call box. With no signage and no flags, these out of the ordinary things are hidden away disguised as something utterly banal. In some cases, these things are camouflaged on accident; in others, they are secreted away so that only those in the know can find them.

Either way, the world is full of seemingly mundane places that are more than meets the eye. It reminds us to stay curious-one has to always be on the lookout for wonder. Here are nine places in the Atlas that may seem boring at first glance but are actually amazing once you take a closer look.

Here are a few:

1. Brooklyn Townhouse Secret Subway Exit

Brooklyn, NY

3. Mystery Soda Machine – insert 75 cents and see what you get

Seattle, WA

4. The Lonely Parking Meter

The only parking meter in Winters, CA

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/9-amazing-things-disguised-as-boring-things

My comment: Just For Fun!! We all work in the field and discover strange things. This article will make me look closer at what I see ;>

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Disciplinary Process-How It Works, Your Rights & Likely Outcomes

by Robert Weinstock, JD, MBA, CBA, CVA

Excerpts:

While the number of licensed real estate appraisers nationwide has decreased, the number of complaints filed against appraisers has increased. For example, in my home state of California, complaints against appraisers have increased by 40% even though the number of appraisers has declined, according to the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA)….

The following is an actual 2015 disciplinary action against an appraiser in which the appraiser lost his license and was required to reimburse the state for its investigation and prosecution costs in the amount of $125,828. In addition, if the applicant should care to reapply for a new license, he shall be required to pay an additional $115,828.

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