Poll: In the past year, have your standard fees for a typical non-complex assignment?


Poll: In the past year, have your standard fees for a typical non-complex assignment?


Statistics humor
Three statisticians go hunting. They see a deer and the first one
shoots, hitting three feet left of the deer. The second one shoots, hitting three feet right of the deer. The third one leaps up in joy, yelling, “we got him!”
Thanks to Scott Jura for this great joke! Posted on a yahoo appraiser discussion group.
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Ex-appraiser sentenced to 6 years for mortgage fraud
Excerpt: A Pittsburgh federal jury convicted Jason Moreno, 33, on five counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy in September 2013.
A former appraiser, Moreno overstated housing values and glossed over problems such as a den of black snakes in one house’s basement so that others in the scheme could obtain loans for more than the properties were worth.
U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer resentenced Moreno on Monday to six years in prison and three years of probation.
http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/10811871-74/moreno-court-sentenced
Court documents from 1/16. Lots of very interesting details:
http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/141568p.pdf
America’s First Medal at the Nazi Olympics Was For…Town Planning
Excerpt: Yes, from 1928 until 1948, town planning was an actual Olympic sport.
Town planning fell under an “architectural design” category at the Olympic art competition. The field that year was dominated by German entries. Yet the first U.S. medal of the Olympics went to Lay, a New York architect, for his ambitious blueprint to modernize Marine Park in Brooklyn.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/americas-first-medal-at-the-nazi-olympics-was-fortown-planning
My comment: I love these Obscure Olympic Facts ;>
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Photo blurring gone waay overboard!!
Excerpt: At issue was the ubiquitous “client requirement” involving digital masking of people from images. While lenders and AMCs wave the Fair Housing penalty flag in order to assure compliance; there is NO such law. Never has been.
Lenders need to re-examine the reason for all of these pointless and invasive interior shots. They add nothing meaningful to the file. Nobody is laying out mortgages for Beanie Baby collections and bad drapes. So why are appraisers wasting megapixels on decorating images?
AMCs are on notice to cease demanding and insisting that appraisers do digital staging. That is clearly in violation of Illinois law.
Click here to read the full article plus the comments, of course…
http://appraisersblogs.com/digital-staging-amc-fair-housing-myth
My comment: Blurring interior pictures on walls, personal objects, etc. seems very excessive. Don’t know about rooms with strange devices and chains hanging from walls and ceilings, etc ;> Maybe appraisers will only be able to appraise vacant homes with nothing in them without getting requests for blurring. This applies only to AMCs doing business in Illinois, but maybe the AMCs will quit doing it in other states.

The Surprising Origins of the Tiny House Phenomenon
Why ancient hermits are the key to understanding our tiny home obsession
Excerpts”
Invariably, someone will remind you that civilization emerged from tiny houses-caves, yurts, tents, wigwams, igloos, grass huts, and so forth.
These early antecedents are beside the point. Sioux, Samoans, and Inuits were not offered more spacious alternatives. But people who opt for tiny houses-meaning the kind that tug at heartstrings and star on cable-generally choose to live small. The reasons aren’t just practical, but also ethical and emotional.
the true parents of tiny-house living are hermits. From the ancient Chinese Taoists in mountain caves to the Desert Fathers of third century Christianity and onward (the word “hermit” derives from the Greek word for “desert”), hermits were the first people to actively downsize to confined, remote, and minimally furnished living spaces.
Read the full story here:
http://www.curbed.com/2016/7/13/12162832/tiny-house-history-hermits
My comment: The most interesting article I have read on tiny houses. Of course, I started sailing sailboats in the early 1970s. Living aboard a sailboat is the Ultimate Tiny House!! Narrow and long but very portable… Another good link from Jonathan Miller…
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FHA Case Transfer, issued July 26, FHA INFO #16-49
Mortgagees should note the following about case transfers relative to appraisal reports in both the EAD (electronic appraisal delivery) portal and FHAC:
8 Spooky New York Places That Should Be in the New Ghostbusters Movie
There’s something strange in these neighborhoods.
Excerpt: Here is one, but you gotta see the photos and the other 7!!
The Morris-Jumel Mansion
On a hill overlooking the Harlem River, the stately Morris-Jumel mansion is not only Manhattan’s oldest home but supposedly one of its most haunted. Its macabre history started after owner Stephen Jumel died in 1832. His wife Eliza was rumored to have had a hand in the death-there was some suspicion afoot that she orchestrated the carriage accident that killed him….
Take a break from typing appraisal reports and check it out!!
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The Shrinking of the American Lawn
As houses have gotten bigger, yard sizes have receded. What gives?
Excerpts:
The American house is growing. These days, the average new home encompasses 2,500 square feet, about 50 percent more area than the average house in the late 1970s, according to Census data. Compared to the typical house of 40 years ago, today’s likely has another bathroom and an extra bedroom, making it about the same size as the Brady Bunch house, which famously fit two families.
This expansion has come at a cost: the American lawn.
As homes have grown larger, the lots they’re built on have actually gotten smaller-average area is down 13 percent since 1978, to 0.19 acres. That might not seem like a lot, but after adjusting for houses’ bigger footprints, it appears the median yard has shrunk by more than 26 percent, and now stands at just 0.14 acres. The actual value lies somewhere between those two numbers, since a house’s square footage could include a second (or third) floor. Either way, it’s a substantial reduction.
Read the full story at: Very interesting!!
http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2016/07/the-shrinking-of-the-american-lawn/490157/
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There Go My Brackets
From the Illinois Appraiser June 2016
Excerpt:
Is it a USPAP violation to fail to bracket or end up with a tight bracket?
8 Extraordinary Pieces of Architecture Grown From Living Trees
Excerpt:
We usually use trees as building material in the form of struts and planks. But all over the world, people have found ways to create dwellings, bridges, and sculptures out of trees without even cutting them down. Using trees to create living structures is much slower to build (read: grow) than traditional methods, but it creates some truly fantastical natural creations. Take a look at some of the world’s coolest feats of arbortecture.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/8-extraordinary-pieces-of-architecture-grown-from-living-trees
My comment: All I can say is WoW!! Great photos plus some text info. Just Click On It!!
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Celebrity names not adding to appeal for home buyers?
May. 16, 2016 – 3:00 – Douglas Elliman Broker Chris Leavitt on the challenges celebrities face trying to sell their homes.
Very funny commercial before the short 4 minute video – Fox news.
Another great one from Jonathan Miller. I guess he watches a lot of tv and tweetlings, when not doing lotsa graphs and other stuff ;>
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4895807387001/celebrity-names-not-adding-to-appeal-for-home-buyers
Collateral Underwriter Update from Fannie Mae
Source: Appraisal Buzz
Excerpt:
The Buzz staff recently asked Zach Dawson, Director of Collateral Policy and Strategy, Fannie Mae, to provide appraisers with an update on the development of Collateral Underwriter.
A few of the questions:
– Buzz: Can you bring us up to date on CU? What have you learned from this data initiative?
– Buzz: Can you tell us more about AQM and the objectives of that project?
– Buzz: How many appraisers does Fannie Mae refuse to accept appraisals from?
https://www.appraisalbuzz.com/collateral-underwriter-update/
My comment: Definitely hits the Hot Topics!! Nothing much new, but good to directly from Fannie Mae, in writing…
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Can Living Near a Starbucks Boost Your Home Value?
Excerpt:
It seems that being close to a Starbucks does have a marked effect on home values, particularly in the East, according to a Zillow report.
Between 1997 and 2014, homes within walking distance, or one-quarter mile, of a Starbucks appreciated 96 percent. Compared to the national average for the same time period, 65 percent, it seems having a barista close by is a smart real estate move.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/zillow/2015/08/19/starbucks-boost-home-values/#4084f9eb2c70
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Does a new Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s in Your Neighborhood Increase Your Home Value?
Excerpt:
A 2015 study by the real estate information company RealtyTrac analyzed this trend. The study included 4 million homes located in a ZIP code with either a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s location, finding that average property values in a ZIP code with Trader Joe’s appreciated by about 40 percent since they were purchased, while homes with a Whole Foods in the ZIP code appreciated by nearly 34 percent, which matches the national average increase according to the survey.
Stave Churches Are All Wood, Dragons, and Beauty
These austere churches mix Nordic dragons with Christian saints.
Excerpt:
Some of the most stunning churches in the world are also some of the simplest. Stave churches are wooden houses of worship that combine the austere, peaked architecture of Christianity with the Nordic designs and motifs of a Viking great hall.
Stave churches are characterized by the “staves,” or thick wooden posts, that hold them up. Using the same woodworking prowess that made the Vikings such adept shipbuilders, traditional stave churches were often built using nothing more that expertly crafted joints and joins, with no nails or glue. The only stones used were in the base of the structures.
Take a break from appraising and Check out the beautiful fotos and interesting article at:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/stave-churches-are-all-wood-dragons-and-beauty
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Game of Thrones-style mini kingdom in Oregon
Excerpt:
Let’s set the scene: You’re perched overlooking the mountains in your own 8,881-square-foot castle set on 700 acres dotted with trees and natural rock formations. All you can see for miles is your own lush, unspoiled property – this is your mini-kingdom. Your home, an ode to nature with curved walls and cloud-shaped windows, is easily a setting from an episode of Game of Thrones. But you aren’t the Lord of Winterfell, you’re certainly not scheming like CerseiLannister, and this home for sale in Ashland, OR, is not in the Seven Kingdoms but instead a fantasy-worthy getaway called Shining Hand Ranch.
8 Bizarre Bathrooms from Around the World
“From pop-up toilets in city streets to a bathroom surrounded entirely by an aquarium, these public and private bathrooms are beyond bizarre-and you need to see them!”
Take a break from appraising and check these out. Definitely Weird!!
http://blog.rismedia.com/2016/keepin-it-weird-8-bizarre-bathrooms
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Recent acquisitions of appraisal and title companies
Another great commentary from Dave Towne. Thanks again, Dave!!
From the article in Housingwire.com:
First American Mortgage Solutions, a subsidiary of First American Financial Corporation, acquired Forsythe Appraisals, supplementing its existing valuation capabilities.
Forsythe Appraisals is one of the largest independent residential appraisal company in the United States and offers real estate valuation solutions with nationwide coverage.
Under the acquisition, Forsythe’s management team, including President and CEO John Forsythe, Senior Director of Customer Development Tim Forsythe and Chief Appraiser Alan Hummel, will continue to lead those operations.