More Crazy Appraiser Stories!

By on November 25, 2022   /   appraisal forms, appraisal how to   /   Leave a comment
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More Crazy Appraisal Stories!

Excerpt:

Restraining Orders & Appraisals – Never a Great Mix

Eric VanderWaal

The majority of my appraisal work is on divorces and estates, both of which have their fair share of crazy stories.

I was appraising a home for a divorce several years ago. The husband had contacted me for the appraisal, but it was the wife who was living in the home. We met at 9:30 am, which was an odd time that he requested. When I arrived at the home, he said that she wasn’t home and had locked all the doors, so he called a locksmith to come to open the back door. The locksmith arrived shortly and started to work on the backdoor. The husband said that his wife was aware of the appraisal appointment and should have left the home unlocked.

I started on the outside and about ten minutes later, a woman comes to the backyard where the husband, myself, and the locksmith were and starts yelling at the husband about him not being allowed to be there. I thought it was the wife, but it turned out to be a neighbor. The wife was at an appointment which is why, I figured out, that he wanted the appointment at 9:30 am rather than 10:00 am. After several minutes of the husband and neighbor yelling at each other, the locksmith got the back door open. The neighbor left and we went inside…

To read more, click here

My comments: We all have these stories ;> Divorce is the best non-lender option for residential appraisers. Very little competent competition and very high fees for expert witness testimony.

You will probably be going up against an MAI. Your attorney says to the MAI: How many house appraisals have you done this year? Answer: 4. Your answer: much more than 4! Your attorney is happy at winning the case, and you get lots more divorce work.

I will be writing about this in an upcoming issue of the monthly Appraisal Today, with lots of marketing and expert witness tips.

Many thanks to Appraisal Buzz for the image above. My favorite appraiser image ;>

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Fannie ANSI Update – 19 New FAQs

By on March 18, 2022   /   ANSI, appraisal business, Fannie Forms, Reviews   /   Leave a comment
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Fannie ANSI FAQs Update

Updated Standardized Property Measurement Guidelines – 19 new FAQs, 5 Pages

Excerpt from the short Fannie email sent 3-15-22 at 8 AM (Pacific time): “…Are you ready? We’ve updated the Standardized Property Measuring Guidelines fact sheet to include more answers to your frequently asked questions. Thanks to all the appraisers, AMCs, and lenders who submitted questions.”
My comment: There are no changes to the first page, including comps measured differently and the exception process. Links are included for references in Fannie’s Selling Guide in the Guidelines.
FAQ topics include:
Q5. When common practice in the local market differs from the ANSI standard, can the appraiser modify the subject’s GLA to conform to local custom?
Q8. The ANSI standard specifically notes that the definition of above and below grade could cause some houses to have no above-grade finished square footage.
How should appraisers report GLA in this scenario?
Q9. How will lenders know that appraisers used the ANSI standard?
Q15. Will appraiser adherence to the ANSI standard cause confusion when the subject GLA differs from other sources such as MLS or public record?
Q16. How should appraisers account for rooms located in above-grade finished areas that do not qualify as GLA under the ANSI standard?
Q18. The GLA of comparables available to appraisers may not be based on the ANSI standard. How should appraisers manage this issue?
Q19. How should appraisers value finished areas that the ANSI standard does not include in GLA, such as where the ceiling height is less than 7 feet?
To download the PDF to read the answers and other FAQs,  click here
My comments: Read This Document! I have been waiting for an update to the one-page original Fannie document since it was first released about 3 months ago. There are many, many issues when using ANSI for lenders and AMCs. Appraisers sent many questions to Fannie and made comments during webinars with Fannie.
If you’re looking for a class, webinar, or other ANSI info, go to www.appraisaltoday.com/ANSI

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Appraisal Completion Certifications – be careful!

By on December 31, 2021   /   Fannie, future, lender appraisals, liability   /   Leave a comment
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ANSI Z765-2021 Information Resources – CLICK LINK BELOW FOR MORE

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Haunted House Appraisal Adjustments

By on October 29, 2021   /   adjustments, appraisal forms, FHA, liability, real estate market   /   Leave a comment
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Inspired by Italy, a Conical Home in Indiana

Excerpt: On the market for $424,900, the home consists of two main silolike buildings with shake conical roofs. Inside the round compound is a total of 3,111 square feet of living space.

The design was inspired by the trulli homes of the Itria Valley in Puglia, Italy. They were typically built from limestone and had conical roofs. The structures were chiefly designed as temporary shelters or storage areas in the 19th century. Today, they endure as charming residences in southern Italy. Back in Indiana, this home’s architect, Evans Woollen, combined details from trulli homes into his design.

“The house is a midcentury version of a 200-year-old village in Italy,” Landrigan says.

To read more and see lots of photos, click here

 

Top Ten Reasons Why It Is Great to be an Appraiser Humor

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Sewer vs. Septic for Appraisers – Don’t get into trouble!

By on October 22, 2021   /   appraisal business, Fannie, Fannie Forms, Freddie, lender appraisals   /   Leave a comment
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6 Appraiser Tips on Increasing Productivity

By on September 24, 2021   /   appraisal business, bias, Fannie, Fannie Forms   /   Leave a comment
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6 Ways to Streamline Your Appraisal Workflow

Excerpt:
#6. Reduce revision requests
A revision will waste 15 minutes minimum. To reduce revision requests, track your clients’ common questions, and include that information in all reports when applicable. If you work for a lot of different lenders or do a lot of appraisals for lending-related purposes, those clients and intended users are probably asking some of the same questions over and over.
For example, if your clients often ask about septic, go ahead and include a comment about the septic system in your initial report. In other words, answer the question before they ask it.
To read more plus get 5 more tips, click here
My comments: Short and well written, worth reading. I have been writing about time management in my Appraisal Today monthly newsletter since June 1992, the first issue. Saving time is a very hot topic now when everyone is very busy. All of my many articles are available free to paid subscribers. They are much longer than this blog post, of course.

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2021 Appraiser Fee Survey

By on August 13, 2021   /   appraisal classes, Appraisal fees, bias, Fannie, UAD   /   Leave a comment
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2021 Appraiser Fee Survey

By Isaac Peck
Excerpt: The 2021 Appraiser Fee Survey includes 365 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA), as defined by the U. S. Census Bureau, with rural areas included by state. The survey includes eight different appraisal products, including reviews and FHA appraisals, and addresses turn times, to offer insight into that controversial topic by area.
To check out the very detailed report for your MSA, click here
My comments: Lots of info by MSA! I got this info Wednesday and did not have time to look at it in detail.
Raise Your Fees, especially if working for AMCs!! Before AMC broadcast bids looking for the lowest fee, appraisal fees did not change much when volume changed. Since 1986 direct lender fees went up gradually. In my area, fees were about $250 in 1986 for SFR. Now fees have gone up to about $450 – $550 for regular long-time lender clients (and local AMCs). National AMCs are not loyal. Direct lenders can be loyal.
Fascinating and very comprehensive results by state and MSAs. I hear a lot about lenders and borrowers complaining about high appraisal fees. But in my area fees are not that high per the survey. I hear regularly about desperate AMCs who will pay $1,000 or more for appraisals. Appraisers are deluged with AMC appraisal requests, which are often deleted unopened of course. I also hear that sometimes the fee to the appraiser is much lower than the AMC fee.

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Fannie says appraisal “forms” are going away

By on April 2, 2021   /   adjustments, george dell, state appraiser regulators   /   Leave a comment
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Fannie Mae is Not Developing New Appraisal Forms

By Dustin Harris 

Excerpt: Some of my colleagues have asked me, “What will the new forms look like?” Again, and I know it is a bit nit-picky, but there are no new forms. Rather, the GSEs are developing a cloud-based electronic container that will be used to report our findings rather than filling out a form and sending it in. Weird, I know, but it has its positives.

Currently, an appraiser needs to determine the proper scope of work to know which form is best for the situation. If it is a condo, it is likely a 1073. Single family residence, a 1004 or 2055.

To read more, click here

My comments: Nothing much new, of course. I have been writing about Fannie Modernization in the monthly newsletter and this newsletter for a while. Last week’s weekly newsletter had a brief Fannie Update – mostly the new timeline to 2024.

I also hear that Fannie will require a lot more data with more time required to fill out the online “form.” I can’t wait until we don’t have to decide which form to use! Especially since some “reviewers” and AMCs don’t really understand this.

A good example is how Turbo Tax software works. Instead of looking at every part of your printed tax return, it only shows what is relevant. For example, if you are filing as a single person or married. A single person would not have to look at the single vs. married part of the return.

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How to Fight Real Estate Agents’ Appraiser Blacklisting

By on March 26, 2021   /   AMCs, appraisal business, bias, Fannie, humor   /   Leave a comment
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How to Fight Real Estate Agents’ Appraiser Blacklisting

Excerpts: When a real estate agent “blacklists” an appraiser, the result is often that the agent’s lender/AMC contacts will stop using the appraiser completely (at the agent’s request), or occasionally, the lender will continue to use the appraiser but not assign the appraiser any of the transactions that that particular agent works on. In the case of the latter, sometimes the appraiser will be assigned an order only to have it canceled later that day once the real estate agent sees the appraiser on the order and calls the lender or mortgage broker to complain. I’ve talked to appraisers who have this happen several times a year with the same agent…

Having an order canceled and reassigned is sometimes the first and only indication to the appraiser that something fishy is going on, but some appraisers who abruptly stop receiving work from a client often don’t have to look far to figure out why. While “blacklisting” is sometimes more discreet, some appraisers actually have the real estate agent call them and tell them explicitly that they are going to actively prevent the appraiser from ever working on one of their transactions.

To read more, click here

My comments: Lender blacklisting has been around for decades. I remember when the blacklists were shared among lenders. Some appraisers said it was good to be on the blacklist of the not-so-ethical lenders.

Savvy AMCs (and lenders) often just don’t give the appraiser any more work. Putting an appraiser on a blacklist can be a big issue.

Good article with practical tips from Richard Hagar and the author.

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Interview with The “Millionaire Appraiser”

By on July 31, 2020   /   appraisal business, Fannie, humor, hybrid appraisals, Mortgage applications, unusual homes   /   Leave a comment
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Excerpt: How does one reach such a milestone? Terrence dropped out of school at what age? What advice can he offer to appraisers? These questions and much more will be answered by Terrence Bilodeau as he shares about his life’s journey and how he runs his business. The 23-minute Interview with The “Millionaire Appraiser”, Terrence Bilodeau, includes 2-minute introductory comments and a brief ad. Very good interview.

Read the appraiser comments below the video on the Vimeo website. (not many comments on Buzz web site).

Interview with The “Millionaire Appraiser”. I wrote about him in the June 19 issue of this email newsletter, using a recently published CNBC article. He was grossing $280,000 per year. It was very popular with my subscribers. Link to the article I used click here:

To read more, click here

My comment: This guy works way too hard!!

Which Appraisal Clients are used the most?(Opens in a new browser tab)

What Is An Appraiser?(Opens in a new browser tab) Humor

Which Appraisal Clients are used the most?(Opens in a new browser tab)

Appraisal Process Challenges(Opens in a new browser tab)

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