Newz: ANSI and UAD 3.6, Trainee Inside the Fast and Cheap Model
February 13, 2026
What’s in This Newsletter (In Order, Scroll Down)
- LIA AD: Buyer Wants Lower Price to Negotiate
- ANSI Z765 and the New UAD 3.6: What Appraisers Need to Know
- New York Lumber Baron’s Private Island Retreat Hits the Market for $2.7 Million—With a Historic 8-Bedroom Mansion
- We Will Always Need Appraisers: Josh Walitt on Valuation, Technology, and Adaptability By Isaac Peck, Publisher WorkingRE
- MY AD: What is new in the New URAR. List of data requests for each page of UAD 3.6 SFR report.
- The Trainee Inside the Fast and Cheap Model
- The Ethics of Credibility in Real Estate Appraisal By Timothy Andersen, MAI
- MBA: Mortgage applications decreased 0.3 percent from one week earlier
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ANSI Z765 and the New UAD 3.6: What Appraisers Need to Know
Excerpts:
Why ANSI Z765 Matters More Under UAD 3.6
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have both adopted ANSI Z765 as the standard for measuring one-unit detached and attached dwellings. For years, ANSI shaped how appraisers calculated gross living area, but measurement practices still varied from one professional to another. Under the new UAD 3.6 framework, those differences matter more because:
The URAR now breaks out finished area by level, making ANSI designations part of the form structure.
Lenders run automated checks that compare the sketch, GLA figures, and room-level data for consistency.
Any mismatch can trigger a revision request, a CU warning, or a QC hold.
In short, ANSI is no longer just a best practice. It’s now deeply connected to how the form captures data and how lenders review appraisals.
Core ANSI Rules that Every Appraiser Must Apply
ANSI Z765 is the national standard for measuring single-family homes. Appraisers must follow the standard in full when required by the assignment. Key elements include:
Above-Grade vs. Below-Grade
A basement is any area partially or fully below grade, regardless of finish. Even if it includes high-quality living space, it must be reported as below-grade finished area, not GLA.
Ceiling Height Requirements….
To read more, Click Here
My comments: Good review of ANSI standards and how they change with UAD 3.6
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New York Lumber Baron’s Private Island Retreat Hits the Market for $2.7 Million—With a Historic 8-Bedroom Mansion
Excerpts: 8 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, 9,112 sq.ft., 0.5 acre lot, Built in 1905
Longue Vue Island is in Alexandria Bay on the St. Lawrence River and is understood to be one of the only artificial islands in the state of New York.
The island, which has also been known as Rosette Island and Artificial Island over the years, is home to a stunning eight-bedroom mansion and detached boathouse that were built for its original owner, Hudson Rose, a businessman who specialized in the lumber trade.
The home was designed by the architects Barney & Chapman in 1905. The grand arts & craft home features 8BR/6.5BA, gorgeous white cabinetry with island, stainless steel appliances, formal dining and spacious living room with detailed woodwork, fireplace, hardwood floors and enclosed stone porch that surrounds the first floor. As you leave the first floor, the grand original staircase leads to the second & third floor. Also features an amazing 3-slip deep-water boathouse that can accommodate 4 -6 boats with living quarters above. The upstairs above the boathouse has a wet bar, game room, beautiful wainscotting & hardwood floors throughout, 1BR/1.5 BA and living room.
To see the listing with an aerial view, virtual tour and 49 photos, Click Here
My comments: I have lived on a developed island in San Francisco Bay for the past 40 years. I love my Island of Alameda and will never leave! Of course I am always interested in other islands. What we say is “I hate to leave the island!”
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We Will Always Need Appraisers: Josh Walitt on Valuation, Technology, and Adaptability
By Isaac Peck, Publisher WorkingRE
Excerpts: To thrive in today’s appraisal landscape, adaptability matters more than ever. Markets shift, technology evolves, and clients’ needs change. Appraisers who recognize the versatility of their valuation skills—beyond traditional lender work—are better positioned to diversify, grow, and remain relevant in a changing industry.
Joshua Walitt is the very picture of adaptability and change. Originally a banker, Walitt did a mid-career jump into appraising after realizing that banking wasn’t for him. Since making that choice, Walitt hasn’t just followed his industry; he has set the pace for it.
Walitt has become a sought-after expert on compliance, real estate, and valuation, as well as a reviewer, a national speaker, an educator, and an expert witness. His company, Walitt Solutions, provides consulting services to lenders, appraisers, management companies, technology companies, education providers, and regulators.
Technology and Diversification
When I asked Walitt what the future of appraising looks like, he did not hesitate. “Technology,” he answered. “I don’t know any way around giving an answer without technology coming into it. We’ve had inspection apps for decades. But I think now, the importance of learning and using those is really coming to the forefront. A lot more data collection will be necessary for appraisers. Technology is forcing us to change. We’ll see a lot more velocity, consistency, and repeatability. And not just in the inspection,” he said.
The Future of Residential Valuation
With a wide network of videos, blog posts, and human contacts, Walitt is a presence across the entire appraisal profession. Living in Colorado, he has also served on a local Board of Equalization, resolving disputes between homeowners and assessors. All of this human contact has given Walitt a different view of the future than those who see incoming technologies as more disruptive than constructive. He believes that so long as there is property, people will need human valuation experts.
Walitt told me he was “optimistic about the future of the valuation profession. There’s always a need to know how much a property is worth. At this point in time, we don’t have machines that can replace human judgment, we’ve got a good place for it. With technology, it will look different. Think about the two-minute checkup from your dentist or going to the optometrist and someone remotes in to control the equipment that works on your eyes. We never imagined that we would have that technology, but we do. It’s becoming different, and it will be different,” he said.
To read more, Click Here
My comments: I have been following Walitt for quite a while. Good to know more about him and what he thinks.
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What is new in the New URAR. List of data requests for each page of UAD 3.6 SFR report.
In the June, 1925 issue of Appraisal Today
Excerpts:
Page 3
Property Access – Search F-1 for full list
Zoning
Compliance
Classification Code
Classification Description
Property use
The type(s) of non-residential use observed on the property.
Agricultural
Commercial (e.g., retail, day care, elder care, beauty or barber shop, doctor’s
office) Industrial
Other (Describe)
Non-Residential Property Use
Hazard Zone
Property Restrictions
Easements
Encroachments
Site Characteristics (Example: topography, rolling, adverse impact
Site features and impact to value/marketability
The Site Features table provides information about relevant site factors that may impact the value and marketability of the property
Site influence
Many are listed plus details required (proximity, impact). Search in F-1
3 examples: agricultural, body of water, busy roadway
Impact classification is requested on some data, in many
categories-influence: Proximity, Impact, Comment
Adverse
The market reaction has a negative impact on the property’s value or marketability.
Beneficial
The market reaction has a positive impact on the property’s value or marketability.
Neutral
No measurable market impact on the property’s value or marketability.
Note: Neutral does not mean equal to other properties. For example, if the
subject and all comparables have the same view, that does not necessarily mean that Impact is Neutral.
Utilities
The appraiser must indicate whether each of the following utilities are connected to the site, and whether the utility is public or private.
Electricity
Gas
Sanitary Sewer
Water
Other (Describe) – if applicable
Broadband Internet
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The Trainee Inside the Fast and Cheap Model
The trainee walked into a job expecting mentorship and instead found a crash course in misconduct.
Excerpts: There is a widening gap in this industry between the people who actually protect the public trust and the people who only talk about it. A recent Reddit post from a Georgia trainee captured that gap with uncomfortable clarity. Not because his experience was unusual, but because it showed exactly what happens when the demand for fast and cheap collides with a profession built on accuracy, accountability, and real judgment.
The trainee described a year of being sent out alone to inspect properties, told to introduce himself using the name of a licensed appraiser who was never present, instructed to drop that person’s license into the file, and discouraged from adding supervisor details because the supervisor did not actually supervise. His so called trainer lived in another state, ignored most of his questions, and only appeared long enough to nitpick minor clerical issues. After twelve months, he could measure a house with precision, but no one had walked him through developing a sales comparison grid, reconciling approaches, or completing a report from start to finish. He was not being trained. He was being used.
And then came the comment that exposed the ecosystem. An appraiser described a local AMC that sends trainees out to inspect because they are cheap, fast, and most importantly invisible to the client. Many lenders do not allow trainee inspections, so instead of disclosing the truth, the AMC buries the trainee’s role behind a vague line in the addendum about a clerical administrative assistant who aids in X, Y, Z. The licensed appraiser signs the report, collects the fee, and keeps the volume flowing, while the trainee gets a small cut and a log of hours that will not lead to competency because no one is training them beyond measuring and sketching.
To read more plus 23+ appraiser comments, Click Here
My comments: This is what happened when licensing started in the 1990s. A licensed appraiser hired trainees and did not teach them how to appraise. Required classes offered by proprietary schools taught trainees how to pass the exam. A generation of appraisers had inadequate or no training and poor classes. It is not their fault.
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The Ethics of Credibility in Real Estate Appraisal
By Timothy Andersen, MAI, MSc., CDEI, MNAA
Excerpts:
The Nature of Credibility
Credibility has many definitions. In real estate appraisal, the definition that matters most is USPAP’s: “…worthy of belief.”
In this article, I’ll demonstrate why credibility is more than just a guide for creating a quality work product. It’s also an ethical obligation to clients, and the cornerstone of public trust in our profession. And I’ll outline the fundamental characteristics of credible appraisal reports: They should be clear, unambiguous, precise, concise, and grounded in logic and epistemic responsibility. (I’ll explain that last term later in the piece.)
Clarity
For appraisals to be credible and appraisal reports non-misleading, appraisers must communicate their reasoning and conclusions clearly. Jargon, overuse of boilerplate, convoluted sentences, internal inconsistencies, and vague language are the enemies of clarity.
The Ethical Imperative to Improve
The ethics of credibility demand more than technical competence and “my 20 years of experience.” They require a steadfast commitment to clarity, accuracy, sound logic, and rigorous intellectual honesty.
Credibility isn’t a static trait; it requires ongoing effort. We can always improve our writing, analytical skills, and ethical awareness. And we don’t have to do this alone in our offices. Professional organizations, workshops, peer networks, state appraisal coalition meetings, and national conventions are there to help us refine these abilities.
Ethical and competent real estate appraisers have a duty to produce appraisals that inspire trust and reports that are transparent, easy to understand, and not misleading. Appraisal reports have far-reaching implications. They influence financial decisions, impact communities, and shape perceptions of our profession. By committing to the ethical principle of credibility and all that it encompasses, we as appraisers can uphold the integrity of our profession, ensure its long-term success, and, as USPAP’s Preamble urges, “promote and maintain a high level of public trust in appraisal practice.”
To read more, Click Here
My comments: Well written and worth reading. We often get caught up in producing appraisals and can forget what it all means.
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HOW TO USE THE NUMBERS BELOW. Appraisals are ordered after the loan application. These numbers tell you the future for the next few weeks. For more information on how they are compiled, Click Here.
Note: I publish a graph of this data every month in my paid monthly newsletter, Appraisal Today. For more information or get a FREE sample go to www.appraisaltoday.com/order Or call 510-865-8041, MTW, 7 AM to noon, Pacific time.
My comments: Rates are going up and down. We are all waiting for rates to drop lower in 2026.
Mortgage applications decreased 0.3 percent from one week earlier
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 11, 2026) — Mortgage applications decreased 0.3 percent from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 6, 2026.
The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 2 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index increased 1 percent from the previous week and was 101 percent higher than the same week one year ago. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 2 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index increased 4 percent compared with the previous week and was 4 percent higher than the same week one year ago.
“Mortgage applications were relatively flat over the week, but it was a mixed bag for the different loan types. The 30-year fixed rate was unchanged at 6.21 percent, and conventional applications declined for both purchases and refinances as borrowers held out for another drop in rates or shifted to other loan types,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s Vice President and Deputy Chief Economist. “FHA purchase and refinance applications increased, helped partially by the FHA rate declining and remaining 20 basis points lower than the conforming 30-year fixed rate.”
Added Kan, “Borrowers are increasingly utilizing FHA loans as affordability challenges remain, despite recent improvements. Similarly, the ARM share increased to a seven-week high with ARM rates almost a percentage point lower than fixed rates.”
The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 56.4 percent of total applications from 57.1 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity increased to 8.0 percent of total applications.
The FHA share of total applications increased to 18.4 percent from 17.8 percent the week prior. The VA share of total applications increased to 16.0 percent from 15.8 percent the week prior. The USDA share of total applications remained unchanged at 0.4 percent from the week prior.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($832,750 or less) remained unchanged at 6.21 percent, with points remaining unchanged at 0.56 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $832,750) decreased to 6.30 percent from 6.32 percent, with points remaining unchanged at 0.34 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA decreased to 6.01 percent from 6.04 percent, with points increasing to 0.68 from 0.67 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages increased to 5.65 percent from 5.61 percent, with points increasing to 0.68 from 0.63 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective rate increased from last week.
The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to 5.33 percent from 5.37 percent, with points increasing to 0.67 from 0.58 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent LTV loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.
The survey covers U.S. closed-end residential mortgage applications originated through retail and consumer direct channels. The survey has been conducted weekly since 1990. Respondents include mortgage bankers, commercial banks, thrifts, and credit unions. Base period and value for all indexes is March 16, 1990=100.
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Ann O’Rourke, MAI, SRA, MBA
Appraiser and Publisher Appraisal Today
1826 Clement Ave. Suite 203 Alameda, CA 94501
Phone: 510-865-8041
Email: ann@appraisaltoday.com
Online: www.appraisaltoday.com
Cosmetic vs. MPR Repairs: Guidance for FHA Appraisers
