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Looking back on 25 years of the appraisal profession
Posted Date: Monday, November 17, 2014
A lot has changed in the appraisal profession in the 25 years since the Appraisal Standards Board and the Appraiser Qualifications Board first came on the scene. Keep reading to look back on how the boards in charge of both developing USPAP and setting the criteria for the licensing and certification of appraisers have grown over the years, and also to see what changes they’re looking to make in the near future.
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Finding a Sharper way to reconnect lenders, appraisers
Posted Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2014
A Web-based residential and commercial appraisal ordering software that enables lenders to manage their appraisal business through a double-blind ordering process could help reconnect appraisers directly with lenders for the first time in years.
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Appraised values often differ from Zillow’s home values
Posted Date: Monday, November 17, 2014
Apparently, you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet. A disconnect between home value estimates on Zillow’s website and actual market values determined by appraisers has caused some homebuyers and sellers to speak out against the validity of Zillow’s metrics. Keep reading for the details.
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College announces expansion of online appraisal courses
Posted Date: Monday, November 10, 2014
An Ohio-based provider of real estate education services announced Nov. 6 that its online appraisal pre-licensing courses now are being offered nationwide in 14 states, and that it plans to continue to add appraisal pre-licensing and continuing education offerings for more states across the U.S. Keep reading for the details.
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Appraisers now able to freely access home energy ratings
Posted Date: Monday, November 10, 2014
The national standards-making body for building energy efficiency rating and certification systems in the United States announced that it was making public its National Registry, which appraisers now can access for no cost to determine how “green” a house is. Keep reading to see how you can access the information database.
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BOA won’t relax lending standards, CEO says
Posted Date: Monday, November 17, 2014
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt made waves Oct. 20 when he announced Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be easing their mortgage standards to help less creditworthy borrowers enter the housing market; however, Brian Moynihan said Bank of America won’t be getting in on the action.
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Appraisers say home values trending up
Posted Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Home values across the country continue to go up, according to new appraisal data from October. Keep reading for the details.
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Raging Bull in fight over tax assessment
Posted Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Robert De Niro’s latest undertaking has him pitted as the bad guy against a sleepy New York town. Only this time, he’s not playing a role in a movie; he’s fighting the tax assessment on his palatial rural property in court. Keep reading to see why a $5 million discrepancy in appraised values has led some local residents to become miffed with the Academy Award winner.
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Appraiser fights charges of hacking competitor to undercut fees
Posted Date: Monday, November 10, 2014
An Idaho real estate appraiser took to court to fight charges from the state’s appraisal board that he hacked into a competitor’s computer bid system to undercut the firm and secure more business, violated USPAP, and completed other reports that were “substantially misleading.” Keep reading to see the details of the case.
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Appraisal software gets property data enhancement
Posted Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014
A Florida-based developer of desktop, mobile and Web tools for appraisers announced that its full range of products were getting enhanced through an integration of property data covering more than 130 million U.S. properties in all 50 states.
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VA chooses new appraisal review software
Posted Date: Monday, November 10, 2014
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will be implementing new appraisal review software to help manage and monitor the appraisal quality of the loans it accepts. Continue reading to see what new review tool the VA is bringing on board.
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Who wants to get ‘smart’?
Posted Date: Monday, November 17, 2014
A new survey of 2,437 consumers shows that smart home technology is catching on across the country. Keep reading to see what types of technology homeowners are opting for in today’s market.
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Integration to provide appraisal management solution for reverse mortgages
Posted Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014
A national provider of commercial and residential valuations, and a service provider dedicated to the reverse mortgage industry, announced an integrated partnership aimed at benefiting reverse mortgage lenders by handling all the heavy lifting as it relates to appraisal management. Continue reading to see which two companies are coming together.
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Housing markets returning to normal
Posted Date: Monday, November 10, 2014
Housing markets across the country continue to normalize, according to a newly released quarterly index. Keep reading to see what has industry experts expressing optimism for the future of housing.
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Castro details HUD plans to spark lending
Posted Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro detailed three ways HUD was working to create more certainty for lenders in the marketplace when he addressed the Mortgage Bankers Association annual convention last month. Read on to find out what those are and how they’re supposed to spark banks’ willingness to lend.
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Industry players announce integration
Posted Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2014
A software solutions provider to the appraisal management and mortgage lending industries announced a software integration with a provider of real estate collateral information technology to seamlessly facilitate the appraisal portion of the loan process. Keep reading for the details.
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