News By Edition

Some within the appraisal industry feel the guidelines appraisers must adhere to, as well as the intense regulatory environment; can be burdensome in today’s changing appraisal industry.

Is it time for USPAP to reflect emerging trends which are starting to impact on the use of conventional appraisal services?

Valuation Review spoke with Allstate Appraisal’s Steven S. Albert for his answer to that question, and others. Read on to find out what we were told.

Working with an Appraisal Institute (AI) designated member can benefit homeowners.

Such benefits are evident for homeowners who choose to appeal their property tax assessments. What, specifically must homeowners be aware of when it comes to making their appeals?

Read on to find out, and hear what the AI president had to say on this matter.

The American Society of Appraisers (ASA) is concerned.

The ASA was deeply disappointed to learn that federal banking agencies rejected a request by numerous groups – including ASA – to hold a public hearing regarding the proposed increase in the residential appraisal threshold to $400,000.

Read on to learn more and hear from both the ASA international president and the agencies on this matter.

Appraising energy and transportation corridors presents special challenges for real property valuation professionals.

This is according to a new book published by the Appraisal Institute, the Appraisal Institute of Canada and the International Right of Way Association.

Read on to learn more.

CBRE Group, Inc. announced the acquisition of Florida Valuation Group, Inc.

This is a commercial real estate appraisal firm that specializes in right-of-way appraisal and litigation support related to eminent domain proceedings across Florida and the Southeast.

Read on to learn more about the acquisition.

LRES Corp. recently announced Peter Lutz as its vice-president, national sales manager.  Read on to find out more about this appointment and what it means for the company moving forward.

CoreLogic recently announced that The Columbia Institute and Mortgage Bankers Association Education have joined forces to deliver a group of comprehensive courses specifically designed for lenders. Read on to learn more.

There is more expansion within the BBG ranks.

The commercial appraisal company continues its growth with the opening of an office in Philadelphia, further expanding its presence in the Northeast.

Read on to learn more.

Although the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was closed for most of January because of the government shutdown, the percentage of SBA loan approvals dropped by just 1 percent in January at regional and community banks, which process a sizable percentage of the government-backed loans. Read on to learn more.

Consolidated Analytics announced its acquisition of Carrington Property Services.

The transaction, which was finalized Feb. 1, broadens Consolidated Analytics’ scope of services and enhances its value proposition to its lender, GSE, servicer and capital markets clients.

Read on to learn more about this key industry acquisition. 

Anow announced a partnership with an appraisal organization.

The company has joined forces with the American Society of Appraisers giving members a significant discount off Anow’s core appraisal office management platform.

Read on to learn more.

Fountainhead Commercial Capital announced the non-bank finance company will begin offering Small Business Administration 7(a) Program loans to small businesses throughout the United States. Read on to learn more.

Ginnie Mae recently announced it has taken action against loanDepot on grounds that its prepayment speeds on Veterans Affairs loans did not conform to the industry averages. Read on to learn more.

CoreLogic, Inc. filed a lawsuit about an alleged hacking into a property information database it sells called “Risk Meter,” sold primarily to insurers. 

Hackers broke in and apparently stole the data as well as user information.

Read on to learn more about the suit.

According to Freddie Mac’s February Forecast, the mortgage market is expected to see modest growth in 2019 buoyed by lower mortgage interest rates. Read on to learn more from this report.

Although only a minority of Americans say they are “very likely” to recommend their bank, they tend to stay with them out of convenience and trust, according to respondents who participated in Fannie Mae’s third quarter 2018 National Housing Survey. Read on to learn more.

Accurate Group announced the next generation of its ValueNet technology suite, which is designed to give banks, credit unions and mortgage lenders a faster, less-costly alternative to traditional residential appraisals. Read on to learn more.

The Appraisal Institute (AI) and Freddie Mac recently announced a partnership targeted to help real estate appraisers.

The assistance will come by way of valuing manufactured housing, meeting an important need for homebuyers, lenders, appraisers and homebuilders, according to a release posted on the AI website.

Read on to learn more.

CoreLogic reported its financial results for the quarter and year ending Dec. 31, 2018, the company announced. Read on to learn all of the numbers and the impact such statistics will have moving forward.

The Federal Housing Administration recently issued Mortgagee Letter 2019-01 (ML 19-01), providing new guidance to FHA-approved mortgagees regarding the use of Third Party Verification (TPV) services. Read on to learn more.

Mortgage technology provider SharperLending, LLC announced an expansion to its Verisite mobile-based property inspection product. Read on to find out how this will expedite matters for the lender.

Valuation Review continues its conversation with GeoData Plus President Erik Wind, who emphasizes when it comes to the determining of a home’s value, it all comes down to the scope of work.

Wind discusses a few other things appraisers may need to know pertaining to tax assessments.

Read Part II to find out more.

Class Valuation announced that they have made an equity investment in and are partnering with InsideMaps, a technology company using computer vision to lead innovation within the valuation and mortgage space. Read on to learn more.

Millennial homebuyers took advantage of slightly lower interest rates in January to refinance their mortgages. Refinances by millennial borrowers accounted for 13 percent of all closed loans, the highest percentage since February 2018, according to the latest Ellie Mae Millennial Tracker. Read on to learn more from this report.

BSI Financial Services announced that it has partnered with two institutional investors to purchase mortgage servicing rights. Read on to learn more.

The Appraisal Foundation reminded potential candidates that applications for the Board of Trustees are due March 25. Read on for more details.

LandMark White, one of the largest appraisal firms in Australia, had a data breach where thousands of appraisals were spilled onto the Internet.

Such a breach can destroy appraisal businesses and AMCs, making this matter highly relevant in that such an electronic mishap can easily find its way towards American companies.

Read on for all the details.

BBG continues to expand its staff.

The company announced that a respected industry veteran has joined the team as executive managing director.

Read on to find out who gets the appointment of this commercial real estate company.

Valuation Review, in Part II of its story featuring Allstate Appraisal’s Steven S. Albert, discusses the potential impact of regulatory changes on the profession.

Albert also addressed more challenges to those entering the industry and opportunities as an expert witness.

Read on for the conclusion of this story.

Chicago’s Palmer House-Hilton Hotel will be the site of the 2019 spring Valuation Expo event to be held March 18-20.

Valuation Review will be in attendance to bring you all the news, including live updates by way of social media.

Read on for a brief preview of what conference attendees can expect to hear.

LendingQB announced the addition of its new non-QM toolkit for both its originator portals within LendingQB that now streamlines the non-QM loan pricing, eligibility and submission workflow for originators. Read on to learn more.

The Federal Housing Administration will be conducting a pair of April appraisal training sessions in Denver. Read on for more information and to register for these events.