News By Edition

Will artificial intelligence (AI) replace appraisers?

The short answer is is “no,” according to Mark Buhler, a state licensed Certified Residential appraiser at CMP. We also discusses how appraisers assess condition and build quality in ways AVMs cannot.

Read on to learn more of what Buhler shared with us.

Our publication has been diving deep into the waters surrounding the hot topic currently within the appraisal profession: UAD 3.6.

Bryan Reynolds, partner at Appraiser eLearning, owner, partner at Legacy Appraisal and Consulting Group, LLC., owner, Reynolds & Associates and veteran appraiser concludes our series on the arrival of UAD 3.6, and how appraisers can prepare.

Read on to find out what Reynolds shared with us.

Valuable information for appraisers is now just a simple turn of the dial, or to be more modern from a technological standpoint, a quick click of the mouse.

Veros Real Estate Solutions/Valligent Chief Appraiser and Senior Vice President of Valuations Jeff Hogan is doing just that with a new program titled “ValTALK,” 

Read on to find out more about this program.

Restb.ai announced a new partnership with True Footage, which is a technology-driven appraisal and valuation company. The two companies plan to cut cut hours from the appraisal process by leveraging Restb.ai’s artificial intelligence-powered Condition & Quality scoring.

A survey conducted by Equipment Finance News discussed specific challenges facing the lending industry. Widespread compliance and operational challenges are among those challenges, while the survey also revealed 60 percent of lenders are struggling to keep pace with regulatory changes.

The Appraisal Institute (AI) recently announced that applications are now open for The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) PAREA (Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal) Scholarships.  scholarships provide full financial support for individuals pursuing either the Certified Residential or Licensed Residential appraiser classification. And with 42 Licensed Residential scholarships already awarded in 2025, this marks a major step forward in helping more candidates enter and advance in the profession.

In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), filed the case against Rocket Mortgage, appraisal management company Solidifi, lender/appraiser Maksym Mykhailyna, and his company, Maverick Appraisal Group in relationship to appraisal bias claims.

Rocket subsequently filed suit against HUD claiming the agency “unfairly” held Rocket accountable. U.S. District Court Judge Gordon Gallagher, though, is allowing an appraisal bias lawsuit brought against Rocket Mortgage to proceed, denying a motion to dismiss.

Read on for full details surrounding this legal matter.

As far as detailed documentation is concerned, what should appraisers focus on to minimize the need to appear in court?

Appraisers have many exploring opportunities when it comes to expanding their services beyond traditional mortgage appraisals.

Such areas would include specialized valuations, consulting and expert witness testimony. Appraisers have a lot of room to grow if they’re willing to step outside the box of mortgage lending work, according to Kevin Hecht, senior appraisal instructor, economist and content specialist from McKissock Learning.

Read on for more insights from Hecht.

Cotality's recent Loan Performance Indicators June report, indicated slight declines in delinquency revealing a 2.9 percent showing from 3 percent in 2024. 

“While the national delinquency rate inched up to 2.9 percent, it remains below December’s peak of 3.2 percent,” Cotality Senior Principal Economist Molly Boesel said.

Read on to learn more. 

In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development updated its Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, including 90 new or updated standards designed to increase the production of homes that were attractive to consumers, such as accessibility enhancements, among other things.

GridBase recently announced its integration with ICE Mortgage Technology regarding the advanced solution for Encompass using the latest Encompass Partner Connect. This framework helps industry participants integrate with ICE solutions and provide their services to loan originators and servicers through secure API-enabled technology, 

First American Data & Analytics, a division of First American Financial Corp., recently announced the launch of a new automated valuation model with nationwide coverage.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is working on a draft for proposal relating to rules mandating appraisal provisions for home and auto policies as directed by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)

The TDI sought comments, which were due on Oct. 6, on an informal draft of rules under Senate Bill 458 that would implement new Insurance Code Chapter 1813, which requires personal automobile and residential property insurance policies in Texas to include an appraisal provision.

Read on to learn more.

Megan Johnson Judd, co-owner and chief valuation officer of Metropolis Real Estate Solutions, discussed more challenges presented to her as she began her appraisal career.

In Part II of our feature story, Johnson Judd said in recent years, she has seen attitudinal shifts towards women appraisers.

Read on for the conclusion to this story.

Housing wealth slipped again in real terms, with July’s 1.7 percent national gain lagging the 2.7 percent rise in consumer prices, while 15 of 20 major metros fell month-to-month in July, underscoring broad cooling even during peak buying season, according to the Cotality S&P Dow Jones Indices report.

The U.S. National Index, the 20-city composite, and the 10-city composite continued to display growth with 1.7 percent, 1.8 percent, and 2.3 percent, respectively.

Read on to learn more.

Many Americans have been priced out of the housing market — mortgage rates are falling but remain more than double their pandemic low, while home prices continue to climb, albeit at a much slower pace than in recent years, according to Redfin. During the month of August, there was increased percentage of more sellers than buyers in the housing market.

Once again, our appraiser audience can get more advice on important matters to run a successful business.

For October, "The Appraiser Coach," Dustin Harris brings to everyone's attention two key messages from his blog posts “Fear versus Preparation” and “Replacing Yourself.”

Read on for the specifics of Harris' messages.

It seems it is becoming more difficult for individuals to purchase a home. The average mortgage interest rate has stayed above 6 percent on 30-year fixed mortgages during 2025 but has managed to dip lower for 15-year fixed loans. The personal finance website WalletHub examines such mortgage numbers in terms of states with its "The States Where Mortgage Interest Rates are Decreasing the Most" report.

Kelly (Pantis) Robinson is a respected technology leader in the MLS industry. Cotality recently announced the appointment of Robinson to the company's Real Estate Solutions team where she will lead a new department in Client Services. 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has urged the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development's (HUD) inspector general to investigate whistleblower claims that the agency leadership is undermining its statutory mission. In a Sept. 22 letter, Warren cited documents provided by employees in HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, accusing the Trump administration of engaging in systemic efforts to weaken the office’s ability to enforce federal fair housing and civil rights laws.

More additions are being made to the overall staff at JLL’s Value and Risk Advisory.

The company platform recently announced there will be a new executive director for the firm’s office based in Austin, Texas.

The primary responsibility for this director will be the focus on industrial property valuations primarily in the Texas and Southwest region. Read on to learn who this individual is.

RealReports and Restb.ai recently partnered bringing visual insights into MLS. First Multiple Listing Service, one of the largest and most AI- and data-first MLS organizations in the country, and MLS Now, Ohio’s largest multiple listing service, will be among the first to roll out this new technology to its members.

Property rights can be a contentious issue. But what happens when one of the parties claiming ownership of a piece of real estate is the federal government, regardless of legal precedents indicating otherwise? This is the saga George Foote, Esq., long-time general counsel at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), outlined in a recent "Keys to Real Estate" podcast hosted by October Research, LLC Chief Knowledge Officer Mary Schuster.