News By Edition

In his presentation at the 2022 National Association of Appraisers Conference and Trade Show in South Carolina, “Why Do We Say What We Say: Rethinking the URAR,” Class Valuation Chief Appraiser John Dingeman shared areas of concern appraisers should take note of regarding the report.

In particular, the terminology used (written) can make all the difference.

Read on for more details.

The Appraisal Institute (AI) is celebrating 90 years of service, and Valuation Review reached out to the organization’s president for reflection.

AI believes it has served the profession of appraising well and clearly has stood the test of time.

Read on to learn more fun facts about the organization. 

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), Inc. a provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure, recently announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Black Knight, Inc.

The cash and stock transaction values Black Knight at $85 per share, or a market value of $13.1 billion, and builds on ICE’s position as a provider of end-to-end electronic workflow solutions for the rapidly evolving U.S. residential mortgage industry.

Read on for more details about this key industry acquisition.

Do appraisers feel safer in homes two years after the arrival of COVID-19 and what will be the mindset of homeowners concerning their health security when appraisers arrive at their doors?

Valuation Review obtained some answers to these questions from selected industry veterans.

Read on to learn what we found out.

Valuation Review sought the insights from appraisal professional leaders as to outsourcing the scheduling and inspection to third-party inspectors where appraisers can dedicate more time to perform an analytical oriented appraisal report.

This is not only enhancing appraisers work but is also increasing their work’s relevance by reinventing their approach with the use of real estate analytics and with the help of artificial intelligence.

Read on for more insight.

BBG recently appointed nationally recognized technology authority Blake Holman as chief information officer.

In his new role, Holman will be leading BBG’s efforts to continuously improve the firm’s state-of-the-art information technology infrastructure underpinning BBG’s business.

Read on for more details.

Valuation Review reached out to Cushman & Wakefield marketing experts Jacob Albers and David Bitner, who shared insight from their report “Green Is Good Part 3: Sustainability’s Impact on Multifamily Performance.”

LEED-certified buildings and properties were just two areas of emphasis in this analysis.

Read on for more information.

According to the S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) and CoreLogic report, home prices continued their upward spiral in February.

Year-over-year, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price NSA Index, covering all nine U.S. census divisions, reported a 19.8 percent annual gain in February, up from 19.1 percent in the previous month.

Read on for more details from this report.

The Credit Union National Association CUNA Senior Director of Advocacy and Council Elizabeth Sullivan recently spoke at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Government National Mortgage Association listening session. The discussion centered on the re-proposed eligibility requirements for both agencies.

CBC Mortgage Agency, a nationally chartered housing finance agency and a leading source of down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, announced that Tai Christensen, the company’s director of government affairs and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer, has been named chair of the American Mortgage Diversity Council (AMDC). Christensen, who succeeds outgoing chair Lola Oyewole, will lead the Dallas-based organization’s efforts to promote DEI throughout the mortgage industry.

Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The survey showed the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.11 percent.

Total commercial and multi-family mortgage borrowing, and lending is expected to hold steady at a projected $895 billion in 2022. This is roughly in line with 2021 totals ($891 billion), according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Redwood Trust, Inc. providing access to housing for homebuyers and renters, recently said it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Riverbend Funding, LLC and its subsidiaries (“Riverbend”), a private mortgage lender to residential transitional and commercial real estate investors, in an all-cash transaction.

Trinity Real Estate Solutions, a nationwide provider of draw inspections, construction loan administration solutions, field services and appraisal services, recently launched a floor plan sketching solution. This solution captures high-fidelity floor plans with ANSI-aligned standards for calculating digital gross living area, high resolution photos and a pdf-based home report, all via a mobile device.

Valuation Review concludes its coverage of appraisal report writing from the 2022 National Association of Appraisers Conference and Trade Show (ACTS) in South Carolina.

Certified General Appraiser (North Carolina and Texas) and Certified Residential Appraiser (Louisiana) Diana Jacob gives us more insight as to what appraisers can expect when reports are written and ultimately turned in.

Read on for more information.

Attendees at the 18th annual National Settlement Services Summit (NS3) in Orlando, Fla., June 1-3, are in for a real treat.

NBA Hall-of-Famer and successful businessman Rick Barry will take center stage to deliver the keynote address.

Read on for a brief preview and more background regarding Barry.

The CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights report through February 2022 showed 3.2 percent of mortgages were delinquent by at least 30 days or more including those in foreclosure.

This represents a 2.5-percentage point decrease in the overall delinquency rate compared with February 2021.

Read on to learn more.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency earlier announced that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require lenders to use the Supplemental Consumer Information Form (SCIF) as part of the application process for loans that will be sold to Fannie and Freddie. The purpose of the SCIF is to collect information about the borrower's language preference.

Greystone, a national commercial real estate finance company, recently provided a $49,680,000 HUD 223(f) loan to refinance a 360-unit multifamily property in San Antonio, Texas. The financing was originated by Greystone Director Reuben Dolny, on behalf of The Bascom Group, a repeat client of the firm.

Staircase, the company building an integrated, digital infrastructure to accelerate tech-enabled mortgages, has launched three tools to facilitate the transfer of mortgage servicing rights. These are transfers between mortgage lenders, servicers and investors.