Energy efficient homes can provide numerous benefits to homeowners, including lower energy costs, improved comfort and reduced pollution. Lenders who issue loans on high-efficiency properties can also see great returns.
While homeowners and lenders can benefit from energy efficient properties, appraisers can help make the case for green appraisal value.
For a country boy who lives nowhere near a major airport, I do a fair amount of traveling. Sometimes, it can be quite the process to get me from my little cowtown in Idaho to a major city for a workshop or conference, but I keep doing it. My state requires 15 hours of Continuing Education (CE) per year. All of that can be taken online. So, why do I travel to so many big cities for education when it is not required? It is not for the CE credits—I can tell you that! Let me give you several reasons why I make the journey:
There are a lot of issues facing the appraisal industry right now. And to anyone that's been in this industry – whether you're an appraiser, software vendor, lender, AMC, E&O insurer, or other industry participant – that's nothing new. It's also nothing new that a la mode supports appraisers and appraisal organizations, and we're taking it a step further through our new Community Partnerships Program that I am in charge of developing. You can find more info about it here: www.alamode.com/community.
Editors Note: Recently appraisersblogs.com posted an article from Bill Smolen, a New York State Appraiser, about some positive developments in some of our states on behalf of appraisers. We thought it was worth sharing.
Howard Beale was my hero. In one of my favorite movies, "Network", filmed in 1976, Beale, a TV anchor on a network with awful ratings, went for broke. Some considered his rants those of a lunatic. Others found truth and clarity in his message.
This summer will be the 15th occurrence of Valuation Expo. It is the biggest appraisal conference in the nation. This is the place to be for anyone in the industry. In honor of that we have put together 15 reasons why you should come to Valuation Expo in Las Vegas!
Most everyone has experienced a slowdown recently. Some of us over the last few months, some longer. Volume in the marketplace being where it is, the basic economic theory of supply and demand comes to mind. In the summer of 2013 we were all very busy. Appraisers had the ability to dictate fees, to a certain extent, and often commanded much higher fees. Now that volume has dropped, AMCs and lenders are leveraging what work there is so that appraisers are willing to take a much lower fee for their services.
Editor’s note: We are passing along this information to our subscribers who need help from recent tornadoes in the Midwest and South. a la mode will donate supplies, financial relief, and more to affected families in these areas. If you or someone you know in the industry needs assistance keep reading for more information.
I was cruising the showroom of the Valuation Expo a few years ago and had an interesting run-in with a few appraisers who happened to be brothers. They had just attended one of the many presentations and had some strong opinions of what they heard. "Can you believe that guy stood up there and told me what I should or should not wear on an appraisal inspection? I mean, if I live in North Dakota, I am going to wear cowboy boots and if I live in Hawaii, I am going to be sporting flip-flops.
Today, April 23rd, Allterra Group is hosting a free webinar on appraiser independence and the best practices to use when communicating. What are the limits of communication for real estate appraisers, when interacting with borrowers, listing agents, selling agents, buyers, sellers, clients or even AMCs? Recent laws and regulations concerning appraiser independence appear to have put restraints on the type of information that can be communicated to or from appraisers. Is appraiser independence compromised if the appraiser has any communication with REALTORS ® or borrowers?
