Real Estate Appraiser Tips » Appraiser Podcasts

Home Appraiser Blogging Tip: Use Fotobabble.com To Add Voice Descriptions To Your Photos

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:37:02 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ – Home Appraiser Blogging Tip: Use Fotobabble.com To Add Voice Descriptions To Your Photos.

This past weekend, I had some extra time to spend online and discovered a way to enhance my blog reader’s experience by adding “voice” to my images or photos. See my attempt below with the housing chart. It’s very simple to use and I think you have about 30 seconds to record your description. Once created, it’s very easy to share your fotobabble on your blog via embed code and or share on sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc..

Appraisers: When are Usual and Customary Fees applicable to our assignments? Answer Is July 22, 2010

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:46:36 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ – Appraisers: When are Usual and Customary Fees applicable to our assignments? The Answer Is July 22, 2010 According To Washington Appraiser, Dave Towne.

Dave Towne has been burning the “mid-night oil” for appraisers, posting this email to me at 1:10am this morning. Enjoy! Below, Bill McKnight and Tinna Morlatt discuss this topic.

Appraisers…….

I spent time Wednesday discussing the Dodd-Frank law, and the “Usual and Customary Fee” mandate within it, with an experienced appraiser on the east coast. Also Wednesday, two e-mails arrived which ask appraisers to fill out a ‘fee survey.’

The basic question is ‘when are Usual and Customary Fees’ applicable to our assignments? The actual answer is July 22, the day after the President signed the bill. That fee implementation language is contained in the bill and is separate from Appraisal Independence issues that regulators will define up to 90 days later.

Some people are under the impression that there is a 90 day waiting period before fee implementation. In my opinion, that is incorrect, because the ‘up to 90 days’ as mentioned in the bill applies to the Appraisal Independence aspects of appraisal ordering only, not to fees. It is designed to allow the new “Bureau” time to write and distribute their new Interim Final Regulations (which is an oxymoron!) concerning independence issues. Those probably will be very similar to FIRREA, HVCC, FHA, and other regulators’ policies.

So what are “Usual and Customary Fees?” The answer: It Depends. There is NO one mandated fee that must be charged by the appraiser. “U&C” fees vary by region, and frankly, between appraisers in the same region.

The bill does say that “U&C” fees “may” be based on ‘evidence…established by objective third-party information, such as government agency fee schedules, academic studies, and independent private sector surveys. Fee studies SHALL EXCLUDE assignments ordered by known appraisal management companies.’ The bill says ‘lenders and agents SHALL compensate fee appraisers at a rate that is customary and reasonable….in the market area…’ Complex assignments can have a higher fee than a typical basic assignment based on difficulty and additional scope of work requirements.

So, in my opinion, appraisers are free to consult various fee schedules, and decide for themselves what they will charge any client for a particular service. But I will tell you (from personal experience since July 22) that AMC’s are still ‘shopping’ appraisers to find the lowest fee.

For 20+ years, the agent business model for assignment fees has been ‘mandated’ by lender agents – for those assignments in which an agent is involved. In effect, it’s been price fixing, which is illegal. But nobody had the gonads (or desire) to seriously challenge this, and individual appraisers were powerless to reject it if they wanted to continue working for particular lenders who were using agents. Now, with the Dodd-Frank law, that model has been overturned. And with it, if the agent or lender refuses to pay a “U&C” fee to the appraiser, they can be heavily fined.

As a result of this legislation, agents and lenders are renegotiating their contracts now, anticipating that appraisers will begin asking for fees more in line with what they would normally charge local clients that don’t use agents for order placement.

There are currently two ways to research “U&C” fees in your area…VA fee tables and the alamode anonymous survey for the entire country, broken out by county.

Two other established companies are also attempting to collect fee info. One is entirely anonymous, but based on an entire state only. The other is designed to collect contact info of the survey participant and you cannot fill out the fee survey until you provide contact info….but the survey drills down to the county level in each state and includes several different report types. I don’t appreciate this data collection aspect used to promote the sponsoring company. You can decide for yourself how accurate of required contact info you want to provide, but it may be interesting to see what kind of fee data they obtain. The other aspect of this survey is a ‘subscription’ feature which will allow lenders and agents to gain access to the data……..and possibly the contact info of the survey participants who provide the fee data. That makes me very uncomfortable.

Dave Towne
Towne Appraisals
Mount Vernon, WA
360-708-1196
&
Appraiser Education Service

CA Appraiser, Rick Solis, Podcast Interview About HVCC

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:36:41 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Real Estate Appraiser Tips! CA Appraiser, Rick Solis, Podcast Interview About HVCC

Rick Solis, CA Appraiser, is interviewed about many topics including HVCC @ http://www.thenorrisgroup.com/blog/radio/176-tng-radio-rick-solis-5-29-10/

About Rick Solis

Rick is the senior appraiser at Ace Appraisals. Rick has been a full time real estate appraiser since 1989 and a HUD approved appraiser since 1993. He has extensive investor and appraisal experience in residential real estate in the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange County areas.

Rick does most of the appraisals for The Norris Group’s hard money divisions and also speaks at The Norris Group’s REO Boot Camp.

Ace Appraisals
Certified Residential Appraisers
500 W. Bonita Avenue, Suite #26
San Dimas, CA 91773
Phone: 909-394-0950
Fax: 909-394-1714

http://www.aceappraisals.com/

The Top Eight Real Estate Appraisal Blogs

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:53:59 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Real Estate Appraiser Tips! The Eight Real Estate Appraisal Related Blogs I Read Consistently, Recommend!

I’m excited to present to you the eight free blogs I tend to visit the most in 2010. These are updated online publications, not newsletters like Ann O’Rourke’s awesome weekly emails.

Not Exactly A Ratings Game! I honestly did not want to get into a ratings game but then again, I want to try to point out those that are working the hardest to bring value to their readers. And, if you know me, you know that I’m not really into “news”. I don’t read the newspaper nor do I visit CNN because I don’t want that negative bombardment in my mind daily. There are several great Appraiser News blogs out there that serve appraisers in an outstanding fashion. But, news is not what Real Estate Appraiser Tips is just about – it’s just not me. I like video communication, marketing tips and tech tips, so I frequent those blogs more often. And, if you ask 10 other appraisers their favorite blogs, I’m sure you’d get a list entirely different. See comment below regarding the Appraiser Law Blog, which several appraisers have recommended to me.

There’s Professional Blog of Organizations…And Semi Pro Blogs Of Appraisers Making It Happen On A Daily Basis….And I like both. My Top 8 are blogs I personally visit most frequently and I really like to see and read what “local” appraisal blogs are doing more than national blogs focused on news. I like to read about appraisers in action and taking action versus news and issues. The news and issues will always be there….what I and we can learn about those appraisers making it happen online, connecting to their local audience, is exciting to me. There are brilliant appraisers now blogging and I learn from them each week. Some of them are so creative as compared to my less than creative self. They help me with ideas to blog about and so many times each month I find myself saying, “I never thought of blogging about that or this way!”.

And, none of the blogs on the list below are my own blogging clients, to avoid self promotion!

NOTE: ALL OF THESE BLOG WRITERS ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO OBTAIN THE MOST IMPORTANT CREDENTIAL NEEDED IN 2010 – TRUST AGENT IDENTITIES. SOME HAVE OWNED THIS REPUTATION FOR YEARS. The most important page on Tips and the most important message on my site is the 2010 Theme: Becoming Your Market’s Local Trust Agent! Click on each Blog Image to visit their sites.

1.) Ryan Lundquist – Sacramento Appraisal Blog

I don’t know any appraiser that works harder on their blog than Ryan does! And, Ryan is so well connected to his community that they are on his blog monthly! From Project 680 collecting socks for the homeless to his bike riding videos, he’s all about his community. If there’s an example of an appraiser trust agent in a U.S. local market, it’s Ryan! It’s not all about “Ryan”, but about others. And, he takes the time to comment on other blogs as well, helping them rank better. In the words of Gary Vaynerchuk, Ryan is “Crushing It” in 2010!

2.) John C. Jones, Real Estate Broker & Video Marketer.

His Right Hand Man, Rob Janson (aka Peanut), has produced over 100 videos on Viddler . John is the example of what a trust agent should be and he consistently communicates that message almost every Tuesday morning on video.

3.) Brian Davis and Appraisal Scoop Blog.

I don’t know of any other practicing appraiser in the U.S. that gives more to appraisers on a weekly basis than Brian Davis. He’s been helping appraisers for years with the marketing, tips and news. I’d like every appraiser reading this to go visit Appraisal Scoop, read the top post and leave a comment on the blog. Then, I’m asking you to personally email Brian Davis at bjdavis@ourappraisal.com and thank him for all that he does for us.

4.) Appraiser Active Blog.

When I think of Florida Appraiser Frank Gregoire, I think of the words “Spirited” and “Passionate”. Frank is busy in Florida fighting a good fight for appraisers nationally on his blog and keeping us updated of legislation and AMC actions that don’t favor appraisers. I’d like every appraiser reading this to go visit Appraiser Active and send Frank a thank you email for all that he does for us.

5.) Bryan McDonald and REBliss.com.

When I think of Bryan, I think of the appraiser / iPhone tech expert. Bryan is so good at employing 2010 technology into his appraisal business and offers value to his readers monthly. He also makes himself available to help and frequently comments on blogs. REBliss.com will grow in popularity in the years to come as appraisers become more technologically competent.

6.) Tom Horn and Birmingham Alabama Blog.

Although Tom has a fairly new blog in 2010, he has hit the ground running offering much value to locals. He’s caught on very quickly and already he’s been professional interviewed and that interview posted on his blog, Pt 1 here and Pt 2 here. I think of Tom’s determination and eagerness to add value as the next Ryan Lundquist to the appraisal market.

7.) David Brauner With Working RE Mag and Appraiser Talkback Blog.

This is where I find out the pulse of what appraisers are thinking and feeling! Working RE Magazine offers awesome tips in itself. The blog itself is more about the publishing of appraiser surveys which offers insight into what other appraisers are thinking and how they are overcoming the hurdle that HVCC set before them.

8.) Agent Genius Blog.

Which is an awesome example of how to blog better, offers great content and ideas to blog about!

NOTE: Please note that this list couldn’t possibly be all inclusive of all the blogs in the USA as there are so many great appraisers out there doing tremendous jobs on their blogs and for appraisers. I also have many other blogs listed on my site as links as well, like The Matrix Blog. This isn’t really a ratings game either. I’m not much of a “news” kind of guy, but love tips on marketing, video and tech. I do sincerely appreciate every one of you for the investment you’ve made into my life and profession to help make me a better appraiser and marketer.

NOTE: If one looks on the right hand side of Tips, you’ll see the Links and Resources where I’ve been recommending these sites and blogs for quite some time now.

Enjoy Your Reading And Learning From These Making It Happen In 2010!

Bill Cobb

Tags: real estate appraiser survival, real estate appraiser tips, real estate appraiser videos, real estate appraisers, real estate appraiser blogs, real estate appraisal blogs, real estate interviews

Real Estate Appraisers Tips: Found A 2 in 1 Desktop and Laptop Mic For Podcast and Video Marketing

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 05:46:51 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ – Real Estate Appraisers Tips: Found A 2 in 1 Desktop and Laptop Mic For Video Marketing.

On Saturday, we were rained out and had to cancel our family fishing trip. The kids were disappointed, so we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast (see photo) and then shopping for the ladies (Target, Hobby Lobby, etc..). While at Target, I managed to make my over to the electronics department and check out the latest gadgets. My how laptops have fallen in pricing. While in the electronics department, I found the 2 in 1 PC Microphone below for $10.38. As you can see below, the mic is separate from the stand and can connect to your laptop or your Kodak Zi8 Camcorder. The GE Part # is 98950 in the photo. Possible uses for appraisers: Interviews, Podcasts and Video Marketing.

Real Estate Appraiser Tips Video Of How Much Value Do Enclosures and Additions Add?

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:24:54 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Real Estate Appraiser Tips Video Of How Much Value Do Enclosures and Additions Add? This would be a valuable resource for locals to find a video like this on your appraisal blog.

In this video, we discuss how appraisers value enclosures and additions. It all depends on the quality of the improvement and how close it matches the original quality of the home and design of the original home. Was the slab raised to the height of the slab of the original home? Does the enclosure or addition flow well with the original floor plan? Was the central heat and air conditioning upgraded to handle the extra living area without installation of a window unit? Does the flooring match the original flooring or did they just install cheap indoor/outdoor carpeting? These are the questions an appraiser attempts to answer while on-site.

Tags: real estate appraisal, real estate appraiser, real estate appraiser blogging, real estate appraiser interviews, real estate appraiser marketing, real estate appraiser podcast, real estate appraiser survival, real estate appraiser tips, real estate appraiser video marketing, real estate appraiser videos, real estate appraisers

Appraiser Video Marketing: Recording Video Conference Calls For Your Appraisal Video Blog

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:46:35 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Real Estate Appraiser Tips! Appraiser Video Marketing: Recording Video Conference Calls For Your Appraisal Video Blog

In this video, I’m venturing into video conferencing with a local real estate broker about the how the changes within the appraisal industry are impacting the local real estate market. For these calls, we’re testing out www.oovoo.com to see if we like their service.

Three Home Appraiser Blogging Ideas For Their Local Markets

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:18:22 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Real Estate Appraiser Tips: Here’s Three (3) Home Appraiser Blogging Ideas For Your Local Housing Markets!

Report On First Quarter 2010 Housing Numbers For Your Market! I’m waiting til Monday when all end of the end home sales should be posted into MLS by then.

Report On March 2010 Housing Numbers For Your Market! I’m waiting til Monday when all end of the end home sales should be posted into MLS by then.

Add A “Video Blog” Post About Your 3 Most Interesting Home Appraisal Assignments In Q1 2010!

Why Would You Want To Do This?

1.) It’s part of building on your “Non-Lender Client” base of clients. People still do business with people they LIKE, KNOW and TRUST!

2.) It will help continue to build your local “Trust Agent Identity”!

THE MOST IMPORTANT PAGE OF REAL ESTATE APPRAISER TIPS IS HERE: http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/2010-theme-becoming-your-markets-local-trust-agent/

3.) Your Blog Post Will Get Picked Up By Google and locals will find it and read or watch it.

4.) Seeing YOU on video will also allow locals to get to know you, like you and trust you – enough to hire you as their local home appraiser!

New Ask An Appraiser Video, Does It Build Trust?

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:02:38 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Real Estate Appraiser Tips: New Ask An Appraiser Video, Does It Build Trust?

The software to mass produce videos just like the one above is readily available. It takes your voice script and applies it to animated characters or avatars. It’s OK for an appraiser too shy to get in front of the camera for a short time period. BUT, does it really build trust as in the “Trust Agents” message we’ve been talking about on this site in 2009 and 2010? I don’t think so. THE MOST IMPORTANT PAGE OF REAL ESTATE APPRAISER TIPS IS HERE: http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/2010-theme-becoming-your-markets-local-trust-agent/

It also matters as to whether that appraiser simply wants to dispense information or answers to their local public and or use that opportunity to build trust and possibly be hired for an appraisal assignment. If the person is asking this question, then they possibly have an appraisal problem they need solved.

Let Me Ask You This! Would you hire the appraiser who created this video above or Sherie Smith who created this personable video below? Why is social networking so HUGE these days? Because people like to deal with and get to know real people….not avatars!

My point is not to criticize the appraiser that made the avatar video above. However, it did afford me the opportunity once again to bring home just how vital the “Trust Agents” message is to Real Estate Appraisers! Bill Cobb

Appraisers: TBWS Has News New HUGE FHA Writedown Program That Could Mean More Appraisal Orders

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:31:50 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Real Estate Appraiser Tips: Appraisers, TBWS Has News New HUGE FHA Writedown Program That Means More Appraisal Orders….hopefully!