Real Estate Appraiser Tips

Learn How To Use Your iPhone 4 or 4S For Real Estate Video Marketing!

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:32:46 +0000

http://www.myflipcamerasecrets.com/ – Learn How To Use Your iPhone 4 or 4S For Real Estate Video Marketing!

Inside the supercharged iPhone Video Hero …

Professional Video based training viewable 24/7 on Mac/Pc and iPhone/iPad.

Easy to follow, step by step learning. Follow along as I make videos in front of you with real biz people.

Quality Sells! I show you how to get the maximum quality out of your iPhone’s video camera. (No need for a big bucks camcorder!)

Keep your viewers focussed. How to shoot rock steady videos without a tripod.

Bad Audio kills sales. Revealed: The microphone you already own but might not realise!

The ‘secret’ accessory that will allow you to use your iPhone with external microphones AND monitor the sound.

How to film an excellent vlog, opt-in or sales page video that will stand out a mile.

How to shoot magnetic customer testimonials to win you more business. (You get my cheat sheet – the questions you MUST ask your clients)

How to make a high value Video Ad (worth $700) for you, or a client, in minutes using an App that edits your videos for you! (Save a tonne of time editing!)

How to light on a budget and make your videos sparkle.

How to create that famous Apple white background look using your iPhone to get your message across crystal clear. (Download by own lighting plan)

Step by step guide to some of the best and most creative Video apps on the market. (Don’t waste precious time with the rest)

Quality Handpicked Music to download and use in your videos, on Youtube or on your website. (Requires a credit)

Easy editing guide to iMovie on your iPhone. (Works with an iPad too!)

Insanely useful accessories guide including tripod ready cases, lighting systems and microphones, so you don’t waste precious money buying bad stuff!

Over 2 hours of fact filled content and rising!

Click Here if you want to harness the Power of Online Video!

Crunch! Look at what I made with my iPhone! (So can you!)

Fannie Mae UAD MLS Import Software is here for WCA and SFREP Home Appraisal Software Customers!

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:59:47 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - Fannie Mae UAD MLS Import Software is here for WCA and SFREP Home Appraisal Software Customers!

UAD MLS Importer Software is here….for WCA and SFREP Customers! This is what I’ve been beta testing and am loving it. I no longer groan when I receive a UAD Appraisal Order.

Watch this short video: http://bit.ly/uNBmZV

The link to find out more is http://wca-inc.com/Grab-It.php

New WordPress Plugin Monetizes For Adsense, Clickbank, Ebay, Amazon, Overstock and CJ – All In One Monetizer!

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 11:37:05 +0000

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ – New WordPress Plugin Monetizes For Adsense, Clickbank, Ebay, Amazon, Overstock and Commission Junction – All In One Monetizer! This latest WordPress plugin – All In One Monetizer:
It makes monetizing your WordPress blog easy by simply populating your blog with Google adsense, Clickbank, Ebay, Amazon, Overstock, CJ and Linkshare for instant commission.

Video Sales Letter for WordPress Is Dead Easy To Setup

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 10:56:01 +0000

http://www.wordpressvideosalesletter.info/ – Video Sales Letter for WordPress Using Mike Stewart’s WordPress Video Sales Letter To Build Trust By Employing Video

Bill Cobb, a home appraiser in Baton Rouge, is using this valuable software package to produce Video Sales Letters and Video Landing Pages (and/or Video Introduction Pages) to the valuation products he offers the local public. An example of one of Bill’s sites is below. To Find Out More, Click on the image below.

Tags: Local Businesses Using WordPress Video Sales Letter, S3 Media Player, Setup Video Squeeze Pages, Video Sales Letter for WordPress, WordPress Video Sales Letter, WordPress Video Sales Letter 2, WordPress Video Sales Letter Advanced, WordPress Video Sales Letter Training Tutorials

Why Do Fannie Mae Appraisal Forms Include Adjustment Grid for View?

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:47:52 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ – Why Do Fannie Mae Appraisal Forms Include Adjustment Grid for “View”?

Washington State Appraiser, Dave Towne, recently offered tremendous value to home appraisers by providing a copy of a list of the Top 12 FDIC Appraisal Deficiencies, see list below. In case you are not aware, the FDIC, in order recoup loses, is filing suit against AMCs (Appraisal Management Companies) and individual appraisers for questionable appraisal work that could have led to mortgage defaults. FDIC is seeking hunreds of millions of dollars in these suits.

Dave said, “Appraisers….

The FDIC has recently named a major nationwide AMC in a suit involving hundreds of defaulted properties**, claiming the AMC was deficient in the way they reviewed original appraisal reports. The suit has not gone to trial yet.

Included with the suit legal documents was this list that shows issues of concern in the original appraisal reports.

This would be a good list to use to review your own reports prior to submittal.

I personally found much satisfaction in #4 above about the applying “not reasonable, large unsupported adjustments for intangibles such as view, etc.” See this water front lot photo below.

My reply to Dave follows….

Thank you so very much, Dave!!!

I LOVE YOUR #4, about applying non-supportable adjustments for “view”. There is no such adjustment and I don’t understand why FNMA even has that in the grid. Dave, when a buyer closes on a lake lot, do they have “2″ closings, one for the site value and another separate closing for the lake view? No they don’t….and that would be insane wouldn’t it? There is no such thing as a supportable “View” adjustment. The entire value in a lot is the “Site” itself and all of the attributes of that site: land, size, view, historic trees, etc.. It all makes up the “Site Value”. And, based on what you’ve sent us, I’m not the only appraiser or regulatory agency who polices appraisers who thinks this way!

WA Appraiser Dave Towne: TAVMA letter to FRB Regarding Customary and Reasonable Fees

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:36:53 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ - WA Appraiser Dave Towne: TAVMA letter to FRB Regarding Customary and Reasonable Fees. Dave sent this email out to appraiser on 5/12/2011 at 12:45pm.

Appraisers……

Attached is the recent letter from TAVMA (Title Appraiser Vendor Management Association) to the FRB complaining about the contents of a survey signed by over 8,000 nationwide appraisers who are concerned about Presumption 1 in the FRB Final Rules.

The Rules were written to comply with the Dodd-Frank law, except that Presumption 1 was added by the FRB to give AMC’s an ‘out’ in how they compensate appraisers.

A little history: per federal banking regulations, banks who have their own appraisal ordering departments have never been able to withhold a portion of the appraiser’s fee to pay the overhead of that department. But in approximately 1984, AMC’s began offering appraisal servicing to banks, and some banks closed their in-house appraisal departments. Because AMC’s are independent businesses, they don’t fall under the banking regulations (or at least that has been the presumption, and never successfully challenged so far). So the business model was started then which enabled the AMC’s to capture a portion of the ‘customary and reasonable’ fee the appraiser was charging the bank.

However, the AMC model only became possible because appraisers allowed it to happen by accepting the ‘bribe’ of continued assignments in return for a portion of their fee. [Full disclosure: I’m one appraiser who had to accept this situation to continue appraisal work. But I have a minimum fee for service, and say ‘NO’ often.]

Over the years, ordinary non-mortgage lending C&R fees have changed very little throughout this nation. Depending on location, those fees are $350-$450 for a typical, non-complex full appraisal. These fees have been held somewhat in check by technology improvements, but also because the lenders are reluctant to charge borrowers more for the appraisal…even though overall lending fees have increased.

In 1989 Congress passed the FIRREA law. Part of that law has the provision that ‘production people’, i.e., the loan officer, cannot directly select the appraiser. (Note that this is 21 years before the HVCC.) In the early 1990’s, more and more banks off-loaded their in-house appraisal departments to AMC’s, and in turn those AMC’s began capturing more of the appraiser’s once Customary and Reasonable fee – that the lender was charging the borrower – and then transferring to the AMC.

What’s allowing this to continue is the high number of appraisers who accept the ‘bribe’ and choose to crank out appraisal reports for actual net fees that are far lower than a professional should accept, and are far lower than they would earn if AMC’s were not the dominant market participant they are now.

Exacerbating this situation is appraiser unwillingness to join with their peers into one cohesive body, such as the real estate agents have with NAR, and mortgage lenders have with NAMB, etc. Appraisers are fragmented and weak, and the lender’s and AMC’s know it. Secondly, the major players (regulators and lenders) who participated in the greatest worldwide financial meltdown in human history are still at the helm of the listing ship. Their own self-interests are not allowing the ship to get back on an even keel. And third, the regulators have basically capitulated their oversight at the moment, and expect appraisers to file multiple complaints with several agencies for any assignment that does not pay what the appraiser decides is a C&R fee.

So cycling back to the TAVMA letter, it’s their contention that their business model of stealing a portion of the appraiser’s C&R fee should be accepted without question – primarily because so many appraisers have accepted the bite of the apple (bribe, noted above) for close to three decades.

The only way to earn what you should earn is to learn to say NO to the abysmal fees some AMC’s offer. Yes, some other unskilled, less than professional ‘appraiser’ will snap up the low fee assignment…in the short term. But the long term probably will have you coming out on top because the lesser skilled ‘appraiser’ is going to be terminated for poor quality reports.

This also assumes your work product is superior, USPAP compliant (which lesser skilled ‘appraiser’ reports won’t be), with more than the minimum reporting requirements included. Work to be a professional and you will earn a professional fee.

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

Resources For Using Photosynth 360-Degree Photos For Real Estate Marketing

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:20:11 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ – Resources For Using Photosynth For Real Estate Marketing

This morning on Facebook, Lake Charles Real Estate Agent Marilyn Boudreaux, asked me if I had heard watched the TBWS Video of Photosynth. I inboxed her with this message below.

“Hi Marilyn,

Yes, Bryan at REBliss.comwrote about it here Photosynth for iPhone. Create 360-Degree Interactive Panoramic Real Estate Photos with real estate examples:

AND so did Joe Manausa with Century 21 FL did here, iPhone App For Real Estate: Photosynth Is One Hot Tool

TheRESource.TV. The important thing I saw yesterday about Photosynth was this video below suggesting that Agents Use QR Code with Photosynth togther, to have the entire home shot and be the first Agent in your Town to do so. Click Below To View Video.

NOTE: I have emailed the Agent Below, Bill Garrison, and asked of Gary and Ryan to provide us the link to that actual Agent’s Photosynth so we can view for ourselves what’s possible and learn from it. I think that once we see what Bill has been able to accomplish, this will be a huge help to us users. If they respond, I will post the link.

Marilyn, at this time and based on my limited use, I can see shooting Front and Rear and doing a couple of larger rooms, but not the entire home. I asked Bryan at REBliss.com about this and he said,

“I have created several photosynth photos. You would have to make one photosynth photo for each room of the house. I guess the video is a little misleading, they have all of the interactive photos on the right side of the computer screen and maybe the way they edited the video made it look like one photo was touring the entire house, when they were actual clicking on each photo for each room of the house.

I agree with you, a photo of a few interior rooms and maybe a front and rear photo as well.

I tried to make a photosynth photo of a small kitchen the other day, the program had a much harder time with a small area (the kitchen cabinets were a few feet from me on each side of me) vs make a photosynth photo of a large living room. I tried 3 times and couldn’t get a good photosynth photo of the kitchen.”

Marilyn, I certainly think Photosynth has a place in real estate marketing. It’s clearly up to us to find on our own the uses and limitations. I don’t think it will do a whole home, but exteriors and 2-3 rooms would be really nice. And, WordPress makes this easier with being able to add Photosynth code where needed based on Bryan and Joe’s examples from their post.

Hope this helps!

PLEASE, if you employ Photosynth, please send me links to how you’re using it. “

New SnapMount Tripod Mount For iPhone 4 User Video Always On Internet In Auto

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Mon, 02 May 2011 02:32:54 +0000

http://www.accuratevg.com/ - New SnapMount Tripod Mount For iPhone 4 User Video For Always On Tech Savvy Agent. Bill Cobb Appraiser recently began using the new SnapMount Tripod Mount For iPhone 4 and loves it. With his older plan, Bill has unlimited always on data. http://snapmountforiphone.com/

NOTE: The Advantage Of SmartMount is that when the iPhone 4 is mounted, ALL ports and features are available, such as power connection, volume controls, headset, etc..

In this video, Bill discusses the use of his 5000 watt 3 plugin inverter for power, Sunpak Clamp Pod Pro from B&H Photo Video Dot Com clamped to his Jotto Desk.

VIDEO

What Snapmount Allows Me To Do:
Listen to Always On Chris Smith Tech Savvy Agent Via iPhone iPod Feature
Use Google Talk To Communicate With Office Immediately Good Talk App
Use Maps For Real Estate
Check Email
Check Facebook

SnapMount would also be very helpful for more stable photograpy and shooting video tours when combined with the HDHat.com Video Stabilizer Bar.

Any questions, please inbox me.

Dave Towne: Survey Results How Appraisers Report Site Size, FNMA Requirement Effective 9/1/2011

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 11:46:36 +0000

http://www.realestateappraisertips.info/ – Dave Towne: Survey Results On How Appraisers Report Site Size, New FNMA Requirements on 9/1/2011

Appraisers……

Over the weekend, I asked for your input as to how you report Site Size in the Fannie Form grid. This graph represents the results of your responses through Monday night 2/7/11, from appraisers in many parts of the US:

I asked this question because effective 9/01/2011, Fannie/Freddie will require Site Size for any site less than ONE ACRE to be reported as Square Feet, NOT Acres (or portion) ….. and any site of 1 Acre or more to be reported as Acres! This is for any conventional loan sold to them, reported on the 1004 and 2055 Forms.

UNLESS appraisers around the nation climb on Fannie’s back and explain how crazy this will be, and ask (politely) that this new poor requirement be modified so that site sizes are reported in a consistent manner in the report.

EXAMPLE: Subject is in a small urban area, on a .82 Acre site. Three Comps are a mix of site sizes, less than an acre and more than an acre…say up to 1.5 acres….because that’s all the sales found that are even remotely comparable in terms of GLA/Age of the properties. (This is a REAL situation in my area.)

So your grid will look like this:

Subj. Comp 1 Comp 2 Comp 3

35719 sf 20038 sf 1.1 ac 1.5 ac

(.82 Acre) (.46 Acre)

[No commas can be used, and only ‘sf’ can indicate Sq. Ft.]

[Acre must be reported as ‘ac’ – with nothing following that]

Can you imagine the U/W’s head scratching! You’re going to have to include an entire paragraph to explain this requirement, and then explain how you arrived at the site size adjustments (which you should do anyway, but now you will have to explain how you converted to Ac or SF before making the site adjustment).

Most county assessor records in our area, and other parts of the US report Site Size in terms of Acres – or a decimal portion thereof. Therefore, you will have to convert that Acre number to a Square Foot number for the report, further slowing down report writing. (I developed a Conversion Table which I will give to any appraiser for FREE who wants it … just e-mail me.)

FURTHER EXPLANATION: “Both” is represented in nearly 15% of responses. Some Appraisers told me they use an entry like .82 Ac/35,719 sf in the grid. Other appraisers said they currently use Square Foot for any property less than an acre, and Acres for 1+ acres (I don’t understand why!). And some appraisers said they use SF for FHA reports, believing that SF is ‘required’ by HUD/FHA – in fact they accept either per the 4150.2 manual but expect consistency in the report …. and use Acres for conventional reports.

Those appraisers who explained “Both” also stated they NEVER mix Acres with Square Foot in reports as my example shows ……… as Fannie will require as of 9/1/2011!

MY PERSONAL BELIEF: All reports should use Acre (or decimal portion), regardless of site size. MLS listings are reported that way, assessor records are that way, property owners think and talk in terms of ACRES …. not “my property is 32,670 s/f.” It’s much easier to say “3/4 of an acre.” It’s also what a majority of appraisers are doing now – overwhelmingly.

Thanks for your responses!

Dave Towne, Towne Appraisals

Mount Vernon, WA

360-708-1196

and

Appraiser Education Service

How To Create Awesomer Web Videos…Without a Video Camera: How To Screencast Like A Pro

http://realestateappraisertips.info/ — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:33:03 +0000

How To Create Killer Web Videos…Without a Video Camera

Screen capture video can be great. You just record what’s on your computer screen. You don’t have to worry about video cameras, lighting or even what you look like.

And they can be just as powerful…sometimes even more powerful…than regular on-camera video. But screen capture video can also be confusing, intimidating and frustrating. For most people, their screencast videos come out looking fuzzy, distorted, hard to see, hard to hear…or…all of the above.

But the good news is you don’t need to worry about those things anymore. That’s because now you can learn how to make absolutely killer screencast videos in just a few hours.
And there’s no experience required.

How is this possible? It’s through an amazing new training course from one of the Internet’s top web video experts. This course is 100% web video based.

All you have to do is open your browser, play the videos and watch as you’re shown step by step how to create dazzling web videos from scratch.

But you know what? The best way to see how powerful this new training actually is…is to simply watch an amazing 77 second video that tells you all about it.

You’ve really got to see this video. And you’ve really got to check out this new course, if you want a dead-simple way to create killer web videos.

Here’s the link to the video. Seriously, you’ve got to check this out now: