Here on the East Coast, the brilliantly colored leaves barely cling to the trees, the air is crisp and, there is a spirit beginning to take shape around us. The holiday season is upon us. In the spirit of giving thanks, I’ve asked a handful (a cornucopia if you will) of our friends and neighbors in the valuation profession to share what they are most thankful for this year.
Ryan Lundquist, Lundquist Appraisal Company:
Appraisers can be thankful for a very busy year of work. Lower interest rates and higher sales volume have been a potent combination for many appraisers. Moreover, I have heard many appraisers dumping low-quality (and low-paying) AMCs this year, and that is a great thing for the industry as a whole.
Molly Dowdy, Mercury Network, Executive Vice President, Marketing:
I’m thankful to be a part of an industry that helps people realize the American dream and help them build financial stability for their families.
Karen Connolly, Allterra Group, Director of Events:
Well, besides the obvious, spell check and indoor plumbing, it always comes down to the people. I’m thankful to work on the fringe of an industry with such incredible people. No matter what you throw at this group, they adapt and overcome.
Tom Westerfield, Speedy Title & Appraisal Review Services, Director of Collateral Risk:
I am thankful to be working for a company that supports the appraisers we partner with; so that together we can provide our clients and their borrowers with a credible appraisal and a positive customer experience. I have been blessed to be able to work with appraisers, lenders and borrowers to see the challenges and positive aspects of the loan origination process, to improve the services we provide. I am also thankful to work for clients who value the service and experience we bring to every order.
Kevin Burns, Valocity, Senior Vice President:
Valocity has been thankful for the opportunity to provide our clients with a service that opens the door to homeownership.
Todd Rasmussen, Valuation Vision / Axis Appraisal Management Solutions, VP- National Sales:
I am thankful for having the opportunity to work with a team of motivated and dynamic professionals. All of whom have a common goal of improving the industry.
On a personal level, I am extremely thankful for my good health and that of my family.
Danyl Collings, Forsythe Appraisals, Branch Manager- Boston:
I’m thankful for our local and national clients who value the quality and service provided by our staff appraisers.
Larry Disney, AARO, Director:
I am thankful for the many individuals and groups that partner unselfishly in a unified effort to protect the public trust through effective appraiser regulatory enforcement, development of appraiser criteria and appraisal standards, and those who teach, train, represent and assist professional appraisers.
Anthony Nguyen, OrderProUSA, Director of Operations:
I am thankful that OrderProUSA experienced strong growth in 2015. Specifically, our great TEAM members at OrderProUSA, great Appraiser partners across the country, and the wonderful Lender clients, fueled this growth. I am also thankful for strides in closing the gap between Appraisers, AMCs and Lenders. We’re all in this together so working together can accomplish much more than working against each other. I’m looking forward to 2016 when additional efforts are going to close the gap much further. It has been a fantastic 2015. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Allan Ackles, Forsythe Appraisals, Branch Manager- Tampa:
I’m thankful for the team of appraisers and support staff I get to work with every day. They make my days fun and rewarding in an industry where we are constantly being criticized.
Justin Alexander, First American Mortgage Solutions, Senior Director, Product Management:
Sometimes, I wonder how I got into this crazy appraisal profession. It has given me a few grey hairs, a few wrinkles, several sleepless nights and countless headaches. But for me, the list of positives far outweighs the negatives. It has provided me lifelong friendships, allowed me to work for some of the best companies in our industry, afforded my family a nice home with everything we need, allowed my kids to get a good education and the list goes on and on. So for 2015, I am thankful for this crazy profession and everything it has provided me, including the grey hairs. I look forward to many more successful years as an appraiser. Happy Thanksgiving!
The world can be fast-paced and unforgiving at times. It’s understandable that on the average day, one can forget to notice all the wonderful people and moments surrounding them. The holidays are a good reminder to count our blessings. From everyone at Appraisal Buzz, we wish you a safe and the happiest of Thanksgivings.
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Great post Karlie! Looking forward to reading more of your articles.
As an ex appraiser who was only 20 years into my career when I quit in 2009 I am thankful for being a million miles away from the “profession” today. The day they forced the HVCC bull ship down our throats in 2009 was the day I decided to fire everyone and just walk away. Since then I have dug ditches, worked in Amazon’s version of the coal mine, and taken some of the worst jobs known to mankind. I found that all of them were far more enjoyable, dignified, and worthy of a man than staying in appraising and participating in the current day extortion business model to feed my family.
It’s all about ethics guys. If you’re still in the “profession” and still accepting jobs from AMCs you have no ethics and you certainly have no dignity.
No ethics or dignity for accepting jobs from lousy AMC’s? Sure they suck; but now in 2015 you can easily receive a reasonable fee if you know what you are doing. Mister Retired Appraiser; your statement is way off. Hope your job at Home Depot is working out~
If paying out monthly extortion payments in exchange for work is your idea of ethics then you were raised by a “unique” crime family Hank. Sure AMC jobs are easy to get these days…it’s simply a matter of being the first to reply with lowest fee quote. Now let’s compare the JOB that you appear to be blindly in love with (appraising) to jobs that you obviously think are beneath you. As an appraiser your liability has increased ten fold over 6 years with no increase in pay for the liability you’ve taken on. You were making $300 to $400 per appraisal in 2009 and were able complete 1-2 per day in 2009. You are now being paid $300 at best by an AMC and putting in twice the effort than what was required in 2009 (1004MC, UAD crap, Collateral Undertaker crap, New FHA inspection requirement crap, etc.). To sum it up Hank you are now doing more than twice the work you were doing per appraisal for the same fee you earned six years ago and have at least twice the liability hanging over your head. To make matters worse, everything that you buy for your business and for living has increased nearly 20% during those same 6 years.
Have Home Depot workers (whom you clearly think you are superior to) or McDonalds workers agreed to work 80 hours per week with no raise in 6 years? Not a chance; yet residential appraisers clearly have no problem doing just that. Don’t think for a moment that you are dazzling anyone with your brilliance simply because you will be one of the last to leave what has clearly been a dead end JOB since 2009. A job that consequently pays considerably less than minimum wage if you are doing your job correctly Hammered Hank.
RA….I do NOT take the lowest fees from AMCs. And I def. do not have to work twice as hard. In fact I quote as high as $400-$500 for simple URAR and/or condo properties that take me LESS time now than in 1989. The extra research required now like the 1004MC form etc. is a matter of an extra 4-5 minutes of MLS parameters/search with zip codes and/or census tract info; data that should have been done in the first place before CU, Frank-Dodd, or HVCC guidelines. Also…everything I buy for my business has gone DOWN; not up due to digital ease/free stuff online; or included in the software. Film, ink, picture developing, paper, etc. is long gone. Smart, structured, competent, and organized appraisers who have learned the newest guidelines have prospered. This is why I am still here 25+ years later and rocking it~
Congratulations to you Hammered Hank. You are he first appraiser that I have spoken with who swears ALL of your business expenses have dropped over the past 7 years. One can only assume that you are referring to the cost of technology, E & O, MLS, license renewal, continuing education, phones, electric, gas, broadband, cell phones, gas, vehicle maintenance, software, software renewals, etc. You are also the only appraiser that I have met in 7 years that says he can appraise a single family residence in less time now than he did in 2009. Would you mind submitting extensive documentation for the rest of us to review? You can forward it to the owner of this website and ask them to do an article on it. If what you say is indeed true there are 89,999 appraisers who are interested in moving to your planet. Looking forward to debunking this myth.
P.S. $400 to $500 is nothing to brag about. I was making that much on appraisals before they doubled the work load in 2009. I suspect that you do about 1 job a week if you are holding out for that type of fee today.