Tag Archives: Appraisals

Bradford Technologies announced Monday the release of the next generation of its Collateral Valuation Report (CVR), a product that introduced statistical analysis into the appraisal process.

Software provider TAZA Systems announced that it is offering a sophisticated software system to track and manage Other Real Estate Owned (OREO) cycles and provide necessary tools for portfolio management.

MountainSeed Appraisal Management, LLC announced Monday the launch of a new program designed to make it easier for licensed and certified appraisers to offer commercial evaluations to lenders.

Integra Group Real Estate LLC announced Thursday the creation of its affiliate company, Integra Property Management.

As of Monday, Coester Appraisal Group is now CoesterVMS. According to a release from CoesterVMS, the new name reflects the company's new, expanded line of valuation management services.

ISGN Corporation announced Monday the launch of a new smart phone app for its Gators browser-based settlement services and vendor management system. The app is designed to assist appraisers, title abstractors and closing agents out in the field. It allows vendors to accept, decline, or update orders from the field, helping vendors to manage their time.

According to a press release, Military Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (MVAREP) was formed to ""level the playing field"" for military veterans trying to buy homes with a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loan. In many cases, VA appraisers are brought in to insure the loan and make sure the purchase is a good investment for the buyer. This process sometimes throws off listing agents and sellers who want to take an easier route.

Competition can lead to low prices, but sometimes when prices get too low, someone ends up paying. This is an issue the appraisal industry is facing, where appraisal management companies (AMCs) compete for clients by lowering the cost of appraisals, leading to less compensation for the appraisers. In a white paper, Jeff Schurman, executive director of Leading Causes and Rick Grant, president and CEO of RGA Public Relations, listed and explained 20 benefits for AMCs if they pay appraisers full fees.

The Texas Taxpayers and Research Association: (TTARA) released a report analyzing the findings of performance audits in Texas' 253 central appraisal districts (CAD). The report, titled ""Equal and Uniform...sort of,"" compiles the results of reviews of local appraisal districts performed by the Property Tax Assistance Division (PTAD), housed at the State Comptroller's Office. The purpose of the evaluation was to see if appraisal districts in the state have the necessary tools to appraise property at its fair market value.

If the buzz about bidding wars is true, Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey reported those accounts did not boost prices in its findings. Homes are selling below the list price, and if a home is subject to a bidding war, the high offer becomes quashed by lower appraisals. According to the report, homes sold in April received only two or three offers, and average home prices declined slightly from March to April.