How Do Recent Issues With Appraisals Affect You?

Today I’m joined by senior loan officer John Ragland to go over the issues we’re seeing with the appraisal process lately.

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Now, more than ever, it’s so important to choose the right people to do business with. There have been a lot of issues lately with appraisals, so John Ragland with Supreme Lending is with me today to talk a little bit about what’s going on with appraisals.

There was a lender in California who was working on a loan, and they were unable to obtain the appraisal report from the appraiser. The appraiser had the order for almost an entire month and still had not submitted the report to that lender. The buyer was in jeopardy of losing the property because the closing date was fast approaching and the lender was stuck without the appraisal. The buyer contacted us and asked if we could help them do a rush closing in 10 business days. We took that on and actually got the appraisal report in three days.

The key with that has to do with the appraisal management company. After the housing crisis, Fannie Mae changed their guidelines and would not allow lenders or loan officers to choose the appraiser. Part of that was to protect the integrity of the appraisal in making sure there was no bias between the lender and the appraiser, which was a positive thing. However, anytime you add any regulations, there will be some sort of backlash or challenge that has to be overcome.

Fannie Mae’s change took assigning an appraiser out of the loan officer’s hands and turned it over to appraisal management companies. In turn, there are some management companies that have a great relationship with appraisers, some that don’t have a great relationship with appraisers, and some who assign the appraisal to an appraiser who doesn’t have a good reputation and is not reliable.

That’s why it is so important to make sure you work with a mortgage company who has a good reputation in handling the appraisal process. Working with the right company will ensure you close on time, there are no unwanted surprises, and the appraiser that is assigned the appraisal is qualified. Supreme Lending ensures that the appraiser assigned to your property is a local expert and has the commitment to deliver that report by the due date.

One of the most common issues we see is an appraiser being assigned a property they are not in close proximity to, but there are other factors that can contribute to getting an appraisal thrown out. Sometimes appraisers count the square footage incorrectly or mistake certain features of a home. Recently, a listing listed a jacuzzi tub as one of its features and the appraiser took that to mean a hot tub rather than a jacuzzi tub in the master bath. The appraiser actually incorrectly credited $8,000 to the home that ultimately needed to be corrected to show the home’s true value.

Appraisers are very important, and we need them to ensure the buyer is paying a fair price, but it’s important to always make sure that the appraisal is correct.

Another issue in the appraisal world is the shortage of appraisers. Today, the appraisal process is more difficult than ever to complete. There have been so many increased regulations pertaining to what appraisers have to do to obtain an acceptable report. The credentials to be an appraiser are also tighter now than they ever used to be.

Many appraisers are coming to the conclusion that the job isn’t worth the money. In fact, appraisal costs have increased as more regulation requires more from an appraiser, but some have determined that it’s not worth the risk. If something were to happen to a loan and it’s determined that the appraiser did not do their due diligence, the appraiser could be liable. So, we see more appraisers getting out of the business than we see coming in.

The cost to get an appraisal done quickly can cost hundreds of dollars.

Because of the shortage of appraisers, appraisals are taking longer to complete. Getting an appraisal done quickly can cost hundreds of dollars more. That’s why it’s best to start the appraisal process as soon as the buyer is under contract.

If you have any questions for John about the appraisal process or anything else Supreme Lending can help you out with, he can be reached at 770-335-6373. If you have any questions for us, feel free to call us anytime. We'd be happy to help.