Appraiser Bias Education

[Surf Cat]

Just wait until Glenn enters the thread.....TooMuchCoffeeGirl's head's going to explode....

 

[TooMuchCoffeeGirl]

Maybe I interpreted your opening post wrong....
If I did, apologizes....

Let me see if I now have it right....
You're not opposed to taking Bias CE....
You're opposed to it being a separate course because bias is covered in USPAP....

The 1st Fair Lending course I took was ~1989....
And the last Fair Lending course I took was ~1991....
Both courses were bank in-house taught....

So, why do you believe Bias CE course is being required....

And perhaps I was imprecise in presenting my thoughts. I'm basically opposed to bias training. Yes, I'm opposed to it being separate from and in addition to USPAP. I'm strongly opposed to it gobbling up so many of my available CE hours. I inanely thought that by coming here and posting that I might find a path or, optimally, a consensus for lobbying toward reclaiming our optional CE hours. My bad.

 

[TooMuchCoffeeGirl]

Just wait until Glenn enters the thread.....TooMuchCoffeeGirl's head's going to explode....

Actually, no. I'm done here. Carry on.

 

[Fernando]

And perhaps I was imprecise in presenting my thoughts. I'm basically opposed to bias training. Yes, I'm opposed to it being separate from and in addition to USPAP. I'm strongly opposed to it gobbling up so many of my available CE hours. I inanely thought that by coming here and posting that I might find a path or, optimally, a consensus for lobbying toward reclaiming our optional CE hours. My bad.

Have you taking a bias training class. I had reservations too but it's one of more interesting appraisal classes especially better than USPAP.

 

[ucbruin]

Actually, no. I'm done here. Carry on.

From your AF information you haven't spent much time participating on the AF....
Member since 2013 and 60 posts....

If one hasn't been consistently lurking on the forum, it would be disappointing to realize that every original post is likely to be a pinata....

According to several of the old timers of the AF....
The AF has been around for ~25+ years....
And still there is no unity....

So don't take things personal....

 

[Sadie]

Thanks for diminishing me to a DEI hire. What a crap statement. What are you, Sadie?

One thing I'm learning here is that I'm in a small group of people who value non-mandatory CE hours. Lemmings.

Just pointing out the inconsistency of your statement. DEI is not hiring “token” anything. It’s in part, searching for and actually hiring the best person for the job even if that person is not white and male. It’s also treating you the same as any other person in your profession.

 

[George Hatch]

"Equity" does not mean "Equal" and it also does not mean "best". "Treating you the same as every other person..." is an expression of equal treatment. Not equitable treatment.

If an appraiser took the training and passed the test then THEY did that. It wasn't given to them.

 

[ucbruin]

White male = best....

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

the evidence for unconscious racism is so weak.

Question. How significant was "racial bias" in the 1990s? If significant, why was it basically unnoticed? Clinton unleashed FNMA upon us in 1999 with Clinton pressuring them to do more subprime loans, expanding lending to the weakest and poorest buyers. In fact, bolstered by a rather dubious report championed by Clinton that came out of Boston claiming rampant racism and redlining. That report was badly flawed according to the OCC which issued its own response to the claims. Until then the issue of race seemed to be very limited in the apparent real world and sex and age discrimination were more newsworthy. But as plots shown, the subject of race began ramping up in the 2000s and despite the white population overwhelmingly supporting Obama in 2008, suddenly everything was seen thru a racial biased lens. And it is mostly nonsense by many measures.

No appraiser has anything to gain by discrimination and to create some boogieman like "unconscious racism" is a hoax that is so oft repeated many people believe it even when they cannot define it, cannot describe it, and cannot point to any instance where clearcut discrimination exists due to race. It is simply a political tool widely used in 2016 to try and defeat Trump. And the tactics used by Democrats then were so over the top, it was a factor in 2024 when many people felt that the lawfare waged against Trump was unfair and as a result he was re-elected.

There are unconscious biases but unconscious racism? I doubt it amounts to much. Anchor bias is a big problem for appraisers, and it is often difficult to avoid even when appraisers are aware it can happen. But truthfully, we do have the contract price in the back of our mind. We do have the list price in our mind. We do have the appraised value in our mind. And we cannot ignore the fact we might 'like' or not a style, a location, etc. I personally have a very bad knee. Many days I am on a cane. So, stairs? Not my bag. I just have to maintain my awareness of my dislikes. Just like Fern gives brownie points to EV drivers. And many appraisers will discount a property with trash on the property. And some seek impacts that may or may not exist. Nearby powerlines. Nearby industrial sites. Nearby VRBO (that was a recent query). Or, maybe a mean dog on the premises.

It's sort of like a trailer house with a sign "Keep Out" and a rottweiler tied to the porch means the guy is a drug user...It is our bias and we just need to be aware that it might not be true.

 

[ucbruin]

I don't recall any president in my lifetime calling other countries....
****holes....
So you have that too....