A revisitation of the NNEREN concessions field

[imjiminnh]

Before I begin my tirade, a little background. I run a network of several appraisers under the name of NH Real Estate Appraiser Group. I send orders out to my peers when they are geographically appropriate from a select group of lenders. As a result my company phone # is listed on many of the sold listings in the MLS system.

Sales agents are now required to put in the appraisers name and phone number in the MLS listing, the only reason for this is so that other appraisers can contact each other for the concessions that by all rights should be a mandatory field, not the appraiser info.

Because several appraisers use NHREAG and its phone # as the appraising entity, I now recieve 30 calls a day from appraisers legitimately needing concessions info, as well as skippies too lazy to pull assessors cards from some of the rural towns we cover looking for "grid rundowns" (refer to item 19 in the URARs statement of limiting conditions and consider whether or not the person calling is really an appraiser at all, how giving out the info will affect your liability to their report, and if they are noted as the intended user, a review by your peers or a court of law, let alone the implications of the Gramm Leach Bliley act before you do these). I have no problem giving out concessions info as the Oregon state AG says that they can't be considered to be confidential, but "grid rundowns" developed on site and not from public records is most certainly covered by the confidentiality of the client clause.

I'm thinking that 2 minutes a call and 30 calls a day means that I'm spending an hour a day on the phone because the info is not where it belongs, on the listing! I have a call in to the CEO over at NNEREN and am going to ask him permission to use NNERENs phone # on future sales to alleviate this uncompensated for workload. What has happened is that appraisers realize that sales agents wont call them back or be bothered to look up the concessions info, so have begun relying on other appraisers for the data.

I say that we don't let the agents and NNEREN off the hook, lets all start asking to list NNERENs phone # instead of our own and see how long until the concessions field is made mandatory!!!

Here's a link to NNEREN suggestions@nneren.com

I'll update this post after my conversation with Andy over there at NNEREN

 

[imjiminnh]

Here's a surprise, "they'll look into it". Hmm. may have to print up some business cards with the wrong phone # (or with NNERENs), of course if its an AMC order, through RealEC, or Appraisal Port, I suppose that I could have them give that # as a contact.

I'm afraid that because we appraisers are being trained to call each other instead of the agents involved, the concessions field will never be filled out by them. Lets all apply pressure by asking to have our phone #s withheld!

If I have to stop every 5 minutes to take a call in the car (trying to be safe in that regard lately) I may never get to inspections!

 

[Kate]

I think I met you at the meeting over a year ago when we tried to sway the board. I was the one who was 9 months prego. LOL.

I also get a ton of calls every week. The day we all met in Concord I was in the elevator with George Brooks and he said something that raised the hair on my neck. If concessions are now confidential then as an appraiser why would you willingly give that info out to anyone who calls you? That stuck with me. Over the last year I have been slowly moving most of my work to Middlesex county in Mass b/c NH is just too much of a PIA to work in. If I get a job in NH I want to be paid more to deal with all the calls that follow every sale and the NH MLS SUCKS!!!

 

[imjiminnh]

Kate,
Yes, i remember the elevator ride, and your condition made you memorable as well! I hope that the little one is doing well and that you've reached a point where you are able to sleep through the night!

My guess is that NNEREN intended to train the sales agent not to list the concessions info and train appraisers to give out the info, thereby transferring the onus of liability to the appraiser ( of course by preventing us from adjusting for concessions and thereby artificially increasing market value, their comissions don't suffer either). The sales agents now realize that they do not have to answer a million phone calls from appraisers because they are calling each other. I refuse to call other appraisers for the info, I call the sales agents.

I'd never use another appraisers "grid run down" unless it was not avoidable, as I don't know them and cant certify that their work is reliable (see item 19 in the certification and limiting conditions of the URAR).

That both NNEREN and my E&O provider have issues with disseminating the info, I think there must be some credibility to confidentiality breech questions.

For me its a simple business decision, the cost to benefit ratio is such that i see no reason to expose myself or my appraisers to increased liability to unknown phone callers claiming to be appraisers. If we appraisers continued to call sales agents instead of each other, they'd soon learn to fill the concessions field.

I agree MLS PIN is a far superior MLS product than that NNEREN provides, not too mention the fact the comps are far closer and more numerous in Lowell than Littleton! I let my MA license expire years ago though, the traffic was too much for me, and the competition too great (lower fees). I'd rather spend the time driving down NHs dirt roads than be stuck in a traffic jam on the interstate. Too bad MLS Pin doesn't oust NNEREN.

 

[Sue McHugh]

I have not been out here in a while. Anyhow, I am so sick of the concessions plight. I call appraisers and they tell me that they were not involved in the sale. One appraiser called me after he found out his name showed up on MLS as the appraiser that was involved in the sale (he did not do this appraisal). He called the broker because he wanted to avoid all the phone calls and the broker told him that he just put this appraiser's name in as the one who did the appraisal. I just can't even believe this. I think I'll take your advise and start calling the sales agents for concessions. If they won't give them out, I'll have to call the appraisers. As far as running the grid, I have never understood this. I get calls about running the grid and I feel like telling them to look it up themselves. I was talking to a fellow appraiser who told me one of his friends got sued for relying on an appraiser's grid run down (mostly based on GLA). Go figure.

Kate,
Yes, i remember the elevator ride, and your condition made you memorable as well! I hope that the little one is doing well and that you've reached a point where you are able to sleep through the night!

My guess is that NNEREN intended to train the sales agent not to list the concessions info and train appraisers to give out the info, thereby transferring the onus of liability to the appraiser ( of course by preventing us from adjusting for concessions and thereby artificially increasing market value, their comissions don't suffer either). The sales agents now realize that they do not have to answer a million phone calls from appraisers because they are calling each other. I refuse to call other appraisers for the info, I call the sales agents.

I'd never use another appraisers "grid run down" unless it was not avoidable, as I don't know them and cant certify that their work is reliable (see item 19 in the certification and limiting conditions of the URAR).

That both NNEREN and my E&O provider have issues with disseminating the info, I think there must be some credibility to confidentiality breech questions.

For me its a simple business decision, the cost to benefit ratio is such that i see no reason to expose myself or my appraisers to increased liability to unknown phone callers claiming to be appraisers. If we appraisers continued to call sales agents instead of each other, they'd soon learn to fill the concessions field.

I agree MLS PIN is a far superior MLS product than that NNEREN provides, not too mention the fact the comps are far closer and more numerous in Lowell than Littleton! I let my MA license expire years ago though, the traffic was too much for me, and the competition too great (lower fees). I'd rather spend the time driving down NHs dirt roads than be stuck in a traffic jam on the interstate. Too bad MLS Pin doesn't oust NNEREN.

 

[Noreen]

Thank you both for agreeing with me... I always felt the sales "concessions" had a direct impact on the marketability and sales impact on any given property and that it was fraudulent to hide this econimc influence.... after 23 years I still am amazed at some of the nonsense. I have to say I do rely on another fellow license appraisal professional before someone's word how never went to town hall for any credible facts.

 

[Buddy5]

I let my NH license expire BECAUSE of NH's pitiful MLS system. I found southern NH easy to work in, but the extra time required to glean any useful info from the NNEREN MLS was simply not worth it -- let alone the constant frustration of knowing that it doesn't have to be that way. I don't know how you guys put together a credible 1004MC. Coaxing info from that system is pure pain. When I started getting calls re: concessions, though, it sealed the deal.

 

[imjiminnh]

Buddy,

Yeah, I have access to MLSPIN as well, night and day to NNEREN. All data readily available, easily sorted, excellent report production, etc. I guess that a lot of appraisers up here haven't had the opportunity to use a more robust system and have just become accustomed to using the antiquated and obsolete system in place in NH. That it's outmoded in technology is one thing, that critical info is intentionally withheld is another.

 

[Kate]

Buddy,

Yeah, I have access to MLSPIN as well, night and day to NNEREN. All data readily available, easily sorted, excellent report production, etc. I guess that a lot of appraisers up here haven't had the opportunity to use a more robust system and have just become accustomed to using the antiquated and obsolete system in place in NH. That it's outmoded in technology is one thing, that critical info is intentionally withheld is another.

I have been happily employed in Middlesex and it's been over a year that I touched a NH property. Can you believe that I am still getting calls from appraisers over properties that I appraised over a year ago????? I would LOVE to know why they are using a comp over a year old!!!

My NH license had to be renewed in December and I put it off b/c I really hate working NH but with NH requirements I HAD to renew by July or else I would be considered a trainee again in NH eyes. I worked too hard for my certification to just let it go. So now I have clients screaming down my neck to take orders in NH. I just did one in Londonderry last week and had to use that horrid MLS system again. It took me forever to navigate through that stupid system. I understand that it's been awhile since I have used it and had to get used to it again, but seriously it is archaic. I agree that putting together a credible 1004MC is very difficult in NH due to the MLS.