AI Connect

[JTip]

Good stuff MAI Stephen.

Forwarded to upper management.

 

[Meandering]

That is a great letter.

Thanks for finding and posting it.

.

 

[Eli]

This is a fairly interest subject by (and in) itself. There are tons of programs out there that make it appear as if information is coming from one computer when it is not. The biggest and best known is TOR but this is a bouncing server, meaning it is bouncing one signal to a computer to another computer and so on. This means the actual sender can never be traced. On the other end they have software that appears a single is coming from one computer (and one computer only) when it actual is not. Thereby, this selective method works with the general public but not someone with some knowledge of what products exits now days.

The only reason I know this (is my night job is a hacker 'just kidding') is we had to securitize our site. Actually CoStar has the best system to stop this type behavior by submitting a code key to the user direct (within minutes of use) but it cost about $150 per user. It is fairly cost prohibitive to most unless you are charging CoStar prices. There are other methods but this is one of the best. The second best is (and there are arguments about this like everything) a user name, password, (various firewall softwares) and CAPTCHAs codes. At least site owner will know if two users are on at the same time and if it appears to be coming from the same computer (or different computers or as you pointed out from outside the country). However, be aware, it is day time in the US and night time in India and the Philippians so in the example I gave it is very hard to trace. They can make it all looks to be coming from the same computer. Hacking is nearly impossible to stop. That is why you continually see these large companies targeted.

Oddly enough my cousin works for the system used by CoStar.

yeah, but you know how some realtors and appraisers are. They can't wait to tell on their competition.

 

[Eli]

Wow it did not look like AI lost any time. Two US Senators sent a letter to the Appraisal Foundation expressing their concern for the decline in the nation's appraisal population. They believe it is ABQ requirements:

http://icapweb.com/uploads/7-20-15%20Letter%20to%20TAF_1439308372.PDF

Amazing timing for this string.

I like it but he left the market power of AMC's out of the equation. Boo!

 

[Gobears81]

I was actually going to post this link also. Their concerns are undoubtedly valid, but I haven't really heard any great alternatives either from them or on this thread, other than to water down the requirements, which isn't much of an alternative in my book.

 

[Eli]

Understand that both college and other sources are serious threats to some education providers just like AMC's were and are serious threats to independent appraisers due to the market power they have to drive down fees as a result of the change in market structure they created by forming an oligopsony. They didn't create the oligopsony, but it got created and the market power it has is very real. AI and some other appraisal organizations and other sources of appraisal education might want to consider partnering with universities.

 

[factsandtruth]

There are always two sides to every story...We all know who really holds the power right now.

 

[Eli]

Well, right now, you could do several of the senator's points and it wouldn't make a bit of difference in attracting new trainees due to the market power of AMC's. C&R may be changing that aspect, sloooooowly. College education is good. A degree in real estate or a closely related field would be even better.

 

[leasedfee]

Wow it did not look like AI lost any time. Two US Senators sent a letter to the Appraisal Foundation expressing their concern for the decline in the nation's appraisal population. They believe it is ABQ requirements:
http://icapweb.com/uploads/7-20-15 Letter to TAF_1439308372.PDF

Chances are extremely high that the Senators never even saw the letter. Most of these "Congressionals", as the letters are called, are written by the LAs (legislative aids) in conjunction with some third-party lobby or interest group. The third-party lobby shops for a congressional legislative director or chief of staff who is allied with a particular interest angle. Shopping for a congressman is no different than shopping for an appraiser -- mortgage brokers and now AMCs know who are the skippies; others know who the curmudgeons are, tax agents have a list of who'll come in low, and so forth.

The "Congressionals" (i.e., a response to congressman's letter) receive prompt replies and are filed away and forgotten. Usually the response to the Congressional is written by the same official(s) who is creating the policy or action that has people upset and then in turn the congressman's office writes a letter explaining the government's policy. It's like a circular firing squad . . . .

I haven't read Ted Whitmer's criticism of why USPAP is intrinsically bound to fail, but am inclined to agree with the title. My own example from yesterday is a phone call from a MAI wanting some advice from me. To help fulfill the competency provision of USPAP, he had to violate the confidentiality provision. LOL. How many times in confirming and collecting sales and rent data, the broker or investor knew which property you were appraising because they know their market inside and out. USPAP, too, is like a circular firing squad.

The AQB/ASB/USPAP as a regulatory mechanism can either be tightened or loosened. It isn't capable of anything more or different. If it is tightened, people squeal, if it is loosened people squeal. Sometimes it is the same people squealing whichever change is made. You can never reform AQB/ASB/USPAP to gain appraisal independence, respect, or quality. Welcome to the age of Kim Kardashian politics.

 

[Gobears81]

Welcome to the age of Kim Kardashian politics.

I always knew that reality TV was a plague on American culture, but little did I think it was going to spread to politics. Seeing Barack Obama and Mitt Romney attempt to look like tough guys in the last presidential debate made me a little nervous about our government's future.