Aloft Appraiser Toolkit

[Joe Flacco]

Check the revolving door that I've mentioned in other threads. Here is just one of many examples.

John Breanan moves from TAF to Clear Capital, then gets fired and immediately goes to the ASC. The evidence is overwhelming and has been documented on the forum for years.

That's just business, no?

What other industry does that kind of movement not exist?

 

[Mejappz]

That's just business, no?

What other industry does that kind of movement not exist?

Yeah, that kind of thing might be common in other industries, but that doesn’t make it right—especially not in appraisal, where we’re supposed to be independent and unbiased. This isn’t just “how business works.” It’s a clear case of regulatory capture.


When someone goes from helping set the rules at TAF, to cashing in at a big AMC like Clear Capital, and then lands at the ASC to oversee the whole system—that’s not just a coincidence. That’s a broken system working exactly how it was designed to benefit insiders.


In most industries, there are at least rules in place—cooling-off periods, ethics boards, conflict disclosures. In appraisal, it’s a free-for-all. The same people writing the standards are turning around and profiting from them, then stepping into oversight roles pretending to be neutral. That doesn’t protect the public—it protects the pipeline.


And let’s be real: if this was happening in banking, accounting, or law, people would call it out immediately. In appraisal, they just say, “Well, that’s business.” No—it’s a conflict of interest, plain and simple. And the only people getting burned are the working appraisers trying to follow the rules while the game keeps changing above their heads.

 

[Joe Flacco]

Yeah, that kind of thing might be common in other industries, but that doesn’t make it right—especially not in appraisal, where we’re supposed to be independent and unbiased. This isn’t just “how business works.” It’s a clear case of regulatory capture.


When someone goes from helping set the rules at TAF, to cashing in at a big AMC like Clear Capital, and then lands at the ASC to oversee the whole system—that’s not just a coincidence. That’s a broken system working exactly how it was designed to benefit insiders.


In most industries, there are at least rules in place—cooling-off periods, ethics boards, conflict disclosures. In appraisal, it’s a free-for-all. The same people writing the standards are turning around and profiting from them, then stepping into oversight roles pretending to be neutral. That doesn’t protect the public—it protects the pipeline.


And let’s be real: if this was happening in banking, accounting, or law, people would call it out immediately. In appraisal, they just say, “Well, that’s business.” No—it’s a conflict of interest, plain and simple. And the only people getting burned are the working appraisers trying to follow the rules while the game keeps changing above their heads.

Unfortunately, that is exactly how business works.

 

[Mejappz]

Unfortunately, that is exactly how business works.

Not ethical ones.

 

[George Hatch]

Nobody is denying the connections. What people are denying is what alternative resumes would have had the same or similar qualifications and experience.

If someone is going to be selected to serve on either the ASB or the AQB wherein the high level of competency with USPAP is a necessary attribute, how do you go about finding candidates who have such qualifications and experience who didn't previously teach those courses for money? Because I think it unreasonable to consider a candidate who has little or no such competency or experience to serve in those positions. One of the requisites for even taking the Instructor's Course was having teaching experience, and even with that the cumulative pass ratio is somewheres in the 50% range. Not 100%. So not just anyone knows WTF they're talking about with the underlying concepts and principles of the material - which that's the level of competency the ASB members are supposed to be acting.

Who else BUT an appraiser with a combination of fee appraising and institutional level staff appraising and review should Freddie have hired to fill the role DW is in right now? Who else BUT an appraiser who is a UAD familiar should be hired to promulgate that program at the corporate level?

"This setup sucks"
Okay, but "compared to what?". Because "compared to perfect" isn't among the available alternatives. And neither is "compared to free" among the available alternatives.

 

[DWiley]

The main reason Danny would get recruited by AMC is influence at the AF. He brings other expertise but his main value is influence.

Now THAT made me laugh out loud TAF was never so happy to see someone's term expire

 

[chad hampton]

I’ve seen what big business does to small business over the last 40-50 years.
I knew when AMC‘s were handed the bulk of the work they were not gonna be happy keeping 20%, they did it for a couple years to get their foot in the door, but the whole time scheming to find a way to flip those numbers. Get a few USPAP “experts” on the payroll, throw them in the Revaa room and what comes out is something called a property data collector. Something that was unthinkable 20 years ago. I’d at least have a little more respect for them if they just admitted it. Maybe not.

 

[George Hatch]

So is it your opinion that there was some aspect of law, rule, regulation or appraisal standard that existed in 1990 that would have prevented the use of the Hybrid appraisal or 3rd party data collectors at the GSEs or indeed among any of the regulated lenders at that time? and that the only reason those alternatives exist now is as a result of some more recent change in USPAP or any law or rule? And not user discretion?

Because if that's what you have been thinking then you're wrong. Factually incorrect.

 

[DWiley]

Something that was unthinkable 20 years ago.

Actually, the concept of using data collection in lieu of personal inspection goes back longer than 20 years. What we now call a "hybrid" was used, just not in the GSE space, which is the primary space some residential appraisers work in.

 

[Mejappz]

You can always create your own comparables if needed. Splash Cash, waivers, PDCs, hybrids—it's party time!.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1927882049030865320