Much of the current attorney bankruptcy work is Chapter 13 at this time. Some of these borrowers end up with an FHA mortgage once the Chapter 13 is a year old with current payments. The trustee then approves a refinance and any payoffs on the final HUD-1, if there is cash out are distributed by the trustee. Some of these attorneys refer their clients to loan officers they are familiar with for the actual FHA loan. I review these type of FHA loans on a pretty regular basis. This may be an area you might focus your research on. On the front end, I could see why the attorney might choose to use an alternative to an appraisal. I'm not a USPAP expert, but perhaps some type of limited report could be marketed up front with the idea of a full appraisal down the road. I'm sure others will chime in, but I doubt anyone currently successful in this market is going to aid the competition so to speak. I would also read up on the bankruptcy laws as it has some bearing on where you should be looking.
Try looking for attorney mixers, continuing education, and professional functions. Talk to some attorneys instead of always pitching them for the business. You may find a few who can give you a little insight on how they network, much like we network here on AF. Remember, attorneys specialize much like appraisers do. Some do corporate, some are PI, some are patent, some are real estate, and of course some are criminal along with many others I can't think of.
