Corelogic Just Acquired Alamode

[ucbruin]

Truthfully, if you don't think an income of $125,000-$150,000 is a good living, especially in a relatively low cost state such as NC, then you must have one hell of an entitlement mentality.

... which is just stupid and represents the mentality of someone who feels highly entitled.

Appraisers as a group look really stupid when they constantly spew these sorts of allegations with no basis whatsoever...it also makes it less likely that their complaints will be taken seriously when they actually do have a legitimate complaint.

What I cannot stand is comments from appraisers that make my profession look silly or stupid or which show an entitlement attitude and will call it like I see it and mock such posts at my discretion...what you think of me doing that really does not affect me one way or another.

What did that accomplish except make you look unhinged and unprofessional to whomever took your call?

I am guessing that your emotional outburst wherein you berated some poor phone jockey ended up being no substitute for a solid business plan to diversify your business.

Since this thread appears to have made a pivot....

While you may have some valid points to share and point out....
You are just as guilty as anyone one else on the AF making the appraisal industry look silly or stupid....
Some may appear to be the emotional type....
While others may appear to be p***ks....
I'm assuming you're not the emotional type....

And I'm not basing my opinion solely on this thread....
There have been sooooo many other threads....

 

[timd354]

Since this thread appears to have made a pivot....

While you may have some valid points to share and point out....
You are just as guilty as anyone one else on the AF making the appraisal industry look silly or stupid....
Some may appear to be the emotional type....
While others may appear to be p***ks....
I'm assuming you're not the emotional type....

And I'm not basing my opinion solely on this thread....
There have been sooooo many other threads....

I don't suffer fools lightly and that makes me a prick in your eyes, so be it..somehow I will find a way to survive

 

[George Hatch]

Regardless of who did or didn't think this evolution was coming that's all moot now. It doesn't matter whether we approve or disapprove of these trends they're going to occur regardless. Not because of anything we did or didn't do, but because it is the nature of business to seek the opportunities out and exploit them as much as possible.

Which is what anyone who intends to be a survivor should be doing right now. You can't stop the rain, but you can pick up an umbrella.

 

[lefty2cox]

Tim

I actually agree with you... I too am turned off by any appraiser with a sense of entitlement. Entitlement is an employee mentality and I am not an employee, I am a business owner.

Years ago when this all started I did what a business owner would do. I did not do business with companies I thought were competing with me. What about that exhibits a sense of entitlement?

But I don't think that Eddie's post represented any sort of entitlement attitude. He is simply making an observation.

Frankly, I don't think any of the posts you responded to exhibited an entitlement attitude. They just had some facts wrong at which point you attacked them offering no insight other than you spent a little more time on the internet than they did.

And as far as my displeasure with alamode is concerned, I take umbrage with any company who directly competes with there customer. Have you ever tried to buy something on the internet from a reputable manufacturer? Ever notice the button "find a dealer"? Ever wonder why that even exists? Because a reputable company does not directly compete with their customer. They direct you to one of their dealers because they know it's bad business to compete directly with their customer, the dealer. Maybe if you were a business owner you would recognize that.

Alamode's entry into the appraisal management realm was a direct slap in the face to their customers who had given them, in my case, 10's of thousand of dollars over the years. If you can't see that as a problem, I don't know what to say. You obviously never owned a business and I'm not going to waste my time explaining it to you.

And thank you for making my point. Just like Pete, you have no skin in the game. You're an employee. "chief appraiser at a major secondary market entity"? You have no business on this thread. Go back to punching the clock.

You're a staff appraiser. You're not a business owner. You have no business on this thread...say Hi to Pete for me in the break room Monday.

 

[EddieB]

What I cannot stand is comments from appraisers that make my profession look silly or stupid or which show an entitlement attitude and will call it like I see it and mock such posts at my discretion...what you think of me doing that really does not affect me one way or another.

What exactly have I posted that is silly or stupid? Much of what I have posted is being reiterated by others you have not mocked

 

[Renee Healion]

Just a few of the companies acquired by CoreLogic here and in AU.

AlaMode
eTech Solutions
Myriad Development
Clareity Security
Mercury Network
Eqecat
RELS
Cordell Information
Landsafe Appraisal
Weather Fusion
Dorado Corp
CDS Business Mapping
Tarasoft
DataQuick
BasePoint Analytics
Marshall & Swift
FNC
RP Data

And the acquisitions and consolidation before a sale: Mercury acquires Platinum DS 2016, then Appraisal Scope 2017, etc.

To the Popcorn Bruhs Yes, it was discussed, and reported, and some more kindly and often pointed the signs (Unca' Non, fo sure). Still, this is a tipping point and you should be able to better distinguish it from long-running historic complaints. The usual clowns call appraisers "Partners" as though we're equals, but one made it a point to call us "Friends" and claim themselves for years as our champion. So, even if the handwriting was on the wall, permit people here the moment to feel betrayed.

 

[miktay]

The "popcorn and beer brothers" can mock all they wish but believing this concentration in our profession will not affect them in due time is akin to an ostrich looking for a hole instead of at the whole.

Well said.
I was thinking the same thing.

 

[EddieB]

I'm guessing that you disagree with eddieB? It looks to me to be the case but I also infer that you think he's crazy?

He is also a lawyer in case he hasn't told you yet.

Truthfully, I do respect his position and knowledge of the industry. He has an impressive resume that no one can deny. I do not agree with him on many issues and his tact is another thing but forum style communication does lead to misinterpretations at times

 

[lefty2cox]

He is also a lawyer in case he hasn't told you yet.

Jack of all...master of none.

 

[Michigan CG]

This profession was supposed to end in the 1970's according to my mentor.

This profession was definitely going to end when AMCs took over.

No doubt the profession was going to end when UAD came about.

Last year when it was announced that some appraisals wouldn't be needed because of appraisal waivers the world had almost come to a stop.

The world HAS to end when the threshold is raised to $400,000 and the commercial threshold is raised to $500,000.

Now that FA owns ACI and with alamode being purchased by Corelogic we might only have days until we are headed to the soup lines.

I am going to guess that alamode has about 30,000 appraisers using their software, maybe more. At an average of $500 for each appraiser that is revenue of $15,000,000 per year. We don't know what Corelogic paid for alamode but it was a substantial number. Would they make a substantial investment so they could eliminate appraisers? That would be a dumb idea. They are in the data business and do very well at it to the tune of over $1,000,000,000 last year. That is what they do.

In order for them to have data they need appraisers to keep feeding the beast which means appraisal jobs are secure. We all know the MLS is many times wrong and we all know that public records are many times wrong.

What is amazing is that for over 30 years the appraisal industry or lending work was going to end and few are doing anything about it and most are taking the easy way out by not enhancing their abilities or knowledge but by further dumbing down their product.

In the last ten years there have been cries over the industry ending or changing dramatically yet the majority of appraisers have not tried to get into other aspects of the business or to learn how to compete in other aspects of the business. With the sky is falling mentality one would think the number of people pursuing a designation would be higher than ever but it isn't.

Will business change? Sure, it most likely will but I don't see the 1004 being eliminated any time soon. There will be less need for the 1004 but it will survive. The addition of these new products will be sorted out by supply and demand. The $65 desktop won't last and supply and demand will most likely push that fee higher.