Don't ever talk to the owner, as some of you may say.

[James Micozzi]

I always talk to the owner, but that my business decision. I thought this liability alert was kinda funny.

By Claudia Gaglione, Esq., Gaglione, Dolan & Kaplan, National Claims Counsel for LIA Administrators & Insurance Services
Some of the complaints we have seen over the past year included particularly ugly and insulting personal attacks.

These attacks often focus on an appraiser's conduct. Appraisers are frequently accused of being "rude" for not engaging in conversation with homeowners or for declining to answer questions. One appraiser was accused of not knowing the definition of "common courtesy." Another complainant expressed surprise that an appraiser was able to obtain a license, claiming he "barely spoke a word of English."

Other allegations involved perceived disrespect for the subject property. Several complaints alleged that an appraiser used a restroom without permission and failed to flush. One appraiser was accused of "spitting or vomiting" in a bathroom sink. According to one homeowner, "He showed up late for the appointment without an apology and left a disgusting mess behind."

A few complainants even commented on physical appearance. One homeowner stated that when a female appraiser arrived, "her clothes were filthy and she smelled so bad that I did not even want to let her step foot in my home." In another case, a male appraiser was described as "obese," with the complainant asserting that he could not perform a thorough inspection because he could not "fit" into the attic or crawlspace openings.

Receiving notice that a disciplinary proceeding has been initiated is stressful enough. Being accused of negligence or incompetence is difficult. Facing personal attacks on top of that makes the experience even worse.

I can pretty much guarantee that the vast majority of the complaints about the appraiser conduct were after the report was received by the borrower and the "magic" number was not there.

 

[Mark K]

e....Had an appraiser a couple of weeks ago state that prices were getting so high it was becoming hard to even rent. Homeowner lodged a complaint that the appraiser was biased against renters...

I nearly aways kept the conversation to a bare minimum.

OTOH, I've told owners..: "OK, appraisal discussion is off for a few minutes...let me look at your classic car collection (guy had 15 muscle cars under cloth sheets in his barn).

Another time I said the same thing and asked if I could look at the DOZENS of gold and platinum records covering the living room walls. Turns out, the elderly lady was the grandmother of a very famous Hollywood singer and record producer. He always sent his awards to his g-ma.

IMO, if someone has something way cool hanging on the wall, I'll ask about it. People wouldn't hang it out in the open if they weren't proud of it and wanted to show it off.

 

[alebrewer]

I nearly aways kept the conversation to a bare minimum.

OTOH, I've told owners..: "OK, appraisal discussion is off for a few minutes...let me look at your classic car collection (guy had 15 muscle cars under cloth sheets in his barn).

Another time I said the same thing and asked if I could look at the DOZENS of gold and platinum records covering the living room walls. Turns out, the elderly lady was the grandmother of a very famous Hollywood singer and record producer. He always sent his awards to his g-ma.

IMO, if someone has something way cool hanging on the wall, I'll ask about it. People wouldn't hang it out in the open if they weren't proud of it and wanted to show it off.

For sure I'm not advocating being a turd. I've had many of those types of convo's as well. For me, I just think it's important to remember that homeowner doesn't see just an appraiser - they see someone who can make or break their deal. And to TC's point - so long as the deal 'makes' you're their best friend. If the deal falls through because of the appraisal - you're the devil.

 

[George Hatch]

It's not personal, it's just business. I'm polite to everyone I encounter at random. Also doing so with a resident or owner or broker is just me being consistent. I'm not trying to be their friend, though. I'm not on their team, I'm not on my client's team. I'm just the lone gunman trying to line up my shot.

The reason I don't talk about values is because I don't have opinions on value for this property until I get to the end of my process. What I have instead is an open mind, receptive to whatever additional info anyone wants to add to my consideration. I'm trying to avoid the possibility of confirmation bias as best I can.

There are the rare exceptions where the individual is looking for a conflict in order to prompt for a better outcome on the appraisal by way of threatening to complain to my client. I go on offense at that point to actively solicit their input so that I can actively disassemble them in my report - prove their opinion is wrong before they even get an opportunity to complain about it.

 

[shrubberyvaluation]

People tend to take pride in their homes, I won't say anything negative or neutral unless I need to for fact gathering and I word it as positive as possible. Also if they mention something I make sure to name it in the report so they don't claim i missed their California Closets or something.

 

[shrubberyvaluation]

It's not personal, it's just business. I'm polite to everyone I encounter at random. Also doing so with a resident or owner or broker is just me being consistent. I'm not trying to be their friend, though. I'm not on their team, I'm not on my client's team. I'm just the lone gunman trying to line up my shot.

The reason I don't talk about values is because I don't have opinions on value for this property until I get to the end of my process. What I have instead is an open mind, receptive to whatever additional info anyone wants to add to my consideration. I'm trying to avoid the possibility of confirmation bias as best I can.

There are the rare exceptions where the individual is looking for a conflict in order to prompt for a better outcome on the appraisal by way of threatening to complain to my client. I go on offense at that point to actively solicit their input so that I can actively disassemble them in my report - prove their opinion is wrong before they even get an opportunity to complain about it.

If there is too much conflict I would probably turn on back,haven't had this yet, but if I felt I couldn't do an unbiased report out of fear of reprisal I would.

 

[J Grant]

People tend to take pride in their homes, I won't say anything negative or neutral unless I need to for fact gathering and I word it as positive as possible. Also if they mention something I make sure to name it in the report so they don't claim i missed their California Closets or something.

Yes, because the built-in spice rack adds at least 10k! ( according to them)

 

[J Grant]

If there is too much conflict I would probably turn on back,haven't had this yet, but if I felt I couldn't do an unbiased report out of fear of reprisal I would.

I turned down a handful in my career for this reason_ i did not charge anything, and did not demonize the owner or RE agent, I just said I was not comfortable completing the assignment .

 

[Surf Cat]

The inspection is a process, a routine which for me, starts at the very onset with the call to set up the inspection. From introducing myself and letting them know which lender engaged me, to questions about their property, to an explanation of what I'm going to do when I arrive. Doing this in a courteous and professional manner sets up how the inspection is going to go.

If the borrower starts to follow me around and asks questions every 3 seconds... I politely tell them that I need to go through my routine and will answer any questions they may have "that I'm able to" when I'm finished as I don't want to miss any important details or aspects of their property and exclude it from the valuation. Most people get this and comply.

After I conclude my inspection, depending on how the Borrowers ask me the questions ( friendly, genuine or authoritative, demanding) sets me up for how chatty I get with them and what information I'm going to give them. That said, there's times when you have to read the room and let them know you have another inspection that you have to get to..... even though you don't.

 

[Zoe]

I always talk to the owner, but that my business decision. I thought this liability alert was kinda funny.

By Claudia Gaglione, Esq., Gaglione, Dolan & Kaplan, National Claims Counsel for LIA Administrators & Insurance Services
Some of the complaints we have seen over the past year included particularly ugly and insulting personal attacks.

These attacks often focus on an appraiser's conduct. Appraisers are frequently accused of being "rude" for not engaging in conversation with homeowners or for declining to answer questions. One appraiser was accused of not knowing the definition of "common courtesy." Another complainant expressed surprise that an appraiser was able to obtain a license, claiming he "barely spoke a word of English."

Other allegations involved perceived disrespect for the subject property. Several complaints alleged that an appraiser used a restroom without permission and failed to flush. One appraiser was accused of "spitting or vomiting" in a bathroom sink. According to one homeowner, "He showed up late for the appointment without an apology and left a disgusting mess behind."

A few complainants even commented on physical appearance. One homeowner stated that when a female appraiser arrived, "her clothes were filthy and she smelled so bad that I did not even want to let her step foot in my home." In another case, a male appraiser was described as "obese," with the complainant asserting that he could not perform a thorough inspection because he could not "fit" into the attic or crawlspace openings.

Receiving notice that a disciplinary proceeding has been initiated is stressful enough. Being accused of negligence or incompetence is difficult. Facing personal attacks on top of that makes the experience even worse.

I always talk to the owner if I can. Think about it. The owner is a market participant. MV definition requires typically motivated.