Ever Wondered Who's Selling Us Out?

[rescom]

I thought that must have been a mistake, but you're right, it's all there in black & white.

I sent an e-mail voicing my displeasure at they're making the trade essentially worthless in the eyes of the lending community.

Dave..

Not so sure its appropriate for you to be commenting on another appraisers website content Dave. If I remember correctly, yours is not exactly held in high regard by the members of this forum, and isn't exactly doing the profession any good.

 

[Kevin Mc]

So, what violation do you believe this firm/appraiser have commited.?
Or are we just now going round to every appraisers website and reporting evey suspicious thing we find.?

Dean

Trainee can't own the company for one thing in FLA.. Having two different fee schedules is rather suspect as well. I won't even get into the fees this jerk is charging (I know there is no law issue with fees). someone should drive over and smack this dolt upside the head. You have a website Dean?.....

 

[Delta85]

Question: Since when is a company's pricing considered "selling out"? Pricing of services by an independent business entity is an individual business consideration. It is not something that is voted on and agreed to by the appraisal business community. If there is collusion to artificially maintain high prices, that is call "price fixing".

I would be very careful attacking someone because of their "pricing" schedule. To criticize someone for unethical conduct or violation of USPAP standards is one thing. To attempt to pressure them or set them apart or create a higher cost to the consumer is walking on very, very thin ice. You really don't want to go there.

If you have time to worry about the competitions pricing and post it here plus email Pam, you obviously have too much time on your hands and need to tend to your own business or lack of it.

All of this carping about the low fees and what other appraisers are charging sounds like a bunch of 3 and 4 year olds complaining that someone else got more juice than they did.

Time to grow up.

I agree. These are tough times and in many areas there are simply too many appraisers and not enough work to go around. Pricing your product to be competitive is an obvious and honest tactic. Do low fees indicate bad work? Maybe. We don't know that. We only know low fees are being offered. Everyone must decide what they are willing to produce a report for. I don't see any of the heavy hitter appraisers with dozens of loyal clients and contacts spreading the work around. And I'll bet none of the appriasers here balking at someone offerring a reduced fee would share their work with a starving appraiser.

 

[xmtpedprl]

??? Of course it's appropriate, that's not even an applicable commentary.

Res, I don't care what anyone thinks of my site, but I'll tell you one thing:

We ain't cheap. Never have been We're keeping the fees high, and the quality higher. No loss of value coming from my shop. None.

There is, however, a clear cut devaluation of the trade occurring at theirs. For sure.

And listen, as consensus is never where it's at, ever. I can say what I like about another's site, same as you're free to do with mine. We may agree, disagree, doesn't matter, not a bit.

Why do certain here veer towards a 'loss of rights' whenever it suits their desires...? I have lost no rights, nor have you, and my criticism was, indeed, appropriate.

I might be one of the most vocal supporters of HIGHER fees around, more so than most, and fighting for them every day. I'm also one of the most vocal advocates of fighting for the fining of LO offenders, perpetrators of appraisal pressure, too. Nothing is being done for the time being (other than useless chatter and letter writing), so in the meantime, while those who have power to do something but do nothing, allowing the inmates run the financial asylum, I'll work things my way, keep my business afloat, and produce nothing but ethical reports. I sincerely hope you do the same, and all shall be well.

Dave...

 

[TN Pro]

Trainee can't own the company for one thing in FLA.. Having two different fee schedules is rather suspect as well. I won't even get into the fees this jerk is charging (I know there is no law issue with fees). someone should drive over and smack this dolt upside the head. You have a website Dean?.....

Yes i have a website, and my number is on there. If you have a problem with it, call me personally.

Someone should go over and smack this dolt upside the head?
Why dont you go down there and help us all out.

While it may be stupid to charge the fees he is, its not against the law. If he believes in can make up in volume what he lacks in fees, well, thats up to him. Its not how i do business, but every man to his own.
Listen, i hate stupid unethical appraisers as much as the next man, but at this point no-one knows if he is up to no good.
But don't worry, Pams on the job! Because now that all of the good honest ethical appraisers have been forced to leave the business, someone has to clean up the slime that remains.

Dean

 

[Bearslide]

I agree. These are tough times and in many areas there are simply too many appraisers and not enough work to go around. Pricing your product to be competitive is an obvious and honest tactic. Do low fees indicate bad work? Maybe. We don't know that. We only know low fees are being offered. Everyone must decide what they are willing to produce a report for. I don't see any of the heavy hitter appraisers with dozens of loyal clients and contacts spreading the work around. And I'll bet none of the appriasers here balking at someone offerring a reduced fee would share their work with a starving appraiser.

What someone charges is their business. I learned long ago I could not compete with our local sweat shops on fees. I opted to compete with them on quality. Works for me.

BUT - don't be so sure that there are not appraisers on this site sharing leads and good clients with one another. It's called networking, sharing, supporting, whatever - and we don't need no stinkin AMC or fee split shop either. I think you might be surprised at what goes on behind the scenes and who is stretching out a helping hand.

 

[xmtpedprl]

You're right about one thing, Dean: Good appraisers are leaving this trade. I know of a good man, so honest he was unable to compete in our OVERloaded (for appraisers) Chicago area market, and he's done.

He's been very kind to me, and I value his friendship (you know who you are, bud), and it's the loss of people such as he that make me even angrier that nothing is being done about the value pressure scum out there.

Until something is done, well, I'll spin my webs and play my games with these idjits in hopes of making it to the end of this most unfortunate period of time in the financial history of America. Won't stretch a value or tender a misleading report, either.

BUT for damn sure, one thing I won't do is lower our fees beyond what they are now, which is still top of the heap for Northern Illinois. We create LEGAL documents, and I can't, under any circumstances, forget that.

Dave...

 

[Chelley Bahner]

You know, this is a business. We don't have the employee luxury of complaining to a union. Supply and demand, people!! You can't demand more money when the supply of appraisers is excessive. Sheesh. There's a lot of fast food restaurants out there. Taco Bell recently developed a "$1 Menu" so they can compete more with McDonald's. The same holds true for any business. Come on, demand has to exceed supply first. We're appraisers. We know this. This is why AMCs really get away with what they charge. All they have to do is move down to the next name on the list...

 

[Delta85]

What someone charges is their business. I learned long ago I could not compete with our local sweat shops on fees. I opted to compete with them on quality. Works for me.

BUT - don't be so sure that there are not appraisers on this site sharing leads and good clients with one another. It's called networking, sharing, supporting, whatever - and we don't need no stinkin AMC or fee split shop either. I think you might be surprised at what goes on behind the scenes and who is stretching out a helping hand.

I'm sure you are right. There are probably some. I know I've contacted some of the more established appraisers and appraisal companies in my area (who I know for a fact are still very busy) and have gotten the cold shoulder when I've asked if there was any work available. So being competitive in fees is a way to keep afloat. There are only so many ways to market yourself.

 

[xmtpedprl]

There are too many lawyers, many not doing much of anything, yet I do not, and have not, seen them cutting their fees.

Dave...