Here’s my original email to Freddie/Fannie that made them want to talk to me directly about the URAR redesign…from an appraiser stand point.
To whom this may concern;
As a licensed appraiser, I have been analyzing the new design of the URAR and also contemplating issues of appraisals taking too long. My comments, I’m sure, will not be taken into consideration. However, the proposed resign of URAR will take far more time to complete than the current form. I have gone through the pages available for viewing and all I have to say is why?
The form being updated most certainly does not have appraiser input, because why would an appraiser want to add more time, per report, with their current workload? Secondly, how is this going to benefit reduced time for appraisals when the proposed form will take longer to fill? Seems like conflicting issues. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to see that problem!
Third, this form is going to force me to find another career path. The level of detail per room that is going to be required is so mind numbing. The dwelling interior form wants to me to state flooring type in each room and then generalize it in a separate dwelling interior section for both quality and condition again? That’s double entry. Fourth, what does it matter what the condition of each room is? A C3 is generally a C3 throughout and same with a C4. How can you give condition ratings of a house and have multiple different answers? That’s going to cause a lot of red flags and additional questions. Fifth, not only is their additions detailed improvements sections, now you want additional detailed commentary for each picture? More sections to fill equal more problems for errors.
Like I said, it may be time to find another career path for myself. I understand kitchen/bathroom updates could be clarified separately, but adding in separate sections for condition, ceiling height, counter material, etc for each room is excessive. If I had any viable input, the only thing I would change is have a simple checkbox list of each building component to state if something has been updated or not. These include HVAC, roof, water heater, electric, cabinets, flooring, appliances, windows, etc. Basically big ticket items that have contributory value. All of that detailed nonsense per room is exhausting.
A lot of appraisers are either going to quit or simply make up canned forms to avoid all of this additional data input which will cause errors. Stick with the basics and highlight components have bring contributory value. I certainly would not want to add comments after having to click through all the required details.
If the point is to have an industry of click form appraisers that want to rush to get through the questions and be too exhausted to analyze, then this form absolutely does it! Good job, folks! Let the red tape begin. I just hope that the lenders won’t require additional comments with all this added data input.
My last and final opinion, keep is basic. The only issue I have ever had, repeatedly, in houses is that a homeowner may change all the important items like HVAC, electrical, roofing, plumbing and windows but never update the interior or vice versa where a homeowner updates all of the cosmetic but none of the big ticket items as stated above. The issue of C3-C4 has always been a problem because their should be one in the middle. Either case of updates are relevant, but the problem I see in this industry is that cosmetic updates bring higher value than mechanical updates that make a home function efficiently for longer which costs just as much. All this other crap of floor type per room and condition per room is superfluous.
And while your at it, force a change in the real estate agent world. Make them add more photos and detail for comps! RE agents need way more regulation than we do. Agents are sloppy and they should be legally bound to ethics regulations. Why is it fair that I should have to blur out photos and refrain from certain “bias” language when they can show images of humans and use words such as desirable, prominent, highly sought after, good neighborhood, mother in law suite, man’s cave, etc….it’s just plain hypocrisy and a double standard.
Lindsey
No matter how well we eventually adapt to the new format, the initial "learning curve" will be a bit of a cluster****. I only hope that the software providers are up to it and have some useful training set up (read: NOT simply a bunch of "watch these videos" hints). 
