For Matt/dave Biggers

[Ahhhh Yeahhhh]

This is a post I made on another forum. I re-post it here in hopes of reaching a larger audience.

Remember when I told Matt Biggers that his dad's company should quit doing XML, ENV and pluggins? Remember I told him that they were developing this crap at the whelm of FNMA and random clients and not at the wishes of THEIR clients (us). They laughed at me.

Had alamode shut down producing XML, ENV files and shutdown the client pluggins we wouldn't be worried about any collateral underwriter, AVM, or any of the crap that the appraisal industry is shaking about today.

I hope Matt still reads this forum from time to time. Matt, if you read this encourage the ones in charge at alamode to seriously consider SHUTTING DOWN THE PRODUCTION OF ALL FILE FORMATS THAT ALLOW PARSING OF DATA SUCH AS XML, UAD, ENV, PLUGGINS ETC. THESE WERE NOT ASKED FOR BY YOUR CLIENTS BUT WERE DEMANDED BY THE ONES WITH THE BIG MONEY. YOUR CLIENTS (US) FOOTED THE BILL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOFTWARE THAT PRODUCES THESE FILE TYPES. THE ENTIRE ECONOMY OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ENTIRE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY RESTS ON THE ABILITY OF ALAMODE TO MAKE ONE DECISION. IF ALAMODE SAYS TODAY WE SHUT OFF THE UAD, XML, ENV AND ALL PLUGGINS THE ENTIRE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY WOULD FLIP OVER AND APPRAISERS WOULD THEN BE IN CONTROL OF OUR DATA. THE AVMS OF THE WORLD WOULD CEASE TO EXIST. COLLATERAL UNDERWRITER WOULD CEASE TO EXIST WITHIN A WEEK. APPRAISERS WOULD MAKE MORE MONEY, YOU WOULD MAKE MORE MONEY, AND THE INVESTMENT KNOWN AS REALESTATE WOULD BE MUCH MORE SECURE FOR US AND OUR DESCENDANTS.

GIVE IT SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT. ITS AN EASY TASK TO ACCOMPLISH. REMEMBER YOUR CLIENTS ARE THE APPRAISERS OF THE WORLD... NOT FNMA.

 

[nstanbru]

Was that in response to Dave's email regarding Smart Exchange?

 

[Mr Rex]

Umm, you know that Alamode is not the only appraisal software company out there don't you? Ridiculous

 

[Deleted member 134708]

This is a post I made on another forum. I re-post it here in hopes of reaching a larger audience.

Remember when I told Matt Biggers that his dad's company should quit doing XML, ENV and pluggins? Remember I told him that they were developing this crap at the whelm of FNMA and random clients and not at the wishes of THEIR clients (us). They laughed at me.

Had alamode shut down producing XML, ENV files and shutdown the client pluggins we wouldn't be worried about any collateral underwriter, AVM, or any of the crap that the appraisal industry is shaking about today.

I hope Matt still reads this forum from time to time. Matt, if you read this encourage the ones in charge at alamode to seriously consider SHUTTING DOWN THE PRODUCTION OF ALL FILE FORMATS THAT ALLOW PARSING OF DATA SUCH AS XML, UAD, ENV, PLUGGINS ETC. THESE WERE NOT ASKED FOR BY YOUR CLIENTS BUT WERE DEMANDED BY THE ONES WITH THE BIG MONEY. YOUR CLIENTS (US) FOOTED THE BILL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOFTWARE THAT PRODUCES THESE FILE TYPES. THE ENTIRE ECONOMY OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ENTIRE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY RESTS ON THE ABILITY OF ALAMODE TO MAKE ONE DECISION. IF ALAMODE SAYS TODAY WE SHUT OFF THE UAD, XML, ENV AND ALL PLUGGINS THE ENTIRE MORTGAGE INDUSTRY WOULD FLIP OVER AND APPRAISERS WOULD THEN BE IN CONTROL OF OUR DATA. THE AVMS OF THE WORLD WOULD CEASE TO EXIST. COLLATERAL UNDERWRITER WOULD CEASE TO EXIST WITHIN A WEEK. APPRAISERS WOULD MAKE MORE MONEY, YOU WOULD MAKE MORE MONEY, AND THE INVESTMENT KNOWN AS REALESTATE WOULD BE MUCH MORE SECURE FOR US AND OUR DESCENDANTS.

GIVE IT SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT. ITS AN EASY TASK TO ACCOMPLISH. REMEMBER YOUR CLIENTS ARE THE APPRAISERS OF THE WORLD... NOT FNMA.

Couple of things; When I read reports in all caps I know their license number starts with a 0000x and they have given up on life because that's not how educated humans write.

Second, on realities terms, here's what reality says; appraiser, if you would like to keep working as one, you better switch to ACI, Bradford, on and on and on, and forgo the $800 you just re-upped and get a new $800 ACI package and keep on spitting out reports where all anyone cares about is 1 tiny rectangle area within the 40 pages.

Reality doesn't care nor work that way.

On the other hand, fairy dust very much works that way. It's why it Is so appealing to 1/2 the population.

 

[Ahhhh Yeahhhh]

Look. Alamode is the boss. Every other software platform tries to copy everything they do.

At the time, if alamode would have said they weren't going to do it... ACI nor bradford would have spent the money. They would have all united and told FNMA to suck it.

Yes, you are right. Alamode isn't the only software provider. But they are the largest by a longshot. If they shut it down tomorrow the industry would wake up. Realtors would listen, FNMA would listen, ALL of the smaller mortgage companies would listen, It would make a HUGE impact.

Think about it... Why did alamode comply with the uad DEMANDS of FNMA? What other DEMANDS will FNMA come up with that ALAMODE will comply with? Did they ask US what we thought about UAD? NO! They ignored their clients and cowered to the demands of a failed institution at OUR expense.

If Alamode would have stepped up, the smaller players would have followed suit.

No. This is not in response to the notsoSMARTEXCHANGE.

Beware of that scam too.

 

[Meandering]

Why do you think Alamode should have forgone it's profits to make you happy? After all, you were going to buy their product anyway. They were just expanding their customer base, which, given that no one was making new appraisers, was just a normal smart business practice.

.

 

[Ahhhh Yeahhhh]

to make ME happy? So... You were in favor of supporting FNMA's demand in regards to XML format and UAD formatting? This is something YOU as the appraiser felt was very important?

I saw it as writing on the wall of making it easier for them to parse OUR data to use against us. This is exactly what they did. Now they are using OUR data that was handed to them by the likes of ALAMODE to grant PIW's where NO appraisal is needed.

Guess how much money alamode makes on a PIW????? Nothing. Guess how much YOU make on a PIW??? Nothing. Guess how much the GSE's make on a PIW??? $75. So every time a PIW is issued it is money out of our pockets, alamode's pockets, and into the GSE pockets using data that was stolen because ALAMODE cowered and agreed to bend to the demands of FNMA.

Why do I point my finger to ALAMODE specifically??? Because they have always touted themselves as standing up for appraisers. They stood up for us during the HVCC although they eventually sold us out when mercury network was sold off and placed into the hands of Corelogic.

All Alamode had to do is say NO. All they had to do was say NO, we are not going to allow the AMC's to use a pluggin with our software. No we are not going to develop the capabilities to deliver a non-secure XML format report that violates USPAP, No, we are not going to develop a delivery program for ENV files. All of these file formats allow the parsing of data and allow the client to manipulate the report to a format you never get to see. All of these file formats benefit ONLY FNMA and ONLY companies looking to sell the data to the AVM giants.

Now, I say again today. If ALAMODE wants to see appraisers in business in 10 years, shut it down today. Shut down delivery in XML format, shut down delivery in ENV format. Trust me, if its a surprise, FNMA will get the picture and will figure out a way to make a loan with a PDF file the exact same way they used to. ACI and Bradford will follow suit because they allways follow Alamode's lead.

Within a week, FNMA will get the point. Alamode will not lose a nickle. Appraisers will be united in a stand against data theft.

If alamode doesn't do this, our industry is doomed. AI started it with AI Ready. Why is Alamode cowering to FNMA rather than listening to their clients. Have you heard of ANY appraiser that called alamode and said .... Here is what I need... I need to produce an XML file??? NO. There is not one single appraiser on the planet that did that.

FNMA put out a very lengthy and very specific direction in regards to the UCDP. They demanded that software vendors comply. No one questioned it. All they had to do was say NO. But they threw us all under the bus to kiss the arse of FNMA. Now they are using it against us and selling OUR data with the PIW for their profits.

 

[Meandering]

You do know that Fannie has access to both your MLS and your assessor's tax records, right?

The "benefit" of having appraiser data is that appraisers are the best bet 'SOMEONE" was actually trained to measure a building and has the software to show the measurements were correct, when the drawing closes.

.

 

[Mr Rex]

What a foolish rant.

 

[Ahhhh Yeahhhh]

You do know that Fannie has access to both your MLS and your assessor's tax records, right?

The "benefit" of having appraiser data is that appraisers are the best bet 'SOMEONE" was actually trained to measure a building and has the software to show the measurements were correct, when the drawing closes.

.

Yep. You are right. So if FNMA has all of this data as well as my appraisal data why was it so important that the files be put into an XML format and submitted in UAD format through the UCDP? Data theft. They just wanted someone to make it easy for them.