Geo Competency.30 mile rule, really?

[Sid Holderly]

Today I am heading out 40 miles to a neighboring county set. Most underwriters and AMC's are in buildings with more people than this county has. I go where it is cost effective for me to go. I do not regularly go to the nearest city of more than 50,000 because there are too many appraisers there that will do it for much less than I. More and more picky on what I accept. I like to look it up on the County GIS before I accept any stated fee. About 1/3 of my clients allow me to charge a reasonable fee of my choice.

 

[FalconfanKen]

I consider geo-competency a complicated issue because as everyone here is expressing, a certain mileage rule might make sense in one area but not in another. Myself, I moved to another county but still work in the counties where I have over 10 years invested. I like my counties and don't plan to change them, enough that I am willing to drive farther. I've thought about this many times. I can't see where anyone can come up with a rule that makes sense across the board.

 

[Don Clark]

I consider geo-competency a complicated issue because as everyone here is expressing, a certain mileage rule might make sense in one area but not in another. Myself, I moved to another county but still work in the counties where I have over 10 years invested. I like my counties and don't plan to change them, enough that I am willing to drive farther. I've thought about this many times. I can't see where anyone can come up with a rule that makes sense across the board.

The only "Rule" that makes sense is the Competency Rule in USPAP. Everything else is a moot subject.

 

[Mile High Trout]

zzzzzzzzzz

 

[George Hatch]

They're responding to complaints about appraisers coming from too far away to work in areas they're not familiar with.

 

[factsandtruth]

AMCs and agents in the near future will claim there is an appraiser shortage because of lack geo-competency. "We can't find an appraiser within 25miles there is a shortage of appraisers, the ones 20miles away don't know my area." Really...relax appraiser rules....that's what they will say.

 

[OSU Beavers]

Woo hoo! I just got an order that stated on it "Please assign to: *Me* due to mileage requirements." I guess out of state skippy was too far away for the funding lender.

 

[Joyce Potts]

Why is it that states issue licenses BY STATE. Doesn't that infer the appraiser is licensed to appraise within the entire state? If competency is going to be determined by geo boundaries, why don't the states issue licenses by counties or other geographic sub-areas?

I cover all of Volusia County on the east coast of Florida. The problem becomes that in addition to being a member of the Mid-Florida (Orlando) Regional MLS, if you cover the beaches you really have to belong to both the Daytona Beach AND New Smryna Boards of Realtors to access their MLS's. For years those Realtors have maintained a turf war that has made it more expensive for appraisers who cover those areas. Daytona and New Smryna are ADJACENT to each other, with the exception of Ponce Inlet and other water tributaries. This is the ONLY good thing I see coming out of the increasing use of Matrix/CoreLogic MLS as I see them going state, country and global. In fact, just downloand the app Realtor.com. I love that damn thing.

 

[J Grant]

Licensing has nothing to do with competency for specific assignment . Licensing means an appraiser met the education and criminal records requirements and paid a fee to be licensed to practice. (as in other fields)

I personally would not consider myself competent to do an appraisal halfway across the state in an area I don't know nor have MLS access. If I were to take such an assignment on, I'd need access to their MLS data and enough time to research to do a credible job. Why in the world would anyone engage me to do that if they have local competent appraisers is the question. Appraisers are expected to use sound judgment regarding what assignments they are competent in regarding their own experience, ability and access to sufficient data.

 

[Brian Weaver]

The only "Rule" that makes sense is the Competency Rule in USPAP. Everything else is a moot subject.

Correct.

From the AMC audits that I'm conducting, there's a wide gulf between what most AMCs require under "geo-competency" and what a select few AMCs are requiring.