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July 2008 ASC Q&a- Wink Wink Comp Comp

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Webbed,

I agree about responsibility and - on a report integrity basis - I'd feel real sorry for everyone who uses those portal programs if they weren't given the means to duplicate what's being sent to the client and had no way of knowing what the clients were getting. However, I don't think that's the case. I know that I can write a report in their format that will transfer over exactly as it shows up on my screen - minus the printing variables (font, spacing, etc), of course. Inasmuch as I'm not a power user of AppraisalPort I wonder how it is the power users who use it every day claim they can't do the same?

BTW, those forms we all use for residential reports? They weren't developed by an appraisal entity and none of the professional orgs or TAF signed off on them, either. They were developed by a user of appraisals who told us all to either use them or not accept the assignments. We ended up using them, even though we don't like them.

So pardon me if I don't get any more excited about the limitations of this electronic format than any other format, or if I reserve the right to assume that FNC is changing the analyses, opinions and conclusions in the reports until I see some evidence indicating a pattern of such misconduct.

eAppraiseIT got caught cracking appraisal reports open and as far as I'm concerned should have been immediately banned at WaMu and every other lender, including Fannie. If you guys can show me that FNC actually was a direct participant in that - which may very well be - then I'll be all in favor of banning them at the GSEs and everywhere else, too. I just haven't seen the smoking gun for that yet.

But those accusations involve misconduct at a specific company, not electronic file formats or portal companies in general.
 
Mr. Hatch,

When did Fannie slap limits on how many exhibits, maps, photo pages, or other reporting options that should be controled by the real estate appraisers? When did Fannie create a system that does not physically show to an appraiser what is going to happen until AFTER that appraiser gets their report complete and then clicks on a demanded conversion module that proceeds to strip out stuff the appraiser did not want stripped out? Along with the appraiser's digital signature that is supposedly going to be reattached on the other end faithfully to something that may, or may not, be what is being shown to that appraiser on his end?

I have never said FNC is doing anything wrong. I am saying the responsibility cut off point should be just PRIOR to the appraiser clicking on that conversion module... not just after doing so as the ASB just made it. The appraisers should be allowed to first create a PDF of what they created, exactly as they created it. Then these portals should be required to accept an upload of the PDF the appraiser created and their demanded conversion at the same time. If they want to immediately delete the PDF and not keep it, that is their issue. But the appraiser should have no responsibility at all, whatsoever, for the demanded conversion. Regardless of if it takes place in the appraiser's computer or somewhere else.

I appreciate your thoughts regarding seeing some evidence of a pattern of misconduct. Respectifully however, no appraiser should be asked to afford to find out about a pattern of misconduct a couple of years after they have already been involved in conversions they now find themselves responsible for and have their E&O on the hook for. Nor are any of us paid for the time it takes to first type up a report, that is on our screens in one version, and then at the very last instant when we think we are done with our reports, end up having a completely different version slapped in our faces for our responsibility to determine any "misleading" aspects all over again. Not when we were already done with our work. You've ignored the fact we do not "work" in these modules while creating our reports. These modules are applied as an afterthought generally just prior to transmission of the reports.

Honestly, I could care less if any of them are very honest or total mafia. It is not my job to determine what they are in that regard. But that is why I want my responsibility to end with the report that I created, not some version of that report that their modules and web portals created out of what I created.

Webbed.
 
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Webbed,

With respect, if you're going to tell me that you've never had to go through a learning curve with respect to what your formsware or pdf conversions would be able to handle I'd have to call you on that one.

I fail to see what difference the liability question makes between when a client requests it as a pdf - that you assemble on your computer - vs. a portal format conversion that's also assembled on your computer. You're not building the report in either format; they're both conversions. If it works for you, you can even call them both "printers".

If a client required that you send a hard copy, you'd probably end up converting the file to a pdf first and then print from the pdf. That way you could keep the pdf. I really don't see the difference between running your formsware output through the portal conversion and then either printing it from there or printing another pdf of the same thing for yourself.

I doubt these portal programs are going away any time soon. The clients apparently like being able to cross deck the data directly from the appraisal reports into their other processes, including their loan docs, underwriting docs, QC reviews and yes, most likely their AVMs.

Exactly what does a portal company have to do to get around the current objections? If they put a "print" button on the conversion viewer that will basically gut the WYSIWYG angle. Add Woodyva's beloved TOC Addendum form so that he doesn't feel like he's wearing briefs. Support a larger written addendum file. Copy the entire file without the signature - which they probably already do - so they can populate the rest of the client's files. That one would leave your signature integrity intact if it hasn't been all along anyway.

None of this is a matter of "If". What will the objections and points of leverage be then?
 
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Exactly what does a portal company have to do to get around the current objections? If they put a "print" button on the conversion viewer that will basically gut the WYSIWYG angle. Add Woodyva's beloved TOC Addendum form so that he doesn't feel like he's wearing briefs.


George:

You are funny, I don't think i have laughe dthat hard in many days. When you say it like that it sounds unimportant. I am serious, that was funny.:rof:
 
woodyva said:
WTF? If I did not know better I would say that is a joke, but I bet it is not.
Click to expand...
If I can get a discount on Bulk I would buy them give them out as gifts to my clients...........Either they will appreciate it, or use it as a starter log in the fireplace. :rof:
 
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