• Welcome to AppraisersForum.com, the premier online  community for the discussion of real estate appraisal. Register a free account to be able to post and unlock additional forums and features.

On being on the VA panel as a fee appraiser.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Have you considered reducing you area to just one county and stay on the panel? It is much easier to add counties later than to get back on the panel.
Yeah, they will do that for you usually. I think it's easier to shrink area like if you are running behind than it is to increase area if they are already full in other areas.
 
It depends what your options are. If working with AMC's then VA is probably great. If you live and work in higher cost areas and have clients that bank the people in that area then VA is not competitive.
 
Both your comments about choosing zip codes and who is paying over $600 for a standard home lead me to wonder much.

We cannot choose zip codes in Northern CA. Never have been able to. You get the entire county. No choice.

Who is paying more than $600 for a standard home? Every AMC and direct lender up here. Been getting $750 to $1,000 for every AMC job.

SMH.
I am a VA appraiser in San Diego -technically North County. I am required to cover all of San Diego County. However, when I was added to the panel, I told the VA I could service Temecula and Murrieta which are in South Riverside County (I think there are four zip codes total). I do not cover any other areas of Riverside County. Maybe this is different in other areas?
 
5 years from now when there's not enough work to go around you're going to feel differently about how unfair it was for VA to pay you $600 for everything you appraise.
5-years (2026) with no fee increase since 2017 is equivalent to $350 for an appraisal. Not great.

How about adding to your list: VA lack of transparency and responding to appraiser's emails?
 
Last edited:
5-years (2026) with no fee increase since 2017 is equivalent to $350 for an appraisal. Not great.

How about adding to your list: VA lack of transparency and responding to appraiser's emails?
The last part is kind of funny. They don't even look at order notes and Ive never had an inquiry responded to there. Email is about a 10% chance of a response and it usually takes 3-5 days...In fact I had a loan officer cancel one about 3 weeks ago, she left notes in the order and sent two emails, I left notes in the order and sent two emails..still sitting in my queue like glue. A direct phone call solves all problems..but I hate the phone. I'd rather text them:)
 
5-years (2026) with no fee increase since 2017 is equivalent to $350 for an appraisal. Not great.

How about adding to your list: VA lack of transparency and responding to appraiser's emails?
Well ... probably not. Depends on the rate of inflation. $350 in 2012 is worth $404 today - an increase of 15.4% due to inflation (see the calculator linked below).

My own average fees have gone up 50% over the same time period. They will certainly go down quite a bit when the refi binge ends - but we've planned for that and hope y'all have too. ;)

 
Well ... probably not. Depends on the rate of inflation. $350 in 2012 is worth $404 today - an increase of 15.4% due to inflation (see the calculator linked below).

My own average fees have gone up 50% over the same time period. They will certainly go down quite a bit when the refi binge ends - but we've planned for that and hope y'all have too. ;)

My point, as I am sure you are well aware, is that VA appraisal fees are not keeping up with inflation. Furthermore, are you predicting that todays the inflation rate is not going to increase dramatically in the next 2-6-years?

Also, what is the percentage of the appraisal fee as it compares to home prices?
 
My point, as I am sure you are well aware, is that VA appraisal fees are not keeping up with inflation. Furthermore, are you predicting that todays the inflation rate is not going to increase dramatically in the next 2-6-years?

Also, what is the percentage of the appraisal fee as it compares to home prices?
That likely depends on location. In very homogeneous locations, they are probably good. In very heterogeneous locations, not so good. But that applies in general as I think OP is referring. She is in a very complex market it seems. Like where it might take 3 hours to measure a house and site improvements. Rural can be even more complex than where she is. Shelby County is a very heterogeneous area. Planning and development has a bunch to do with how heterogeneous the county is. Poor planning and development. I have been in other states. They are very well designed where I could knock out two a day in many locations. That's govt side. Poor planning and development can be blamed on govt.
 
Last edited:
Let her try rural in many areas of TN. She will feel blessed. Shelby County is wicked (heterogeneous) in general because of how poorly it was designed by what govt allowed.
 
Last edited:
That likely depends on location. In very homogeneous locations, they are probably good. In very heterogeneous locations, not so good. But that applies in general as I think OP is referring. She is in a very complex market it seems. Like where it might take 3 hours to measure a house and site improvements. Rural can be even more complex than where she is. Shelby County is a very heterogeneous area. Planning and development has a bunch to do with how heterogeneous the county is. Poor planning and development. I have been in other states. They are very well designed where I could knock out two a day in many locations. That's govt side. Poor planning and development can be blamed on govt.
Yup. Those "homogeneous locations" are where an appraising business can become very successful with the right clients and system to exploit the opportunities during a time of low rates.

So there's really two types of residential appraisers out there, largely based on location - the "bedroom community" specialist and the "complex property" rural/complex multi-mil $ specialist. Where there is overlap in market area is probably where the clients do not offer to pay nearly enough to the latter because they are so used to paying lower fees for the former type of property....
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Find a Real Estate Appraiser - Enter Zip Code

Copyright © 2000-, AppraisersForum.com, All Rights Reserved
AppraisersForum.com is proudly hosted by the folks at
AppraiserSites.com
Back
Top