Per use fee for Nighthawk

[cashcatz]

At $25 per report my software costs would rise 800% to $6,600 yearly with sales tax. Coupled with my best client's portal fee put me right under $50 to produce and deliver to them before any addons or click fees for flood maps, etc. This industry is too thin to absorb those costs without pain.

The tech fees are BS and should be illegal. If appraisers grew a spine, they would push back on them and maybe put together a class action lawsuit. At min, tell your clients to cut it out with the fees - and that's its both immoral and non-standard in other industries to pass down their cost of doing business as a line item.

 

[djd09]

USPAP does not require use of any form...

 

[Surf Cat]

USPAP does not require use of any form...

Since when do AMC's abide by USPAP?

Revision request: Appraiser to revise client name. Appraiser to revise opinion of value to include adjacent lot. Appraiser to change effective date.

 

[Mark K]

Nobody has to use a company that charges per report !

I'm thinking that this comment won't age well. Likely you won't have a choice if you stay on the F/F plantation.

 

[George Hatch]

The SFR appraisers are getting squeezed from all directions. WAY harder than what has happened to the CGs over the years.

 

[JTip]

I've always surcharged for anything over and above a standard Fannie/Freddie 'hamburger'.

Requesting cost approach (when not necessary), .env file, additional active/pending, I charge for it. Bacon and cheese are not free, but I'm happy to offer it and sell it to them.

 

[RCA]

The awakening: Software is no longer a good business. The way you make money is through a "Managed Service". To be successful, this often takes a big company with political clout. Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL and Azure Database are built on MySQL GPLv2. They do not have to distribute MySQL to customers, and thus are free of GPLv2 license restrictions. They only sell the service. Amazon RDS also uses MariaSQL, same story. WordPress is GPLv2 - and you know how many businesses are based on that. SAAS companies are based in many cases on GPLv2 or v3 software - because they are not selling a software only the service.

And with AI, this situation with software just gets worse as a business. Alameda, Bradford, ACI --- they will not survive selling downloadable software - they would have far too much competition. Companies will be selling it for FREE.

But, a SERVICE? That's a different story. The service can be tied into a large infrastructure making it very difficult to get around. These are the new vultures. And they will eat you alive sooner or later - unless you get on their special list of preferred customers. But they are vultures in the truest sense of the word. That's life.

The AI companies, I am afraid are probably the worst of the worst.

It is not just going to be a dog-eat-dog world, IMO. It will probably be a lot worse. The big companies will be sticking their hands down your pants to suck all the information out of you they can to make use of. They are addicted to free stuff. Information is so free. Google gmail is a good example. I start to see the heads of these companies as digital versions of our old dictator friends. It is just that they are a lot cleaner, a lot more subtle and it can be very hard to see what they are doing.

A bunch of ugly vultures sitting around a table figuring out how to get fatter.

You can't believe, really, anything you see. It's all a show, all appearances. Nothing is what it seems.

Why is the appraiser carrying the E&O? Ask yourself that.

 

[RCA]

The advantage in the future, may lie with the Luddites, or more specifically "Neo-Luddites". These are people who reject all new technology such as AI, BioTech, Surveillance systems, Social Media platforms.

I'm thinking. Suppose I did that. Hey, I would be pretty well off. That actually that would be smart. Sell my F-150. Use a bike. Don't buy any more computers. Definitely don't buy any software that costs money. Stay away from all social media. Spend more time on the beach and hiking in the surrounding hills. I could be pretty well off actually.

Don't try to play games with those mafias. It's expensive. No need if you are retired. Save your money. That is the smart thing to do. Otherwise. realize you can't do **** without someone finding out about it and copying it.

Well of course, I am retired. And I kind of figure I already know where everything is headed. Exactly where it is headed. I think there will be a lot of failures coming. Dog-eat-dog stuff. The world will be swallowed by big ugly mean ruthless Dinosaurs, - just give it enough time. And the masses will have their riots for many years, but will eventually be put down by the Jeff Bezos and Musk types. Most likely armies of Robots.

Better to enjoy todays Sun, Rain, Fog and Ocean Tides.

 

[RCA]

BTW, I think a good rule for the future, is that if you are working, basically for a managed service that is part of some larger infrastructure, you are most likely going to get screwed over unless you get into a good union. I am not so sure unions are a good thing for society; they are if they are socially responsible unions, but most are not. But, anyway, appraisers will not do well at all in this new environment unless they form unions. And if they do, then of course they may do pretty good financially, as long as there is a need for appraisals.

Note: I think the union business applies to a state like California and only with respect to GSE appraisals. Other states like Texas or the rural areas, may be a different story.