"Kelly Davids
President, The Appraisal Foundation
Ms. Davids leads The Appraisal Foundation in fulfilling its mission to uphold public trust
in the appraisal profession. She was previously the Foundation’s Senior Vice President
and has been with the organization for over a decade. Prior to joining the Foundation,
Davids was Superintendent of the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional
Licensing, the chief regulator for Ohio’s appraisers. Her experience includes working in
senior-level positions for two Ohio Governors and serving multiple terms in elected
office. Davids holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from The Ohio
State University. "
Maybe someday TAF will be headed by somebody who's actually written an appraisal report.
Her degrees are in Public Policy and Administration. She has reasonable qualifications in this area.
This means that politicians and the courts control appraisal at the highest level. That is the de facto framework we live in. In this framework, like it or not, public policy can override the logic and the science, as long as the courts don't object.
What this means is that if you are doing an appraisal and TAF policy says you can't do what you think is correct or best, then you do have to give way. So far, I am not sure it is a big hindrance to doing appraisals, - although certainly a nuisance because it doesn't give appraisers the security of a good standard. They invariably work in one grey or another at the mercy of the courts and juries. Note: -- it
could become a significant problem for appraisers and segments of the population.
At this point, appraisers should be very wary of doing appraisals for the GSEs or, in fact, doing anything with respect to urban housing, especially refinancing. It is just too political. New construction, agriculture, and rural seem somewhat safe for residential. Commercial has its own set of problems—you definitely want good E&O insurance for that! And, that will cost you.
I would be very picky about taking assignments and taking on risk.
Last Point: USPAP is NOT a Bible. It is a horrid standard, full of duplication, ambiguities, and contradictions. Above all, it really doesn't go beyond politics and ethics as a standard. In fact, it makes it easy for two independent appraisers to come up with completely different value conclusions. Thus, it provides fodder to the legal profession. You really have to believe the Attorney Mafia has always been hard at work to keep it this way.