People have to stop being naive . The fact that the feds are on board with lender interests to marginalize appraisers/appraisals from mainstream lending has nothing , or little to do with delays, saving borrowers $ or a supposed appraiser shortage. Those serve as rationalizations .
It's about speeding up the process to benefits lenders bottom line, at expense of risk and borrowers rushed into making important financial decisions and commitments.
It's called, in legal circles, a red herring. It's a very common - and very weak - technique. It's only used when there is not much substance available to drive a point to a successful conclusion. Only the weakest of adversaries are distracted by it.
Just like I pointed out earlier... Oh, but we want to talk about joining organizations instead? Maybe even create our own version of Zillow staffed by true professionals? {Gag, Choke, Cough}
Don't buy into this weak "appraisals cause delays" and thus hinder the loan process line of CRAP. If you do, I have a great big bridge to sell you - cheap. Squirrel! (for those that get an inside joke of how stupid people can be!) We even have a letter from a JD from ASA defending appraisal turn times? Drink the Kool-Aid boys!
The proper mode of attack would be to take REAL WORLD facts from the past, i.e. how the S&L meltdown in the 90's lead to FIRREA and licensing of appraisals. Also how the "great" recession brought the ENTIRE country to its knees based on real estate deals.
We need MORE control and HIGHER standards and GREATER accountability. Launch THOSE attacks, which are amply backed up and fortified in the annals of history and therefore CANNOT be argued with.
And finally - it is good to realize that we, as appraisers, do have a voice. It is so small that it doesn't matter though. Ow - the truth stings doesn't it? Well, might as well get used to it now and stop the shrill screeching from a soapbox. Nobody is listening (except us appraisers).
Our organizations have a voice too - and we all know how effective they have been in the past too. Not.
So, not to be one to sit back and complain and do nothing - I have enlisted the aid of the industry that DOES have a big voice, AND a lot of clout. AMCs. They have as much a stake in this as appraisers do, but they have clout, connections, and power. Everything we do not. I have notified several of them of these developments. They can do, in one fell swoop, more than all of us combined could ever hope to do. Ow, there's that stinging sensation again!
Now, if we could please focus on something that is important and will produce some results we might make some headway, and that would be nice.
Or we can do what we all do best. Sit and argue and discuss, and argue some more.
