Virgina REAB and Portal Petition

[DWiley]

Now that FNC was stupid enough to provide one to the internet for anyone to get I am sure we will find someone has done it.

Just curious, is Adobe also "stupid" for providing a reader on the Internet for anyone to get?

I am equally sure that what we will find is that the great majority of altered files are altered PDF files.

 

[woodyva]

The whole idea and reasonng to their arguement is that it is for security purposes, allowing anyone to have it negates the point.

That was the major point made by Mr. Olson at the last committee meeting.

My point/question is what is hurt by everyone using a format that is available to anyone? It allows for clear transparency as to what is in the report with some scrubber going through it and rearranging it in another format. At least in PDF a normal lay person, or a board member that has no clue about technology ca compare the appraisers file to what the lender or someone else is complaining to the board about?

Making it accessiable for just anyone to read it results in smoke screens and muddy water.

 

[DWiley]

The whole idea and reasonng to their arguement is that it is for security purposes, allowing anyone to have it negates the point.

I would agree with that point IF they were providing the report to everyone. I don't see how providing a viewer affects the security of the actual report. Just because someone has Acrobat reader that does not mean they have access to any of my appraisal reports in PDF format.

Portals do add some degree of security. They are certainly more secure than direct email. But that is like saying a home with an alarm system is more secure than one with only locks. Neither stops a determined thief.

 

[Fred]

In April my state inadvertently made it illegal for an appraiser to testify about a property unless you had appraised the property. If you have only reviewed an appraisal report, and you testify about that review, you have violated the law in my state - at least until we can get it straighetend out in the next session. The state legislature and the appraiser board did not intend for that to be the case, but that is the result of the words they passed.

That's why many use an exposure draft process.

 

[DWiley]

That's why many use an exposure draft process.

That only works if someone actually reads and understands the comment letters. I am sure you are aware of instances where those voting followed a certain path even though a well informed interested party wrote a letter explaining the error of their ways

The sponsors of our new legislation received at least one concise letter pointing out the problem, but chose to ignore that letter. After passing the bill, and then having the AG point out the problem, the legislators said they lacked the technical expertise to understand that the proposed law would have terrible unintended consequences.

The fears I have been posting about are not conjecture. Appraisers in my state are currently living with a mess created by people who did not take the time to understand how something worked before they started "tweaking" the governing rules.

I do not want such a fiasco in other states.

 

[Workbox]

Data mining may be a real issue, but I cannot comment as to whether it is or is not happening as I have yet to see anything 100% showing that it is.

PM me and I will be glad to communicate to you about proof. Even for those that are not on Portals are getting ripped. And also for data that is not suppose to be accessible to anyone, not even to the public by some State Laws to protect Law enforcement. This could be a Homeland Security issue.

 

[Fred]

That's why many use an exposure draft process.

That only works if someone actually reads and understands the comment letters. I am sure you are aware of instances where those voting followed a certain path even though a well informed interested party wrote a letter explaining the error of their ways

The sponsors of our new legislation received at least one concise letter pointing out the problem, but chose to ignore that letter.

Sometimes it don't always work [attributed to Yogi Berra]. It just works more often than the alternative.

 

[woodyva]

So what exactly is putting a properly thought and communicated report into a format that can be altered or tweaked, even if we can not show that it is, and i am not saying we can't, why would you want something that can be virtually invisible to normal people?

That is the same as giving the keys to your house and assuming they won't steal anything. FNMA, MB's and many others in the lending world have proven that when all things are equal, the corporations will tip the scales in their favor to pocket as much cash as possible.

We've proven to ourselves that if we can make millions and millions any way we can, we can stomach the 18 months in jail to come out and enjoy the remaining fruits of our labors. So lets jusy line up a prorvide these greedy companies a way to continue to screw us, the public

 

[Bearslide]

No one reuses other people's data more than appraisers do, and you know what they say about people living in glass houses.

I'm having trouble understanding that statement, Mr. Wiley. The data appraisers use......we PAY for it. I am unaware of any MLS databases which provide the data submitted by their members to anyone other than a PAYING member. I believe I stated this before. While there is public data out there, much of the MLS data appraisers use is in a non-public form and is proprietary to the Real Estate Board who owns it.

My issues with AIReady and other conversion systems go well beyond data-mining. However, the fact is, portals or entities who DO data-mine from appraisal reports are in effect STEALING proprietary data. If you question that, why not call your MLS and ask them if it is ok for a portal company to extract the data their members pay for, without permission, and then re-sell it or re-use it to populate AVM's which do not profit the MLS who supplied the data. I would love to hear your MLS's answer to that.

 

[Carnivore]

Bearslide,

The theft of my work is not ever going to be decided here. It is to a point of going through the courts or blocking companies like FNC with legislation.

Preferably I would like it to go through the courts. In the interim, appraisers as a group like any other groups in all forms of business should seek ways to improve there position with laws and regulations that might hinder that process of improvement. Hence Danny and his cadre's position that the VA meeting is not about what it seems but about a hidden agenda.

I say to Danny and others who oppose this; So what? I say this because there is a much larger issue at stake. The thought that appraisers and there state boards are cooperating and working together should be frightening to the lending community and ancillary companies such as FNC. This is a huge shift in the way things have been done in the past. The silk suited attornies from the lending community, TAVMA, and ancillary companies like FNC only had to get the ear of some Fed regulators like TAF(Industry advisory council), The ASB(small group with huge power) to get things done there way. Little bit of leg work is all it took to achieve; "The Fix is in".

Imagine these same people now having to deal with 50 State and Possession appraisal boards on a individual basis. Sometimes there not going to get things done there way. That sometimes might be over 2, 3 or even many more boards on the same issue. In other words they have lost control of the process. If they can not do it on a national level then how effective or useful are they?

Its tough to really explain my thoughts on this at the forum. Not exactly the best medium. So my message to you as inspiration:

The slaves are fleeing the plantation in all different directions.

If I can be so presumptuous as to borrow from a great american:

http://race.eserver.org/free-at-last.txt