That is not true. I set my fee. I don't accept orders that are unprofitable on their own. I never have. I worked with banks for years. But I never once did work for them through an AMC...not once. And until the bid system, and the divorce of the loan department from ordering appraisals, a loan officer chose the appraiser. That is supposed to be a bad system because the LO picks someone that will make it happen. That may be true in commission based work. But bank LOs are on salary and get fired when they make bad loans with the boss's money.
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Terel,you had me right up until the erroneous misinformation about "the only promise of a union".
#1 I was vehemently anti union only a short time before I went looking for one. Why? Because in the early '80's I was a steel worker earning 2 1/2 times the going rate ($10.50 vs $4.00), in a plant owned free and clear since WWII (Rheem Manufacturing in Southgate California), but the idiot union demands were so stiff, that the company finally said close the doors. Let our competition down the street have it. I didn't care about it myself, I was leaving anyway. NOT my cup of tea, but my uncle, the plant maintenance engineer needed that job.
#2 While working at Treasury Dept. (2009-2010) I was a member of National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). When I went to them pointing out retaliatory actions for supporting a $1.45 million refund to a taxpayers estate (required Congressional approval and acknowledgement of an error by MY manager) I found out ALL the union reps were simply retired former managers.
#3. While applying for a job as a County Appraiser in a nearby county, I saw that membership in SEIU was mandatory. There are no words to describe the contempt I had then, and still have for SEIU.
#4. I joined the California Coalition of Appraisers instead. Two years into it and no progress was being made. I realized the reason was not lack of commitment, but lack of resources and lack of behind the scenes experience. Coalitions talk for years about hiring lobbyists who in turn cleverly limit them to single issues, drawn out as far as possible to maximize THEIR revenue.
#5 About this time I started working with BNSF Railroad; fighting opposition to their HALF BILLION dollar modernization project at the edge of my neighborhood. (You DO know I am Republican, right?). I met with their VP of Governmental Affairs; their PR firms and advocates and several VPs from their HQ in Texas. I knew much about fighting City Hall, but they REALLY schooled me in the process of HOW things get done in the face of governmental objections in big cities (Los Angeles & Long Beach). Part of that involved their orchestration of union proponents FOR their project: important because both L.A. and Long Beach are Major Port Communities and very pro labor.
#6 During presentations and testimony before Community Groups; Harbor Commissions, & Two City Councils There were two groups. (A) My neighbors that had been scared into opposing the project by NRDC EVEN THOUGH THE DRAFT EIR had never been completed or issued yet! There were two or three brand new local "Green Groups" invented specifically for this opposition; an attorney City Councilmember with ties to the NRDC and a desire to get paid by them and various teachers and minority parents (NRDC was claiming abuse based on us being a neighborhood people primarily by "people of color"). ALL of them resorted to phony studies (studies from another area completely but alleged to be from my area), hyperbole, and dressing little kids up in face surgical face masks to dramatize their concern about "clean air". I did mention this was a MODERNIZATION project didn't I? One that would actually CLEAN the air up MORE than if the project did not go forward). It was the labor unions that showed up. By the hundreds. They didn't shout, demonstrate, boo or hiss when opponent spoke. They sat respectfully and quietly and waited their turns to speak. They were Longshoreman; Pipefitters, welders, electricians, carpenters unions, and a whole bunch of others I cant recall. THEY were the ones that behaved like concerned neighbors who live AND work here. THEY were the ones that stuck to the facts and not the emotional game playing of the other side. I even joked when I testified about being a good republican testifying FOR a union endorsed project in a democratic controlled neighborhood. But it was THOSE union members that opened my eyes. None of the stereotypical objectionable old school union activities. Just EFFECTIVE and persuasively compelling factual testimony.
#7 No disrespect to my California CaCAP, but I wanted to find something as EFFECTIVE for us too. I was referred to AGA by another blogger. I looked them up; Argued with them, Criticized them. Offended them.... and listened to them with an open mind (Peter Vidi is pretty compelling). I still yell at them IF SEIU emails me ANYTHING! I wrote our parent Unions President (OPEIU) and criticized HIS annual membership letter. I have openly called for them to cease blind support of political hacks just because they have a "D" after their name. You'd think they'd just ignore me when I ask for help....but they don't. In fact it has been just the opposite. When I asked that discounted dues be continued through the year it wasn't just for MY state. It was for ALL states. Mainly because I don't limit my recruiting to just my state.
Anyway, like I said I contacted AGA. If you ever read their mission statement, you will see is NOT a traditional union. It has a President that is an unpaid VOLUNTEER; as am I and all other State Reps. HE has been an appraiser for 40 years and has heavy political background. When The Appraisal Foundation put out the call for opposition to CA AB 624; and CaCAP did the same, we responded. Although the Bill had ALREADY passed in BOTH State Houses we still tried. I spoke before TAF while CaCAP went and had lunch with the Bill's author in hopes of getting him to withdraw it. We joined WITH ASA; CaCap TAF and a host of others in fighting the bill in the State Finance Committee (looked like we all lost); AND appropriations committee. OPEIU (our immediate parent) contacted California Labor Federation (all this in under a couple weeks) and all of a sudden the bill was "stalled" in Appropriations until August of this year. We again started our opposition program and I CLF sent a letter to OPEIU indicating that the Bill has been successfully stalled (spiked) semi permanently-or at least two more years. Basically to die for lack of support.
THAT is what a union can do! The AI is going out state by state and trying to get special legislation passed for themselves (actually only for a few select MAIs in their group-like AB 624 was). I wasn't in Texas when they got it passed there a couple weeks ago. Nor will I be in Illinois to fight it there. Eventually, they will HAVE a second set of "standards" that allow for the contingent fees they are seeking for a "very few" of their members. That's not my priority fight. FAIR compensation IS. REVAA and NHVA are out there seeking special interest consideration for themselves and the AMCs. SOME AMCs (usually appraiser owned smaller AMCs) WANT to offer higher fees but cannot because THEY are locked in to the fees banks pay THEM! Negotiable? Sure. Take it or leave it. By the way, I am NOT anti AI even. Hopefully in the future IF they propose legislation that really does benefit others than themselves only, We'll support it.
The "free market (FM)" WILL eventually fix our low fee problem...in about 10 or 15 more years for those that are patient. Its already been 6 years since HVCC destroyed the traditional appraisal business model. How long are you guys willing to wait "for the market"? Maybe the FM will fix it by eliminating appraisal requirements completely for loan work. Don't scoff, its already been proposed AND on an emergency basis can already be legally implemented for loans under $250,000!
I have heard blog calls for strikes; national class action suits (currently being investigated-but in my humble opinion probably wont go anywhere) and 'sick outs' or unusual delays. Oddly enough NONE of these are from union members (except the class action one-I looked into that). NONE of us want strikes. None of us want to be told what fee to accept or not accept (though we ALREADY ARE!). NONE of us want to have our work rated by FNMAs flawed CU system (not those that took the course and understand it anyway). NONE of us want to join the 10,400 appraisers on the national black list passed out to AMCs with no notice 'we' are on it, or how to fight it. NONE of us want to be told (micromanaged) how to appraise real estate by unqualified , non appraiser "reviewers" or clerks at overseas AMCs.
Opposition to those things outlined above is ALL this Guild (union) will try to bring you. Well, that and our efforts to intercede on behalf of members unfairly accused of bad work or subjected to other abuses. Not a week goes by that either I or an associate back east have to investigate and intercede on behalf of a member. ANY member knows they can call me at 10 AM to about 10:30 any night- including weekends if they have a question or a problem. (714) 366 9404. Just as long as it is an unblocked number.
As for the thread Terel, I posted it in every appraisal thread I could log on to. Don't follow it if you are offended by it or afraid you might be convinced by it. For that matter, complain about it. Suppression is usually the first resort of those unsure of their position; with something to hide, or other ulterior motives. Just compensation applies to reviews as well as regular appraisals.
