We have been reading about all the reforms in mortgages and lending to remedy some of the previous problems in this business. Some of these are probably much needed. One that does concern me the most is appraisers appraising property from outside the area and outside their areas of expertise. Although my realtor's license allows me to sell and list property anywhere in the State of MN, my knowledge and expertise in real estate is excellent in my local area. How can appraisers, and realtors, be competent in areas other than their areas of expertise? A house is not a house is not a house just because it has similar size, quality, location, etc.  Some locations command better pricing. Especially in the lakeshore market, there are numerous variables that factor in pricing. Even location on the lake is one.