hvcc: Appraisal Fees 'Reasonable' ? - 06/01/11 03:00 AM
I read an interesting blog article today (http://bit.ly/mMlEUq) which talked about the impact of the Dodd-Frank act.  
One paragraph which stood out to me was : There is an implied pressure on any provider (in any industry) whenever that field is dominated by so few players. Witness the LSI's and CoreLogic's Valuation Services of the world choosing to maintain their pricing model to appraisers in the face of Dodd-Frank's bright line. They operate on the 'law of large numbers'. The amount of money they can make in the time it takes any regulatory agency to find them at fault will … (6 comments)

hvcc: Are there mortgage brokers still in Florida? - 06/16/10 02:33 AM
I read an article today on the Mortgage Fraud Blog by Rachel Dollar, which detailed how the state of Florida is clamping down on mortgage broker applications in the state - read the whole article here > http://ht.ly/1Zdw1
The article stated:
Beginning October 1, 2010, Florida will begin participation in the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System, and all existing loan originators, brokers and lenders and mortgage business owners will be required to reapply for licensure. December 31, 2010, is the last day to apply for licensure.
and later on......
Additionally, licensees will now be required to renew their licenses on a yearly … (3 comments)

hvcc: FL House unanimously passes AMC legislation - 04/27/10 01:32 AM
House unanimously passes AMC legislation « Florida Realtors® Legislative http://ow.ly/1DBox AMCs have to register with the state!
This should be interesting to see how this pans out now!   So can the state take licensing action against an AMC ?  Will AMCs be treated as though they are larger appraisal shops?
A quick Google search notes that many other states have adopted similar regulations.  Anyone have any feedback on how that has impacted AMC business in those states?  Is it better or worse for the appraiser?
From what I can see, it eliminates the ability for just anyone to open an AMC without … (2 comments)

hvcc: What will you do in the new HVCC world? - 05/05/09 10:29 AM
I recently received an email post on the Wintotal User Forum from Adam Calvery.   Adam is a VP product manager with Alamode - and allowed me to republish his email below.   This is some great information to consider when thinking that we have now somehow lost income in a new appraisal world, likely to be dominated by Appraisal Management Companies!
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As a software vendor, I'm not involved in running an appraisal business daily, but I understand what appraisers deal with.  As someone who's been with a la mode for nearly a decade, and being the outgoing type, I've been lucky enough to create numerous relationships with our … (3 comments)

hvcc: Having a name like "AmcAppraisalsinc.com" might just come in handy - 02/16/09 08:00 AM
There are some new regulations coming down the pike on May 1st - namely the HVCC, or Home Valuation Code of Conduct.  The history of the code can be found by clicking HERE.   I won't bore you will all the details - but rather sum it up for those not in the know:
Upon implementation of the HVCC, lenders will now have to have a "firewall" between the ordering parties of an appraisal and an appraisal office (or person).  No more direct ordering from the loan officer or mortgage broker, etc.  There are some loopholes in the code and it is … (4 comments)