Okay, I just received a call from the appraiser on a deal that is supposed to close in two days. I am representing the home buyer. The underwriter has added a stipulation to the appraisal due to a couple of pieces of furniture that were still in the home when the appraiser shot the pictures of the home during the appraisal.
The underwriter added the stipulation to the appraisal with the following logic:
If the home still has furniture in it then it cannot possibly be vacant as the listing suggests so I must stipulate that the home must be vacant before I can release funds.
Have you all ever heard of anyting this stupid in all of your life? I mean come on, has the underwriter ever heard of a home being staged? Or what if the home sellers are still in the process of moving out when the appraisal takes place (which is what happens about 99% of the time)? Should all the furniture be placed outside the home during the appraisal and then moved back in to the home?
I am really scared that the lack of common sense shown by a number of underwriters and mortgage professionals today have a far worse impact on the housing market than that of interest rates that have risen this year or the over supply of homes on the market. Maybe more homes would be sold in todays market if the people that gave the money for buyers to purchase homes would get their heads out of their rears and start thinking of what they do to make a living and applying some level of logic or common sense to their craft.
