Appraiser Income

The Maryland law firm of Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler PA sent a letter November 14th to the appraiser clients of one of the nation’s largest appraisal management companies, CoesterVMS.

This letter marked the beginning of tough times ahead for owner Brian Coester.

In it were claims that the law firm represented FVC Bank, according to a nearly illegible copy of the letter that has since made the rounds in the appraiser blogsphere. The letter states that FVC Bank is shutting down a $700,000 line of credit to CoesterVMS, which would seemingly indicate financial troubles for the AMC.

Responding via text, Coester said, “We are not out of business,” and that he was in the process of getting “what the bank did corrected.”

Coester later told HousingWire that FVC Bank recently took overColombo Bank‘s assets, which held hundreds of thousands of Coester’s money in an account, and wanted the line of credit moved. Coester said they were in the process of finding an new home for the AMCs’ financials when FVC suddenly pulled the plug.

“In the middle of the night, they closed the line. It caused a huge disaster, but now we got all the money back,” Coester told HousingWire Tuesday. Coester said they are reissuing checks to appraisers and said the bank contacting his clients was “a disaster.” As a result, CoesterVMS business was cut by two-thirds, but Coester added: “The blizzard and holiday didn’t help, but we’re getting back to normal.”  

Time Saving Tips for Applying to AMCs

Not every appraiser works with AMCs and not every appraiser who works with AMCs does so efficiently and profitably. Do you hate wasting time signing up to AMCs that never send you work? Following this process will help you avoid signing up to a list of companies that currently are not registered in your state and most likely won’t have work in your area in the near future.

I have recently started using a new method when applying to new appraisal management companies (AMCs). This is how you can avoid the hassle of signing up to hundreds of AMCs that do not have work in your area.

Get the new 2018 AMC Directory!

90% of my work come from the first 37 on my list!– Get Started Today!

90% of my work come from the first 37 on my list! – Get Started Today!

Online AMC Directory Available through a membership with the Private Appraisers Club – http://www.appraisersclub.com

90% of my work come from the first 37 on my list! – Get Started Today!

Online AMC Directory Available through a membership with the Private Appraisers Club – http://www.appraisersclub.com

The state of Louisiana may have taken action to directly respond to the Federal Trade Commission’s claim that the regulatory body that oversees property appraisals in the state stifled price competition by requiring appraisal management companies to follow the state’s established polices for the fees that AMCs pay to appraisers, but that doesn’t mean that the FTC is ready to drop the case entirely.

Recently, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an executive order that will lead to the law that dictated how AMCs pay appraisers being repealed.

That was followed shortly by the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Boardissuing a resolution stating that it planned to repeal the controversial law and develop a new method to ensure that AMCs pay appraisers “reasonable and customary” fees, as they are required to do under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. …continue reading the rest of this post: Louisiana asks FTC to pause regulatory action while state repeals controversial appraisal laws

Minnesota, Louisiana and Illinois all took action in late May on legislation concerning appraisal management companies, the Appraisal Institute reported June 8. The governors in two states signed AMC legislation into law while a third governor is reviewing the legislation proposed in his state.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton on May 23 signed into law SF 2665, legislation that makes several changes to the state’s existing appraiser licensing and appraisal management company registration law, which originally was enacted in 2010.

The new law changes definitions to clarify that entities utilizing employee appraisers to complete appraisal assignments are not AMCs. The law also clarifies that entities with more than 15 independent contractor appraisers in Minnesota or more than 25 contractor appraisers in two or more states are AMCs and therefore subject to the state’s AMC registration and oversight law.

The new law also will require AMCs operating in Minnesota to compensate appraisers at a rate that is reasonable and customary or otherwise face disciplinary action by the state’s Department of Commerce. The legislation outlines how AMCs can satisfy the payment requirements. AMCs also will be required to pay appraisers within 30 days from the date that the appraiser provided their report to the AMC or 30 days from the date the AMC transmitted the report to their client, whichever comes first.

Additionally, the Minnesota law eliminates a provision in the state’s appraiser licensing and certification law that had permitted the Minnesota Department of Commerce to charge appraisers the costs of an investigation even if the investigation found no violations on the part of the appraiser.

In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 26 signed into law HB 804, legislation that clarifies that AMCs are required to compensate appraisers in accordance with the reasonable and customary fee provisions contained in federal law. The law also gives the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisal Board the authority to collect from AMCs the required National Registry Fees.

The Illinois General Assembly on May 31 completed action on HB 3333, a bill that would create an Appraisal Management Recovery Fund to be used in lieu of the existing surety bond. This Fund will be used to provide restitution to Illinois state-credentialed appraisers when they have not been paid by a failed AMC but have obtained a final judgment from a court. The fund will be subsidized by a fee (up to $500) that each AMC operating in Illinois has to pay until such time as the fund reaches $500,000. Once that amount is reached, the fee will no longer be imposed unless claims are paid.

HB 3333 currently awaits consideration by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Review Minnesota SF 2665.

Review Louisiana HB 804.

Review Illinois HB 3333.

90% of my work come from the first 41 on my list! – Get Started Today!

Online AMC Directory Available through a membership with the Private Appraisers Club – http://www.appraisersclub.com