Appraisal & Consulting

Changes in appraiser, supervisory appraiser and trainee appraiser requirements

The Appraiser Qualifications Board recently promulgated changes in requirements for supervisory appraisers. These represent a continuing evo...

Hot new neighborhoods: it takes longer than you think

Lounging around on these snowy winter weekends, I've been catching up on reading about what's going on in other real estate markets. One rec...

CRE chair message: Where is that exit sign?

Ask any assortment of commercial real estate professionals, fund managers, and investors a key question and you will get a sense of their co...

Collateral Underwriter - Fannie Mae's new tool

There will be many articles written about the new Collateral Underwriter tool being implemented by Fannie Mae. According to a letter sent to...

President's message: A full schedule of education

The first month of Spring on the Celtic calendar. One trip to the Emerald Isle and you will understand how February 1st is an inflection poi...

The long awaited collateral underwriter has arrived

The long awaited or perhaps dreaded lender letter from Fannie Mae regarding the collateral underwriter (CU) was sent out to lenders last wee...

Volatility and stability in the securities market in 2015

The experts and pundits have been forecasting ongoing volatility in the securities market resulting from a variety of forces. Many have char...

Z to A: Zoning to accessory unit for appraisers

According to MLS Property Information there are approximately 200 single family dwellings with an "accessory apartment" that are either curr...

First HVCC, then MC1004, then UAD, now CU - When will the acronyms cease?

As of 1/26/15, Collateral Underwriter (CU) is now a fact in the marketplace. What is it? It's a "proprietary appraisal risk assessment appl...

Over supply of apartments: Home ownership to the rescue

Exactly three years ago, I wrote an article for NEREJ questioning whether the millennial generation had permanently shifted to rental apartm...