Quantrix LLC (First American) - INSANITY

Only 4 days ago, Appraise Active posted about the priority of PROFIT as JOB 1 for Quantrix. Second on their priority list is turnaround time (TAT).

Today, February 8, 2010, Quantrix turns up the heat and demonstrates their complete lack of commitment to quality.

Here's an email sent to their panel appraisers:

TO: Quantrix Valuation Chase Appraisers
FROM: Quantrix Valuation Panel Management
DATE: February 8, 2010
RE: Automated Telephone Order Notification

Starting Friday, February 12, 2010, Quantrix Valuation is providing a new opportunity to accept Chase orders via telephone.

Appraiser Receives Phone Call from Quantrix Valuation

Auto Call will notify Appraiser that there is an order available and will provide:

• Product
• Property Address
• Appraiser Fee
• Appointment Date and Time

Auto Call will ask if Appraiser ACCEPTS or DECLINES the order

If the call is not answered or the call is dropped or disconnected, Auto Call will roll to next Appraiser – THERE WILL BE NO OPPORTUNITY TO RECOVER THE ORDER

To ACCEPT order, Say “YES”

Borrower’s First and Last Name is provided as well as spelled out Order information is also included in the Assignment Notification email like all other orders

Appointment Date and Time is included in Auto Call and in the Special Instructions in the Quantrix Order form Appraiser is transferred directly to the Borrower’s phone to confirm Appointment Date and Time If Borrower or voicemail do not pick up, the call will be dropped and Appraiser must follow up with borrower to confirm Appointment Date and Time

If the call is dropped or disconnects AFTER the order is Accepted, or if the automated system is unable to reach the Borrower, Order and Borrower information may be obtained at www.QuantrixVendorServices.com.

To DECLINE order, Say “NO” Auto Call disconnects Order will be offered to next Appraiser

THERE WILL BE NO OPPORTUNITY TO RECOVER THE ORDER

Please contact 866-284-2189, option 1, then option 2 and option 1 again if you have any questions.

*Calls may be recorded to help improve quality and service

I wonder if the 'order' includes a requirement to deliver a pizza too!

It's a good thing Appraiser Active and Gregoire & Gregoire, Inc. is not on that list. We might get the same folks knocking on our door as that fella in New York that threatened the AG!

I'm hoping those recorded calls will be retained for a long time and offered on a CD for entertainment purposes too.

FLORIDA - Regulate Appraisal Management Companies NOW

The Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board (FREAB) has been concerned for years about the influence of Appraisal Management Companies on Appraisers. In the interest of of protecting the public and ensuring pubic trust in the Real Estate Appraisal Profession, the FREAB has sought and supported legislation in 2003 and 2006 to assure the public the appraiser has the necessary knowledge and experience to perform the appraisal assignment competently. The efforts have avoided the regulation of companies and concentrated on enhancing the qualifications and abilities of individuals.

Because the world has changed, individuals within companies are gaming the system and influencing appraisers. Knowledge, experience, competency and quality are NOT a priority for these companies and individuals. Their priority is COST and Turnaround Time. There is plenty of evidence of potential and actual harm to the public. It's time to regulate Appraisal Management Companies. Remember, it was the unethical and illegal activity of an Appraisal Management Company that prompted the investigation and complaint by the Attorney General in New York.

Page 9, Paragraph 24. "Despite their claims of independence from their lender clients, First American and eAppraiseIT violate federal and state independence requirements with regard to appraisals performed for WaMu, and in doing so deceive borrowers and investors who rely on their proclaimed independence.

Page 11, Paragraph 29. "Almost immediately after WaMu retained eAppraiseIT to provide appraisals in early Summer 2006, WaMu’s loan production staff began complaining that the appraisal values provided by eAppraiseIT’s appraisers were too low. It was clear, and eAppraiseIT well understood, that WaMu’s dissatisfaction was largely due to the fact that eAppraiseIT’s staff and fee appraisers were not "hitting value,” that is, were appraising homes at a value too low to permit loans to close.

Page 13, Paragraph 37. "In February 2007, WaMu directed eAppraiseIT to stop using its usual panels of staff and fee appraisers to perform WaMu appraisals. Instead, WaMu’s loan origination staff demanded that eAppraiseIT use a Proven Panel of appraisers selected by the loan origination staff, who were chosen because they provided high values.

Appraiser Active has posted several times in the past year about the efforts to regulate Appraisal Management Companies.

January 26, 2009

February 25, 2009

April 13, 2009

May 15, 2009

May 19, 2009

October 8, 2009

November 4, 2009

January 17, 2010

February 2, 2010

Today, another story illustrating the danger to the public appears in the St. Petersburg Times. The poster child of Appraisal Management Company insanity makes another appearance.

Recent appraisal rules open door to shady middlemen

By Susan Taylor Martin, Times Senior Correspondent
In Print: Sunday, February 7, 2010

Last year, Global Appraisal Solutions of Clearwater hired appraiser John Viscusi to do property evaluations in the New York metro area.

But Viscusi says the company failed to pay him for 20 appraisals. And when he tried to contact the owner, Larry Holzer, he got no response.

Then Viscusi made an unsettling discovery. An Internet search for Global immediately linked him to another company, Appraisal Mediation Solutions. Its phone number: The same as Larry Holzer's. Its address: a UPS store in Clearwater close to Holzer's condo.

---

In 2007, Florida regulators permanently revoked Holzer's appraisal license because he had approved an error-filled appraisal done by a trainee under his supervision. The report didn't even have photos of the correct house.

The revocation barred Holzer himself from appraising property in Florida. But it didn't keep him from starting an appraisal management company, Global Appraisal Solutions, that could do business in Florida and every other state.

Read the whole thing.

Folks, there are bills in the Florida House and Senate to regulate Appraisal Management Companies that have been filed by Representative Matt Hudson and Senator Mike Fasano. Let these two know you support the effort and contact your State Senator or Representative and urge them to protect the public from unscrupulous individuals and companies.

Quantrix LLC (First American) - Quality is Priority 3?

According to a pdf flyer, "Quantrix LLC was founded by First American and JPMorgan Chase Bank in 2000 as a privately-owned joint venture. JPMorgan Chase is the largest financial institution by deposit base in the US and First American is the nation’s largest real estate data provider." Although it appears to be a promotional piece for valuation services, the main selling point appears to be this closing statement:

Quantrix provides world class customer service and will deliver your appraisals with turn times consistently higher than the competition.

Hmmm.....

Well, that's just a flyer, and it doesn't disclose much about the company, their motivations, or their priorities. Maybe, if we take a look at a recent job posting, we can make a determination about their prioritization related to providing valuation services. How do they rank quality, price, turn around time? Is it true, as stated in a guest post on Jonathan Miller's Matrix that "AMC’s shop around for the lowest appraisal fees that frequently end up on the desks of appraisers who are geographically distant from the subject property’s market, are not fully familiar with the local market and thus present sales that are not directly relevant", or do they present different priorities in practice?

Read the job posting for an Appraisal Coordinator. The priorities are clear in thse excerpts.

Processing Analysts are responsible for the timely and accurate placement of all Conventional and FHA orders within 24 hours of their receipt. Proper placement is ensured by the PA’s analysis of the appraisers available and selection of one that meets the company standard turnaround time, profitability requirements, and quality standards. Complete and concise documentation, as well as clear communication to all parties, is required on all files.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Placing orders. Focusing on rushes, orders on Hold, Finals and orders over 48 hours old first. Order Placement standards are as follows: Conventional - Placed with in 2 hours of activation, FHA – Placed with in 4 business hours, Declines – Reassigned same day, and Holds – Followed up on daily until resolved. The goal is to have 92% of all orders placed with in 24 hours. Each PA will be responsible for calling on any non accepted orders within their area along with placement of new orders.

• Assuring vendor acceptance of the Quantrix Valuation standard turn around time of 5 business days.

• If an appraiser requests a higher fee or longer tat, the PA is expected to get a minimum of 2 other quotes (for a total of 3) in order to determine the best appraiser option for each order

• After eliminating all reasonable options in VOM (by checking previous orders in the subject area and checking the vendor coverage detail report) a One Time Vendor can be used, check http://www.yahoo.com/ or the other web-sites given.

• Shorten turn around times by establishing a good flow of communication with our appraisers, keeping in contact with both the appraiser and lender to accomplish this goal.

• Holds – When the reason a hold was requested is out of the appraiser’s control, place the order on hold and contact the client to update them and-or request needed information.

• Fees – Products have a standard flat fee regardless of what state the property is located in on all properties up to 1 million dollar or 1.5 million dollars dependent on nusiness line. For this reason it is important for PAs to attempt to place the order to an appraiser with the lowest fee to maintain our profitability. On orders over 1 million dollars the PA is to obtain 3 fee quotes from 3 different offices before assigning the order. In situations where we must use a one time vendor or fee appraiser the PA will need to check as many options as possible to obtain the lowest fee.

Quality? It's priority 3!

Florida Senate - Bill Introduced to Regulate Appraisal Management Companies

Back in November we were excited to announce Representative Matt Hudson's introduction of HB 303, Regulation of Real Estate Appraisers & Appraisal Management Companies.

Today we can report a companion, S1552 - Appraisers & Appraisal Management Companies, has been filed by Senator Mike Fasano.

Appraisers & Appraisal Management Companies; Requires the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board to adopt certain rules. Requires application, registration, and renewal fees for appraisal management companies. Requires such companies to register with the DBPR. Requires the fingerprinting and criminal history records checks of, and provides qualifications for, certain persons who control appraisal management companies, etc. EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/01/2010.

Read the whole thing.

How about sending an email or fax to Senator Fasano to show your appreciation. Either that or give his office a phone call to let him know how important this bill is for the appraisal profession, the real estate market and consumer protection in Florida.

Here's the contact information:

District Office

8217 Massachusetts Avenue

New Port Richey, FL 34653-3111

Phone (727) 848-5885

(727) 841-4453

Tallahassee Office

404 Senate Office Building

404 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

Phone (850) 487-5062

fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov

TAVMA Blog - 10 Reasons for Federal Regulation of AMCs

Jeff Shurman, over at the TAVMA Blog, as recently submitted a post - Ten Reasons Why Federal AMC Oversight is the Better Solution. Please take a look when you have a chance. Here's his list:

1. Compel the federal regulator to create a uniform set of standards for AMCs, which may include or build upon TAVMA’s own Standards of Good Practice in Appraisal Management
2. Compel AMCs to improve quality as needed to meet the agency’s rules and regulations;
3. Flag educational and compliance gaps in AMCs’ systems that they can duly address;
4. Encourage AMCs to invest in IT to meet reporting and compliance rules (compliance, record-retention, performance report generation, etc.);
5. Provide compliant AMCs with a competitive advantage over those that lag in the compliance area;
6. Put AMCs – which at the core act as agents of the lender conducting functions that the lender would otherwise do and be responsible for – under the regulatory auspices of the same entity tasked with overseeing, auditing, and supervising the mortgage lending industry;
7. Ensure compliance of AMC product development efforts to consistent and reasoned standards and guidelines; regulatory clarity leads to innovation;
8. Provide mortgage lenders a meaningful set of standards against which to assess current and potential AMC partners;
9. Level the competitive field while weeding out bad actors; and
10. Eliminate the oft-cited objection that AMCs are unregulated.

Interesting list. Would anyone care to address these one-by-one?

Appraiser Active wonders why TAVMA and AMCs are encouraging Federal Regulation now. It's also interesting, given the increasing number of AMCs being created by unsavory individuals with regulatory agency disciplinary history, that protection of the public does not make the list.

Maybe if the Federal government had not demonstrated such an inability to regulate financial institutions and Government Sponsored Enterprises, we would have a bit more enthusiasm for the TAVMA point of view.

Larry Holzer - New Appraisal Managment Company

Back in May, 2009, Appraiser Active posted about the need to regulate Appraisal Management Companies. The failure to regulate Appraisal Management Companies provides way too many opportunities for abuse of the system, scant protection for property owners, borrowers and lenders, and limited means to assure wrongdoers meet justice. The post included a link to an article in by Susan Taylor Martin, Senior Correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times.

Bad appraisals hurting sales and costing consumers

At that time, Larry Holzer was operating an Appraisal Management Company; Global Appraisal Solutions. (Note: link is to the wayback machine). Through the grapevine, we've heard that Global Appraisal Solutions is no longer operating. We've also heard of a few independent contractor appraisers stiffed by his firm as it took the dive, similar to what happened with Security One Valuation Services, LLC.

There were some warning signs. Appraisers on the Global Appraisal Solutions panel received this email:

From: larry@globalappraisalsolutions.com [mailto:larry@globalappraisalsolutions.com]

Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 12:50 PM

To: iworkforarevokedappraiser@yahoo.com

Subject: Important Update: Global Appraisal Solutions

October 6, 2009
Dear Appraisers,

Good afternoon.

Approximately five days ago, I wrote to advise you that a dispute has arisen between Global Appraisal Solutions and one of the lenders that the company serves.

The dispute involves various areas of alleged lender misconduct, including, but not limited to a large outstanding balance for completed appraisals as well as lender practices that Global alleges violate banking regulations.

It is important that during this time, we remind you that any outstanding appraisal that was requested by you from Global Appraisal Solutions that you do the following things to help us to quickly resolve the dispute:

1. Complete the appraisals with professionalism and speed.
2. Ship the appraisals and the conditions ONLY to your client: Global Appraisal Solutions
2. Report by email to Global Appraisal Solutions any attempt by the lender to seek the appraisals or conditions from you directly, or any other thing that the lender may do or attempt to do, that would otherwise compel you to violate USPAP, HVCC, or state law.

Global is communicating with the appropriate parties and we do anticipate settling this matter in the coming days.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Larry Holzer
President, Global Appraisal Solutions, LLC.

If having his State Certified Credential revoked by the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board will not keep him from opening and operating an Appraisal Management Company, why should folding an Appraisal Management Company keep him from opening another?

Announcing

APPRAISAL MEDIATION SOLUTIONS, LLC. !!!!!!

From the site (I'm tempted to tag this 'sarcasm on').

Appraisal Mediation Solutions is one of the most trusted providers of real estate valuations in the Nation. Our philosophy is to provide fast and accurate real estate valuations to assist our clients in making informed real estate decisions. Our reports are prepared with the precision that the industry demands with all major property types included.

The filing with the Florida Division of Corporations indicates the principal office of the Limited Liability Company is:

140 Island Way

#245

Clearwater, FL 33767

For those lenders, mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers and appraisers interested in doing business with Appraisal Mediation Solutions, LLC, you might want to research the palatial principal office. Just in case you are interested, Appraiser Active has done this already. Take a LOOK at the business at that address.

If you're an appraiser, and interested, he's also hiring. Let me know if the link goes dead. I've got a pdf of the page to post if necessary.

More than likely, there are thousands of businesses operating with a UPS box as their principal office, but I'm just sayin'.......

It looks like fly-by-night Appraisal Management Companies will be all the rage in the 2010's. Be careful of the companies you work with.

Security One Valuation Services - January, 2010 Update

It's been over two months since we last heard from Todd Barfield about the checks issued by Security One Valuation Services, LLC. Appraiser Active has provided updates on the Security One debacle in November, 2009, October, 2009, September 23, 2009, September 18, 2009, and provided two posts at the start of the fiasco; August 11, 2009 and August 5, 2009.

For a while, it seemed like Todd was interested in working things out with the legions of appraisers stiffed with rubber checks, and anxious to get the word out about his efforts to make things right. In the interest of helping him get the word out, messages were sent to him over the past couple of weeks. Instead of a response, I've been listening to the chirping of crickets.

Appraisers holding dishonored Security One checks email me every week. Comments about the Security One problem are posted regularly. It's not unusual for me to get telephone calls from all over the country from appraisers hungry for information and anxious to get their hard-earned money.

As much as I'm interested in helping, there's little I can do but write about it. I'm not in the collection business. I never accepted an assignment from Security One. In fact, Gregoire & Gregoire, Inc. DOES NOT accept appraisal assignments from Appraisal Management Companies. However, someone is doing something other than writing about the pain and hardship caused by Security One Valuations Services, LLC.

Just this week I heard from a Napa, California appraiser. He is holding a fistful of Security One dishonored checks and is steaming mad. After pursuing a number of options, he talked with his local law enforcement agency; the Napa County, California Sheriff's Office. As a result, the Sheriff's Office is interested in going after Security One.

We're not sure how this will work out, but the Napa County Sheriff's Office asks that appraisers owed money by Security One, and holding dishonored checks send their names, contact information with company name, address and amount owed to:

todd.hancock@countyofnapa.org

Appraiser Active is making no guarantees. We're not holding any bad checks and have not talked with the addressee. Instead, we're merely passing along some information. Let me know what you learn.

Merry Christmas - 2009

Wishing you all a Joy Filled Holiday Season

Real Estate Appraiser Threatens Cuomo!

UPDATE - BAIL REDUCED

Just to be clear, Appraiser Active is not recommending this as a course of action (especially during the Holiday Season)

From the Village Voice:

Latest Death Threat Against New York Official: Jack Geoghan vs. Andrew Cuomo

Just a few days back cops arrested a man who allegedly phoned death threats to Mayor Bloomberg and Ray Kelly. Now 45-year-old Jack Geoghan of Inter County Appraisers of Bayport, New York, is accused of leaving a message at the Attorney General's office promising, "If that fucker Andrew Cuomo is on the Long Island Expressway and his head is blown off with a 30.06, you'll know who did it." Police did not take this as a crimestoppers tip, and hauled Geoghan in. He is charged with terroristic threats and aggravated harassment.

The father also says that as a real-estate appraiser, Geoghan has been annoyed by Cuomo's attempts to regulate that industry, such as the establishment of a Home Valuation Code of Conduct, which requires appraisal fees be split between appraisers and appraisal management companies, which other critics have denounced, albeit less homicidally, as an undue financial hardship on appraisers.

There is much more to be said, but it's probably best to keep my mouth shut.

UPDATE - BAIL REDUCED

Dec. 17--A Bayport man charged with threatening to blow off State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's head on the Long Island Expressway might have an easier time getting out of jail after a Central Islip judge reduced his bail Thursday.

Prosecutors said Jack Geoghan, 45, said he planned to "unleash the wrath of God" on Cuomo, vowing: "I am going to track him down and shoot him," court records show.

Geoghan's bail, originally set at $500 million at his arraignment Wednesday in First District Court in Central Islip, was reduced to $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond Thursday by State Supreme Court Judge Carol MacKenzie.

MacKenzie acted after Geoghan's attorney, Bryan E. Cameron of Sayville, petitioned for a bail hearing, arguing the original half-billion-dollar bail was "harsh and excessive."

Full Story

1 More Reason to Regulate Appraisal Management Companies

Wouldn't you know it. As soon as I publish "7 Reasons to Regulate Appraisal Management Companies in Florida", I realized the title should have been "8 Reasons". Rather than rewriting the post as ideas come to me and are suggested by others, it seems like a better idea to add posts to the blog.

It seems as though everyone and their brother is jumping on the AMC bandwagon. This company may have been in business since 1991 or since the world was an onion, but their promo demonstrates another reason AMCs must be regulated. Here is the page of interest. Among the "advantages" cited:

100% Loss Warranty - Protection from the liability of an appraisal coming back in the future that could result in a loss.

Will Match any Fee - We will insure competitive pricing and will match any quote provided in writing for any appraisal service.

How in the world can a company be an honest broker for an objective, unbiased, valuation service when the company has an interest in the outcome of the service? If the AMC warrants against loss, does it appear as though the company may have an interest in keeping the opinion of value on the low end? Might the AMC encourage the appraiser to keep the opinion of value close to the AVM estimate?

Is it curious that one of the main "advantages" cited is matching the fee quoted by their competitors? Does this imply a commitment to quality?