Written by Nathan Thomas on August 10, 2004
According to a la mode CEO and founder Dave Biggers, technology's role in the appraisal profession has evolved from purely cost-cutting and timesaving to opportunity creation and client retention. Biggers made his remarks in a presentation in San Francisco at the Appraisal Today conference there last week. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 10, 2004
A Monroe County (Pa.) homeowners association filed a $1.5 billion lawsuit against two developers, two appraisers and 25 financial institutions last week in federal court in Pennsylvania. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 10, 2004
Fifteen years ago this week the first President Bush signed into law the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), Title XI of which created today's appraiser regulatory structure, administered by the states to national standards maintained by the Appraisal Foundation and its boards. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 5, 2004
The robust housing market in America has broken records once again as the homeownership rate rose to an all-time high of 69.2 percent and sales of existing single-family homes rose 2.1 percent in June to a [seasonally adjusted annual rate] of 6.95 million units. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 5, 2004
Fueled by low mortgage rates, alternative loan programs and baby boomers in their peak-earnings years, the second home market is experiencing a boom of its own, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 5, 2004
While some homebuyers may stumble across their real estate agents by answering ads for property sales, more and more are starting to shop for their agents before even beginning the house hunt. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 4, 2004
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- Agoura Hills, California-based Lenders Financial Services (LFS), a unit of Fiserv, Inc. and a national asset management and REO disposition service provider for banks, credit unions and mortgage lenders, recently completed a custom plugin for a la mode's Mercury Desktop product for its nationwide roster of real estate appraisers. Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 3, 2004
So the refi boom is over, because rates are going to go up, you say? Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 3, 2004
Did you hear the one about the new FICO score? Read more...
Written by Nathan Thomas on August 3, 2004
You don't like to answer a lot of very elementary questions. You don't want Joe Homeowner telling you how to do your job (it's bad enough when mortgage brokers and REALTORs® do). You don't want payment headaches from a lot of different, individual clients who aren't going to need your services again and so might be less inclined to pay your invoices. Read more...