Topic:  Newsletter Articles

Three weeks ago we told you about Fitch Ratings, an investment risk assessment firm, deciding to discount the value of residential mortgage backed securities in soft or weak markets where anything less than a full appraisal was used to value the collateral. The move has generated quite a bit of publicity for the appraisers vs. AVMs debate, some of which we noted last week.   Read more...

Last week we wrote about how mortgage fraud is reported to be a prime mover behind artificially inflated property values in some local, fraud-prone areas. You agreed. We've never received more e-mail from our e-newsletter than we did last week, and far too many of you had fraud "war stories."   Read more...

We promised last week we'd continue our look at factors which may be artificially inflating property values. A more widespread and systemic factor may be seller concessions and other creative financing, and seller assisted down payments. Many of you wrote in last week to agree.   Read more...

Windows XP is being installed as the operating system on more and more PCs nationwide, including among a la mode customers. One of the first things your indefatigable newsletter editor noticed when he switched was that via his always-on Internet connection, he was suddenly very popular with somebody named "Messenger Service."   Read more...

Nationwide, housing values grew 8.4 percent last year, and 7.6 percent the year before that, according to Freddie Mac. In the fourth quarter alone, the last quarter for which data has been released, the annualized property value appreciation rate was a staggering 17.8 percent.   Read more...

The first Gulf War brought us, among other things, the Hummer urban assault - er, utility vehicle. By some accounts, the war and occupation of Iraq this time around are going to bring us the "rugged notebook" computer. Sounds very manly! But do you need one?   Read more...

You spend a lot of time marketing yourself, consciously or unconsciously. But how often do you take a step back and think about what problems your home sellers have that you're in a unique position to solve? And how often do you look at your website and ask yourself if it's telling potential home sellers how you solve their problems?   Read more...

Countrywide Home Loans, a top-three mortgage originator with designs on the top spot, has announced separate joint ventures with nine different real estate brokerages in 2004. Most recently, Countrywide announced it had lined up with Coldwell Banker Wachholz & Company in Montana to form Granite Peak Mortgage Services. The mortgage services venture will work closely with Coldwell Banker Wachholz & Company Realtors to develop personalized financing options from among more than 130 loan programs, the company said. All told, the lender has 15 similar arrangements around the country and about 35 more in the works.   Read more...

The VA loan, and more specifically, the appraisal process it triggers, is getting the cold shoulder in Hampton Roads, an area regarded by some as the military capital of the nation, a disturbing piece in the Virginian-Pilot, Hampton Roads' daily, reported.   Read more...

The Mercury Network, our server hub which routed more than 17.5 million appraisal reports in the last 12 months, and its user interface, Mercury Desktop, are too often confused with one another. One of our competitors formulates and executes entire business plans on the premise of providing an alternative for appraisers who don't want to pay to use the Mercury Network; the Mercury Network is free to use. (Don't tell them.)   Read more...