I'm at the a la mode Las Vegas convention this week participating in their "Real World" series of appraiser seminars. Patrick Egger (Outside The Boxes series) and I (Appraisal Scoop - Paperless Office) will be presenters on April 12-14. The “Real World” series are courses are taught by a la mode customers and are designed to show real life examples of how technology can make a difference in your office.
One of the first announcements was the start of a monthly print and online newsletter called Appraisal Press.
Dave Biggers, a la mode Chairman said, "We realized that producing this monthly print and online newspaper, instead of various printed and online advertising pieces and newsletters, was the best way to really affect the transformation and aid our customers. So, in here, you’ll find candid, first-person, timely, hard-hitting articles and op-ed pieces — usually delivered in irreverent and edgy style."
Dave also said, "So, why not just write a blog and go doubly green by saving a few trees? Well, blogs are cool, but they aren’t read by the majority of appraisers. By printing a real newspaper while also providing a true online destination (http://www.appraisalpress.com) with the printed articles and more, we reach more people and offer the best of both worlds. We hope you agree."
Click here for a sampling of timely articles and opinions....
The Cure Is Worse Than The Disease
The [HVCC] agreement itself seems to have its heart in the right place, but the devil is in the details. Here at a la mode, we believe the details create a misleading and dangerous environment for both borrowers and for appraisers. Click to view
Paying To Use Your Own Bathroom: AI XML
Sometimes, companies put proprietary standards - non-open standards that they control - on top of open standards and potentially confuse the market. In our industry, that's happened with the Appraisal Institute (AI) Ready certification. Click to view
Proposed Changes to the HVCC
While the Settlement Agreement is not an altogether bad agreement, we believe these changes to five areas will protect appraisers and the public. The commentary period ends at the end of April, so it's critical to act now. Click to view
Lender “Flight To Safety” Benefits a la mode Users
Though just about any AMC will tell you that the total number of appraisals ordered has declined over the past 12 months, our customers have actually seen a 36% increase in deliveries to AMCs via WinTOTAL plugins — to 1,187,000 orders, up from 875,000 the year before. For the last… Click to view
Preventing The AMC Fee Cut
In today's climate, lenders are looking to lessen their liability. One choice is funneling all orders to AMCs, but there's another alternative. Why lenders will start to gravitate to the Mercury Network and how you can use it to prevent fee cuts. Click to view
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