Why are appraisals so expensive? – Part 2

 Regulations, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on Why are appraisals so expensive? – Part 2
Jan 202016
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

Yesterday, we started discussing why appraisal costs have soared. We identified regulations requiring that lenders order appraisals through middlemen. Let’s look at a couple other factors.

– Regulators have increased appraisal requirements. Appraisers not only have to estimate the property’s value but also have to assess the strength of the area’s housing market. FHA appraisers now have to crawl into a home’s attic or crawl space among other new requirements.

– Finally, the new integrated disclosures regulation requires lenders to quote appraisal fees exactly at loan origination. Given that little is known about the property this early in the loan process, appraisal companies that provide the quotes must consider the risk that the property has complexities. Thus, their quoted prices have risen.

– The new regulation also has virtually eliminated the market for appraisal orders. When you eliminate market competition, you get higher prices.

The added workload and lower pay pushed a number of appraisers out of business, and the inability to control appraisal fees because of appraisal company middlemen makes the profession unattractive for potential new appraisers. As a result, a number of housing industry experts is warning of a coming appraiser shortage. For homebuyers, this initially could mean delayed closings. Eventually, it probably means even higher appraisal prices as that may be what’s necessary to attract new people to the profession.

Why are appraisals so expensive?

 Regulations, Residential Mortgage  Comments Off on Why are appraisals so expensive?
Jan 192016
 

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

“Back in the day, I could order an appraisal for $350.” So began a conversation with a couple other “old-timers” in the mortgage industry about the current high cost of appraisals. The only problem is “back in the day” was only a couple years ago. Today, a typical conventional loan appraisal costs $500 and an FHA appraisal can cost $600. Why has the cost increased so much in such a short time?

Several factors are to blame, and we’ll examine them today and tomorrow.

– After the financial crisis, regulators decided that because a few loan officers at Washington Mutual Bank had leaned on appraisers to falsify values that all loan officers should be punished. (Reminds me of elementary school, but then again, so do a lot of things the government does.) As a result, appraisals now are ordered through an appraisal company middleman. And, of course, the middleman charges a fee.

Initially, the middlemen just took their fee from the appraiser’s fee, meaning appraisers received less. However, recent legislation required that appraisers receive their usual fee, so middleman fees forced appraisal prices to rise.

Tomorrow, we’ll examine a couple other factors and the effect these may have on the broader housing market.