Tag Archives: Valuations

The American Enterprise Institute has analyzed the FHFA’s appraisal-level dataset, digging deeper into a selected set of data fields found in appraisal reports. Click through to find out some of AEI’s findings regarding valuation bias.

Matt Stepanovich of SingleSource Property Solutions discusses big data’s role in standardizing property valuations and the future of appraisal modernization.

Using the FHFA's first-of-its-kind dataset, economists gauge the ability of appraisals to predict future house prices.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions, a service provider for the real estate and mortgage industries, announced Thursday the addition of a new VP to grow the company’s valuations business and an expansion of its sales team. Phil Huff joined Altisource as VP and Head of Valuations as well as President and CEO of Springhouse, a full-service appraisal management company owned by Altisource. Springhouse is an indirect subsidiary of Altisource Portfolio Solutions. “Phil brings a deep expertise in technology, sales, marketing and business development strategy and an extensive real estate industry network,” said Joseph A. Davila, President of Servicer Solutions at Altisource. “His proven expertise and seasoned network will be a big factor to the success of our Valuation Services business.”

Significant pressure is weighing on the valuations industry. The landscape ahead is unlike anything the industry has ever faced.

Mortgage Contracting Services, LLC (MCS) has announced the formation of MCS Solutions in order to incorporate the company’s valuations, title services, and steel security product line, according to an announcement from MCS.

In California, First American Financial Corporation announced that its Mortgage Solutions group has been named a distributor of Freddie Mac's Home Value Suite.

USRES, a management solutions provider for real estate assets, announced a new security enhancement to its proprietary Valuation Portal.

Interthinx reported a 1 percent decline in its national Mortgage Fraud Risk Index from the fourth quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2014, bringing the index's value down to 100. Three of the component indices—measuring identity fraud, occupancy fraud, and employment and income fraud—came down over the quarter. The remaining component, property valuation fraud, surged up 27 percent to an index value of 128.

In the midst of trying to maintain workflow with a smaller staff, there remains an increasing focus on effective appraisal analysis. Regulatory requirements, investor demands, corporate management, and now disclosure to the borrower have elevated the collateral analysis to the same level of scrutiny as financial analysis. Fortunately, great progress has been made in automated tools and services for appraisal analysis.