Are real estate appraisals outmoded?
The real estate appraisal system is broken and needs to be fixed . . .according to Marcie Geffner, a real estate reporter in Los Angeles, and contributor to Inman News. In her recent article Real estate appraisals are outmoded she says: “The fundamental problem is the conflict of interest among the lender who selects the appraiser, the borrower who pays for the appraisal and the investor who relies on the adequacy of the appraiser’s opinion. Lenders are in a powerful position to pressure the appraiser to “hit” pre-ordained numbers since, as a group, lenders don’t suffer the consequences of inflated valuations. Rather, the loans are sold to investors, who have become so mesmerized by the prospect of high returns that they’ve willingly ignored the reality that too many of the loans are justified by fictional appraisals.”Offered as solutions to the problems, she suggests : • Allowing buyers to directly select the appraiser and pay for the appraisal • Using In-house appraisers that are emp
