Welcome to the FCAM Appraiser Blog!
The ACTS Conference in SLC was a Wake-up Call for Success
By James Baumberger, CEO at First Choice and Certified Residential Appraiser The Appraisers Conference and Trade Show, cohosted by the National Association of Appraisers (NAA) and Appraiser eLearning, in Salt Lake City on April 10-12, 2019 was very successful,...
read moreThe 4th Exposure Draft for proposed changes to the 2020-21 edition of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP)
By James Baumberger, CEO at First Choice and Certified Residential Appraiser This is a general and partial overview of the Fourth Exposure Draft. If something specific piques your interest, or to read the draft in its entirety, please use this link to read the...
read moreAppraisers and Evaluations – Part II: A Call to ACTION!
By James Baumberger, CEO at First Choice and Certified Residential Appraiser Appraisers are the most qualified professionals to protect the public trust, strengthen credit quality, and safeguard the real estate wealth of Americans by performing Evaluations in addition...
read moreAppraisers and Evaluations: Framing an Existential Issue
By James Baumberger, CEO at First Choice and Certified Residential Appraiser Evaluations and Appraisers Why should residential real estate Appraisers in Oregon be passionate about evaluations? We believe evaluations are one of the keys to creating a vibrant,...
read moreAlternative or Hybrid Appraisals: To Do or Not To Do, Is That Your Question?
By Larry Beard, Certified Residential Appraiser There are a variety of appraisal products available to lenders that tend to be referred to as “Alternative Valuations” or "Hybrid Appraisals." These alternative appraisal products are a new frontier for...
read moreAssociation of Appraisal Regulatory Officials (AARO) Spring 2018 Conference – Part 2
By Jim Baumberger, CEO, at First Choice Appraisal Management and Certified Residential Appraiser Last week in Part 1, we summarized news from the AARO Spring Conference where state and federal appraisal regulators met in Seattle on May 4-6, 2018 to exchange...
read moreAssociation of Appraisal Regulatory Officials (AARO) Spring 2018 Conference – Part I
By Jim Baumberger, CEO at First Choice Appraisal Management and Certified Residential Appraiser State and federal appraisal regulators met in Seattle on May 4-6, 2018 to exchange information on the latest developments affecting the appraisal industry. ...
read moreHighest and Best Use Analysis: Not the Lowest and Worst Use of your Time!
by David Manning, Quality Control Manager at First Choice Appraisal Management and Licensed Residential Appraiser For many residential appraisers, and especially those whom work primarily in urban areas, the Highest and Best Use of a Subject property can often seem...
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Security
Secure site access 24/7/365 Audit trail of communication and documents Date/time stamp and user records in each order Unlimited user accounts with custom access settings
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Order Management
Secure order placement with ability to add multiple users Direct integrations with loan origination systems Broadcast feature Engaging geographically competent appraisers with proven competency in the subject’s market area, appraisal product, and property type
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Quality Control
Custom QC process ensures appraisal completeness, consistency, and fulfilment of underwriting guidelines Collateral Underwriter warnings and errors addressed prior to delivery Expedited processing of underwriting and post-closing conditions Constant real-time...
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Compliance
Date & time stamp communication log and audit trail Certification of AIR compliance with each order Customary & Reasonable Fees paid in a timely manner as required by Dodd-Frank Provides an environment free of undue influence between loan production and the appraiser
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Support & Service
Dedicated teams providing frequent support Automated status notifications Detailed turn time reports provided bi-monthly Appraiser managers available to assist in explanation of the appraisal results Dispute resolution process ensures results are well supported and...
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Compliance
Protecting our clients from the steep financial costs and severe reputational damages of regulatory violations, while adhering to the highest quality standards, has always guided our daily operations. FCAM knows that your AMC can be a service partner and still perform...
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Integrity
First Choice Appraisal Management believes that value is more than a number. As a trusted partner in the lending transaction, we deliver results by acting with urgency, conducting ourselves ethically, and operating with a positive attitude. We take great pride in the...
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Quality
At First Choice Appraisal Management, quality is at the heart of everything we do – it shows in our people, our products, and our service. We are driven daily by our goal of delivering only the highest quality customer experience. We believe that quality is always the...
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