The National Appraisers Union is an organization that supports appraisers by providing a forum to gather, share, and voice opinions regarding their particular field of work. Our purpose is to protect and improve appraisers income and the conditions of employment and or contractual relationship developed between the appraiser and the lender or appraisal management company (AMC). The National Appraisers Union has also campaigned for laws and policies which will benefit working appraiser. A united appraisal industry is what we need now more than ever.
The National Appraisers Union exist because an individual appraiser has very little power to influence decisions that are made about his or her job. By joining together with other appraisers, there is more chance of having a voice and procuring influence.
There is no fee to join the Appraisers Union. Members that want to participate in our premium membership program may become designated members. This program is designed to separate the “United Appraiser” from the common appraiser and or membership in the typical appraisal organization. The proceeds aslo support our political and legal initiative which exists to protect and improve the appraisal industry by emphasizing the need to add appraisers to the list of professional groups that have petitioned for protective rights regarding income and the conditions of employment and or contractual relationship developed between the appraiser, the lender, and or the consumer. We need more than the just the minimal representation afforded by the “so called” appraisal organizations.
It could be that many of these appraisal organizations put their own best interest before the working appraiser. How can an organization represent the working appraiser when they are staffed and funded by present or past lenders or disinterested third parties. How can an appraisal organization be motivated to insure fair trade in the appraisal industry when they either stand to profit from Appraisal Management Companies or own Appraisal Management Companies. The “Appraisal Organizations, and AMC’s” are the vary companies that banks, lenders, and Appraisal Software Companies, have put into place to buffer themselves from legal liability while taking unearned appraisal fees from payments that the consumer believes are intended for appraiser.
We believe that it is unethical for a company or individual to receive any part of an appraisal fee unless the individual or company that and their respective employees are qualified to complete the appraisal for which the fee was intended. Anyone that solicits for appraisal business, engages an appraiser, reviews appraisal work, or interacts with the appraiser and receives a fee that was collected from the consumer and intended as an appraisal fee, should be licensed to complete the appraisal for which the fee was originated.
Asking lawmakers to stop banks, lenders, and big software companies from taking unearned fees is simply not going to work. Big banks and software companies have discovered that they can profit by driving down appraise fees and they are not just going to all of the sudden decide to stop. Their tactics are well known and they are very well organized. Many times they add extra an buffer by outsourcing. If the AMC pressures the appraiser to inflate value there is no one to complain to. If the appraiser does complain they are dropped from the lenders “approved list” and blacklisted by the AMC’s. Have you received an order for an appraisal that was already accepted by another appraiser when you went to review the details of the order? Then you know it was likely emailed out to hundreds or thousands of appraisers for the very lowest fee imaginable so that maybe one of the appraisers that was emailed would accept the order and the AMC could keep the majority of what the consumer pays. Have you been contacted about an appraisal order by someone in India or Pakistan? Did the agent barly speak a word of English? How do you feel about your appraisal fees being taken by people that aren’t even in the same country where the appraisal was originated?
Banks, AMC’s and Software companies send well funded lobbyists to barter for them in Washington so asking lawmakers to help appraisers is simply not going to work. If that is how you think appraisers will overcome the Bank/AMC appraisal industry takeover then you are sadly mistaken. We need to come together and form “An organization of the Appraiser and for Appraiser”. These people only understand one thing and it’s time we showed them that we mean business. Your $10 premium membership will not only set you apart from the typical appraiser with an NAU Professional Designation, it will help us do what you as an individual can’t, and that is to gain proper legal representation.
The National Appraisers Union
www.appraisersunion.com