Posts from — April 2010

Inspired by a post by Keith Klassen, I wanted to put up a quick post to a question I am sometimes asked. What is the strangest thing I’ve encountered while on an appraisal inspection? I’ve inspected thousands of houses, and I’ve come across some odd things along the way, no dead bodies and nothing too wild or raunchy, but this situation below takes home the prize for me because of the uncomfortable factor.  

A few years ago a home owner (grown man) came to the door in nothing but his yellow Sponge Bob boxers. And he stayed in his boxers the whole time of my interior inspection. With his belly hanging over and out, he just walked around a bit and then sat / laid down on the couch when I asked him questions about his property. I did a pretty quick interior inspection that day. 

This comes up for FHA deals when investors purchase properties and then “flip” them. I’ve seen quite a few flips in the Sacramento area over the past year (yes, even in this economy). I hope the information below proves helpful in case you are wondering when a second FHA appraisal is required during a flipping scenario. Verbatim from HUD:

FAQ : Is a 2nd appraisal only required under the Property Flipping Rule?

Solution Details : Under property flipping guidelines, a lender must obtain a second appraisal by another appraiser if:
1. the re-sale date of a property is between 91 and 180 days following the acquisition of the property by the seller, and
2. the resale price is 100 percent or more over the price paid by the seller when the property was acquired.

When a second appraisal is required

• It must be completed by a FHA Roster appraiser selected by the Direct Endorsement lender that is underwriting the loan.
• The cost of the second appraisal may not be charged to the borrower.
• The lender must not request a second case number in the FHA Connection for the purpose of obtaining the second appraisal and is to independently contact the appraiser.
• Only the information for one appraisal may be entered into the FHA Connection appraisal logging screens, which is the appraisal that is relied upon to determine the maximum loan amount.
• Copies of both the first and second appraisals must be included in the case binder submitted for insurance endorsement.

ML:09-48  Handbook 4155.2: 4.7, 4.7.f, 4.10.b-c

If you have questions or any appraisal needs, feel free to contact me at 916-595-3735 or ryan@LundquistCompany.com.

When I do appraisals for FHA loans, this situation comes up quite a bit, and my sense is there is confusion in the marketplace about this issue. When an FHA appraisal has been done in the name of one lender, but then the loan transfers to a new lender, does the new lender need to ask the appraiser to “reassign” the appraisal so that the appraisal is in the name of the new lender? Nope. See below.

Here is all you ever wanted to know – verbatim from FHA/HUD:

FAQ : When a case number is transferred with a completed appraisal, may a new appraisal be requested?

Solution Details : When a borrower has switched lenders, the 1st lender must transfer the case to the 2nd lender upon borrower request. FHA does not require that the client name on the appraisal be changed when it is transferred to another lender.

In accordance with USPAP, the lender is not permitted to request that the appraiser change the name of the client within the appraisal report unless it is a new appraisal assignment. The appraiser cannot ‘readdress’ (transfer) the original appraisal report to another party and must perform a new appraisal assignment in compliance with Advisory Opinion #26 and FAQ # 74 in the 2008-2009 edition of USPAP.

For cases assigned on or after January 1, 2010, a 2nd appraisal may be ordered by the 2nd lender when:
1. The 1st appraisal contains material deficiencies determined by the DE underwriter for the 2nd lender.
2. The appraiser performing the 1st appraisal is on the 2nd lender’s exclusionary list.
3. Failure of the 1st lender to provide a copy of the appraisal to the 2nd lender in a timely manner would cause a delay in closing, posing potential harm to the borrower. Potential harm includes events outside of the control of the borrower such as loss of interest rate lock, purchase contract deadline, foreclosure proceedings, and late fees.

For cases in 1 and 2 above, copies of both appraisals must be retained in the case binder. For cases in 3 above, the 1st appraisal must be added to the case binder when it is received.  In all cases, the lender must document why a 2nd appraisal was ordered and retain the explanation in the case binder.

FHA prohibits appraiser shopping where lenders order additional appraisals in an effort to assure the highest possible value for the property and/or the least amount of deficiencies and/or repairs are noted and required by the appraiser.

I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to call me at 916-595-3735 or email ryan@LundquistCompany.com.

The Stagger Inn in the City of Rancho Cordova has been a blight to the community for too many years, but it’s now gone. On April 1, 2010 a group of residents and city employees celebrated at the sight of a backhoe ripping into this dilapidated building that has been vacant for over ten years. The Stagger Inn was ironically demolished on April Fool’s Day with the idea that “It Isn’t a Joke” that it’s finally happening.

Blight impacts property value and even the ethos of a community. How have you seen blight affect property value, a particular neighborhood, or the way a community at large feels about a certain section of town?

I recorded the following video on the day of the demolition. Enjoy.

As you may know, I run a property tax appeal website for property owners in the Greater Sacramento Region. I help home owners dispute their property taxes when it makes good economic sense for them to do so (only if there is a savings to be had). I mention this because I am very pleased to have learned last week that the Sacramento County Assessor reduced my own property taxes by $36,622 after viewing the evidence I presented for a lowered opinion of value. They agreed with my value and the tax refund will be roughly $350. 

This is not a huge sum of money. There are certainly clients that will save $10,000+ because of the work my company provides. Yet at the same time, every dollar counts and I’d much rather save $350 than relinquish my hard-earned greenbacks to the local Assessor.

The wild thing is that these were property taxes for 2008. I turned in the Application for Changed Assessment in November 2009 and the Assessor just got back to me about these taxes last week - sixteen months later.

If you think you are a good candidate for lowering your property taxes, then it’s important to take action before the deadline for appealing property taxes comes (that’s either September 15 or November 30 depending on which county you live in). Had I not actually formally disputed my own taxes in November 2009, I would have been out of luck, and the Assessor would not be cutting me a check. I don’t know about you, but I’m a big fan of getting checks in the mail.

I’m happy to answer any questions. Give me a call at 916-595-3735 or shoot me an email at ryan@SacramentoTaxAppeals.com.