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A topic very relevant to virtually all mortgage professionals has been receiving
increasing attention lately – the question is whether there is a shortage of
appraisers for mortgage lending valuations? Regulators and market participants
have been weighing in, and depending upon who you talk to, the answers vary.
e problem so far is that most of the discussion has been anecdotal.
What also needs to be included in the
stakeholder discussions on this topic is where
the industry will be in the next 3 to 5 years and
beyond, which is reflected by future appraisers
in the pipeline to replace the aging population of
practicing appraisers.
In conversations with chief appraisers and
senior management at various lenders and
appraisal management companies, many are
reporting increasing challenges outsourcing
appraisal assignments in a growing number
of markets around the country. A reluctance
of lenders and AMCs to allow trainees and
licensed appraisers to be involved in the
appraisal process has also exacerbated the
problem because in some markets the resources
I N D U S T R Y I N S I G H T / G R E G S T E P H E N S , S R A , M N A A , C D E I
AN INDUSTRY
ON THE EDGE