February 2003

A Publication of ELLIOTT® & Company Appraisers

AVM Has Its Place, But Won't Replace Traditional Appraisal

 

The Automated Valuation Model (AVM) is becoming accepted as a collateral assessment tool in connection with some mortgage loans.

AVMs are computer-generated appraisals, developed from general real-estate data, including multiple-listing services, county property-tax departments and local register-of-deeds offices. Statistical models of varying levels of sophistication are applied to this data. The results of these appraisals vary from being very reliable to being worthless and misleading, depending on the availability of relevant data and the use of appropriate statistical models.

The advantages of using an AVM in lieu of a traditional appraisal are speed and cost.

However, without property inspection, appraiser reasoning and accurate data, the value of an AVM is limited, especially if the borrower has a low credit rating or there is a high loan-to-value ratio.

Therefore, the need for the traditional appraisal is still with us. There is also, however, a need for the AVM, and when properly used it does, and will, enjoy a segment of the appraisal marketplace not usually served by the traditional appraisal.

 

Nevada Is Fastest Growing State

 

For the 16th consecutive year, according to U.S. Census Bureau research, Nevada has been the fastest growing state in the country. During the 12-month period ending July 1, 2002, Nevada's population grew by 3.6%. rounding out the top five states in growth for this period were Arizona (2.8%), Florida (2.1%), Texas (1.9%) and Georgia (1.8%).

The only state to lose population during the year was North Dakota
(-0.4%). Washington, D.C., also lost population (-0.5%) during this period, but Loudoun County, Va., in the suburbs of the nation's capital was one of only six countries in the United States to obtain double-digit growth during the year. Four of the five others (Forsyth, Henry, Newton and Paulding counties in Georgia) are in the greater Atlanta area. The sixth, Wilson County, Texas, is in suburban Austin.

 

 

News From Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae

 
Both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae increased by 7.3% their maximum mortgage amounts at the beginning of 2003 due to the increase in the national average price for single-family homes. ... Freddie Mac has launched CreditSmart Espanol, a bilingual credit-education program designed to teach Latin Americans how to manage money, use credit and purchase homes.
 

Quotes of Wisdom and Wit

 

"Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment."    -Barry LePatner

"Never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake."     - Napoleon Bonaparte

"An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today."     
     -
Laurence Peter

"Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger."
     -
Arnold Palmer

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."     -Winston Churchill

 

 

Contact Us

Newsletter Editor: kevin@elliottco.com   

Web Site: www.appraisalsanywhere.com

 



ELLIOTT® & Company Appraisers currently offers appraisal service throughout all 50 of the United States. Clients are encouraged to place orders directly to any office local to properties to be appraised or to the central office for assignment.

Orders may be placed via telephone, fax or through the company's Web site. All Internet orders will be processed through the central office.

Some Offices Are Independently Owned and Operated
 

3316-A Battleground Avenue
Greensboro, NC 27410

 

 

 

 

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