Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California

Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California
WEBSITE       RESUME       CONTACT       FACEBOOK        LINKEDIN       

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Difficulties becoming a real estate appraiser trainee in California by Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Los Angeles, California


New real estate appraisers trying to get their 1,000 to 1,500 hours of experience are having major problems finding licensed real estate appraisers willing to train them. One ex trainee (who is now an appraiser for BetterMortgage*) said it's probably because of racism, fear of losing business to trainees or appraisers are just assholes. It's none of those things. You could be Jesus Christ himself and still no appraiser would want to train you. I will explain the problem with the trainee program and why appraisers don't want trainees. Then I'll offer some solutions. 

It takes a lot of time, money and headaches to have a trainee when there is no benefit whatsoever to the appraiser. Nothing to gain and everything to lose. The trainee has to sign the report (in addition to the appraiser) and/or be a part of the entire appraisal process in order to get credit hours. The trainee also has to have access to the work file or actually possess the work  file (photos of interiors of homes, loan documents with SSN's, passport/drivers license numbers and sometimes even copies, birth dates, place of birth, full names, addresses, banking information, list of all clients, all emails, all past appraisals of the appraiser...) This causes your E&O insurance to go up by 50%. (Basic coverage $1,000,000 $680/yr, $340/yr more for a trainee). It also opens you up to more legal liability and concerns about cyber security. 

I just heard a story about a trainee who sued a mentor for big workers compensation and other damages. The mentor was driving the car and stopped at a light when they were rear ended through no fault of the mentor driver. The trainee sued the mentor and not the driver that ran into them! Why would anyone sign up for that when there is nothing to gain with a trainee? All one person shops would have to purchase a ton more insurance.

The appraisals will take a lot longer to complete with a trainee. This means the appraiser makes less money while they are training the person. 

The client doesn't want another person in their private home taking photos of their possessions, their security system, safes, valuables, location of master bedroom, location of children's rooms, entrances or being around their family. Google "home inspector" and "Elmo doll." The certified appraiser passes many advanced background checks to have their licenses, be on appraisal panels and work for clients. The trainee doesn't have the same background checks. 

The appraiser has to have the trainee in the car and office training them. Most appraisers work out of their home. There goes the appraiser's privacy and schedule. Can't pick up the kids between comp photos with a trainee in the car.

The appraiser has to pay extra for appraisal software with a trainee because they have to sign the report. That could be at least $1,000 per year for software if they sign the report. The appraiser also has to pay more for MLS access and other online comparable sources. That could be $600 per year. Even car insurance goes up with a trainee in the car. It all adds up. 

The trainee can never do an inspection or sign an appraisal by themselves. No AMC or bank would ever allow that. The client paid top dollar and hired a licensed, certified experienced appraiser and not a trainee. The work assignments clearly state that only the appraiser in the order can do the appraisal. The lender, mortgage broker can't sell the loan if a trainee was involved in the appraisal. No one would buy the loan then the lender can't make more loans and make money. 

Having a trainee costs the appraiser money. "As of January 1, 2015 Trainees and supervisors must now take a four-hour course on the responsibilities and requirements of each role. The course must be completed by trainees before receiving their Trainee (AT) credential and by supervisors prior to beginning supervision." The class costs $100.  

When the trainee submits their log to become a full appraiser they will be audited by BREA. The mentor will also be audited. They audit the trainee's hours log and ask for some of the appraisals completed by the trainee and mentor. 

While I'm sure an appraiser would first train a trainee on a fake appraisal assignment the trainee must do their actual hours on real appraisals for real government backed loans. They can't get hours on practice or fake appraisals. The licensed appraiser must work with them side by side on the entire appraisal process and report. 

Some trainees falsely think they will eventually be doing free work for the appraiser. They think they'll do appraisals totally on their own eventually and the appraiser will make more money so they're an asset. That can never happen per the law or clients' orders. Appraisers don't get anything from trainees. They cost them money.

While they are talking about making changes reducing requirements, classes, experience hours, there probably won't be a great need for new appraisers as the rush will be over. Another thing to consider is when a trainee completes all their hours and get their final license, they still won't get any lender work until they have three years of experience. It takes experience to get experience so the new appraiser is stuck again. The government would have to force lenders to use newbie appraisers and I'm sure they'd push back on that. You really do need experience.

I have a couple of suggestions. The only trainees I've seen find a mentor are relatives of real estate appraisers or very good friends. Jim Park of the Appraisal SubCommittee stated this is why most appraisers have been white males and continue to be white males. I agree. That said currently you should find a relative or very good friend who would be willing to help you out. If you just call up an appraiser from a Google search whom you don't know, don't expect a call back. If you were the appraiser, would you want a trainee after what you just read? No.

My other suggestion is to petition the government to allow trainees after so many hours to do the property inspection, take the comp pics and write up the reports by themselves. Obviously the licensed appraiser still has to review and sign it as the supervisory appraiser. That would help appraisers save time and maybe eventually make more money or not lose money. Lenders would have to be forced to accept a government mandate if they are government backed loans. Nothing the government can do with other types of loans.

Find an organization or person willing to give money to an appraiser to train trainees. Some appraisers might be willing to train people if they were paid. Otherwise you're basically asking an appraiser to give you free education on their dime. Trade schools charge money as do universities with hands on work experience. Pay an appraiser to be the mentor for a class of say ten appraisers. Income from the appraiser's actual assignments would be secondary to income from mentoring. 

If POC want more representation in the appraisal field, they should form appraisal organizations for POC and do that. Offer grants for education, licensing fees for new appraisers. Recruit members who will agree to train and mentor trainees. I actually wanted to do this for Latino and Black people. When I did my research and figured out the time, cost and headaches involved (At least $3,000 not including lost income from the time involved) I changed my mind. If I were wealthy or semi-retired, I would start such an organization. I just don't have the time or money today. 

If you want to verify any of this information, take a look at some online real estate appraiser forums and Facebook groups. You'll see no one wants trainees and why. The only ones I see are relatives of appraisers. FWIW I am not looking for a trainee. 

*Jillian White is the "Chief Appraiser" for BetterMortgage. She is the appraiser behind the article about real estate appraisers not wanting to be mentors because they are racist, jealous, lazy, hate women... Jillian admitted she lied and pretended to be a man to get an interview to be a trainee. "As a Black woman, White is a rarity in the appraisal industry. She shared her experience of having to change her name to "Jay" on her resume just to land a job interview to be an appraiser trainee-a requirement to be licensed in the field. "When I showed up for a job interview, things changed. All of his enthusiasm was gone and instead of conducting an interview, he just kept telling me 'You're overqualified,' and 'I don't know why you want to become an appraiser.' The interview was very short because he never even invited me to sit," she said." The person was probably not happy that she lied about who she was. If someone lies about something as obvious as that, you know they lie about everything. No one wants a liar working for, with them. You could never trust the person ever.

It should be noted that now that Jillian White is an appraiser herself she is not mentoring anyone. Hypocrite? She is also promoting the unproven idea that white appraisers intentionally low-ball all black homeowners' appraisals because they are all racist. The company she works for BetterMortgage promotes the same unproven idea in order to attract minority clients to make money. They specifically state this in marketing material. BetterMortgage's CEO Vishal Garg (Forbes article about his fraud, failure and bankruptcy) has a history of stating they will do the best job for the lowest rate then they go bankrupt and rip off investors. There are a few other mortgage companies who are using the same racism scare to get business including New American Dream funding.

UPDATE: Jillian White stated September 2021 that BetterMortgage does not allow trainees to work on their appraisals. Jillian agreed to work for a company that doesn't allow trainees and doesn't help trainees. Who is she to complain about appraisers not trainees? She has no trainees. She also stated while she still has her license in New York she no longer works as an appraiser. It appears she does diversity PR and media for BetterMortgage. She promotes the idea that all appraisers and all people who buy real estate are racists. The only sane thing she said at the recent meeting is that appraisers should not get away from the sales comparison method of appraising because then values become more opinion than based on facts. That is true. 

From a May 2021 forum transcript run by a non government non profit group in which Jillian White spoke. She claims this incident "informed" all real estate decisions in her career. As a real estate appraiser, agent she knows better.

"I like to start with a story. This is a story about Gwen and Dennis Skinner who live in Long Island. This is a picture of the exterior of their home over on the left, and a picture of the interior of their home during the holidays on the right hand side. And the thing to know about their house is they purchased it in 1998, and in 2003, they decided that they wanted to move. And so at that point in time, the average marketing time for that particular area was roughly 30 days. And what was unique to that area was that all the houses are exactly the same. Same floor plan, for I think, you know hundreds of them.
And so it would stand to reason that their house when they put it on the market would sell
within the normal marketing time. However, the home sat on the market for 30 days, then
60 days, and then 90 days, 120 days, and it finally sold at around the 140-day mark.
So there are a few things to know about the property. The main one being that it was right
next to a six-lane highway, so when you're in the backyard, you can actually hear noise
from the highway and so that certainly could have contributed to the extended days on
market. Also there are a couple of price decreases as well, which suggests that perhaps it was
overpriced but there was an tidbit the information that leads me to question that was around
the highway or overpriced. And that's because the real estate agent for Gwen and Dennis said hey, I think I know why the property isn't selling. If you make these changes, I think you'll have success in getting a buyer. And so they took that agent's advice and shortly thereafter, they were able to accept an
offer on the property, and close the sale. So you're probably wondering what is it that the real estate agent said to it? What was his tidbit of advice, and it was to remove this picture from the wall. So this is a picture of me during my college graduation, and the reason why my photograph was hanging on the wall of Gwen and Dennis Skinner is because they are my aunt and uncle. They have quite a few nieces and nephews. They are very proud of all of us and our pictures are prominently displayed all throughout their home. However, their agent told them that they believed the reason why the property wasn't
moving and wasn't selling is because prospective homeowners didn't feel comfortable
buying a home after a Black family and they were advised to start packing early.
And once they showed the house that was empty, miraculously, they got an accepted offer.
So we don't know for certain exactly what happened in this case, the extended days on the
market of my aunt and uncle's property. However, it certainly informed all future real estate
decisions that I made throughout my career."

The fact that the property was located next to a busy six lane highway, was overpriced chasing the market down and needed to be decluttered/staged is what actually affected the ability to sell the property. If you don't price a home within 5% of market value, it will sit and be worth less every day as people wonder what's wrong with it. All real estate agents tell ALL people to remove personal photos and most personal items from the home when you offer it for sale. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your home so give them a clean slate. Properties within 500' of a major highway have dangerous levels of air and noise pollution besides being a loud, messy nuisance. Soot from cars end up on the inside of your home daily if you open the windows. Jillian was also an agent besides an appraiser and knows all of this yet still states these things. I have also been a broker, appraiser. 

Requirements for a real estate appraiser trainee in California to get their hours to become a licensed appraiser from brea.ca.gov. 

A trainee needs 1000 to 1500 hours over six to 12 months of actual appraisal experience. They must be real appraisals on real government backed loan transactions. They can't be practice appraisals. Each appraisal takes me about three hours with inspection though large, complex properties take more time. If traffic is bad, it could take a while to drive and photograph the comparable properties. 1500/3 is 500 appraisals if the trainee does all the work with the appraiser. That would be 37 40 hour weeks theoretically. It would most likely happen over a year or so.

"Earning Acceptable Experience as a Trainee Appraiser

General

To earn acceptable hours of experience, a Trainee Appraiser must work under the direct technical supervision of a Certified Residential or Certified General licensed appraiser in good standing who meets the Supervisory Appraiser criteria outlined previously in this handbook. The Supervisory Appraiser must be licensed at the appropriate level for the type of property being appraised. In addition, a Trainee Appraiser may work for more than one Supervisory Appraiser. For hours to be included on the Log of Appraisal Experience (REA 3004 sample log here), the Trainee Appraiser must either:

Sign the appraisal report as the appraiser; or
Be identified by name and Bureau license number with the extent of the real property appraisal assistance clearly and conspicuously described in the report.
In addition, work experience and the appraisal report must fully conform to both the requirements of USPAP and Title 10, Chapter 6.5, California Code of Regulations (commencing with Section 3500).

Trainee Appraiser's Duties

Trainees must:

Maintain custody of the work file, or make appropriate work file retention, access and retrieval arrangements with the party having custody of the work file in accordance with the Record Keeping Rule of USPAP. Since the Bureau will examine work samples when a Trainee wishes to upgrade his or her license, all appraisals included on the log must be available for review by the Bureau regardless of USPAP minimum retention requirements; and
Maintain an appraisal log. A separate Log of Appraisal Experience (REA 3004) must be maintained for each Supervisory Appraiser.

Supervisory Appraiser's Duties

The Supervisory Appraiser must do all of the following:

Personally inspect the property with the Trainee Appraiser until the Supervisory Appraiser determines the Trainee Appraiser is competent to make unsupervised inspections, in accordance with the Competency Rule of USPAP for the type of property being appraised.
Review the Trainee Appraiser's appraisal report.
Accept responsibility for the appraisal report by signing and certifying that the report is in compliance with USPAP.
Review and initial each page of the Trainee Appraiser's Log of Appraisal Experience (REA 3004) to verify that the work was completed under his/her supervision.
Sign the certification of the Log of Appraisal Experience (REA 3004) current as of the date the certification was signed.
Maintain records of the appraisals in accordance with USPAP.
Include the Trainee Appraiser's name and Bureau license number (if licensed) and identification of assistance in appraisal report."


03/282022 Just received the below email from BREA. 

"From the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers

The Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA) continues to see a significant increase in Supervisors failing to adhere to the stated scope of work and certifications in appraisal reports with respect to property inspections.  Specifically, Supervisors signing form-type reports, such as the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR), on the left-hand side certifying they completed a complete visual inspection of the interior and exterior areas of the subject property when the trainee was the only one who inspected the subject property.

Therefore, BREA is advising all Supervising Appraisers, Trainee Appraisers, and unlicensed trainee appraisers to do the following:

Ensure your appraisal complies with the scope of work stated in the report, and
Read and understand the certifications you are attesting to when signing an appraisal report. 

Even though state regulation and the Appraiser Qualification Board (AQB) minimum criteria permit competent trainees to make unsupervised inspections of the subject property when they are competent to do so, the agreed-upon scope of work and/or pre-printed certifications may not. The supervisor must be aware of and follow the assignment’s agreed-upon scope of work and report certifications before allowing their trainee to inspect without them. Failure to do so delays licensure of the trainee and may result in BREA action against the supervisor and/or trainee.

This email has been approved for distribution by BREA executive staff."

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Mary Cummins recognized by Los Angeles Business Journal in Women's Leadership Award

Mary Cummins, Los Angeles Business Journal, nominee, Women's Leadership Awards, los angeles, california, real estate, appraiser, appraisal
Mary Cummins, Los Angeles Business Journal, nominee, Women's Leadership Awards, los angeles, california, real estate, appraiser, appraisal

May 25, 2021 - LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Today Mary Cummins was nominated by the Los Angeles Business Journal for the Women's Leadership Awards. All 2021 nominees will be highlighted within the June 21st edition of the Business Journal, with finalists and winners featured in the June 28th edition.

“As a 35-year industry veteran, Cummins is a well known real estate appraiser, broker in the Los Angeles real estate industry. She is a leader who provides real estate education and insight not just here in Los Angeles but across the country.”

The Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual Women’s Leadership Series and Awards is a free three-part virtual event series. Featured panelists will be covering topics of ongoing importance, from leading through change and mentorship to the road to entrepreneurship and navigating today’s work-life balance demands. Finalists and winners will be announced during the final series on June 23rd, 2021.

About Mary Cummins

Cummins has been a real estate appraiser, broker in Los Angeles for over 35 years. Cummins also provides expert witness litigation services besides writing articles about many important real estate issues that affect the market every day. 

Contacts

Mary Cummins
Los Angeles, California 90015
www.MaryCummins.com


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Redlining in home loan financing - Mary Cummins, Real Estate Appraiser, Los Angeles, California


UPDATE: 08/12/2023 AEI just posted an op-ed about redlining. It stated only 20% of people living in redlined areas at the time were black owners. I previously stated most who owned property in redlined areas were white. Now we know it was 80% which proves my point with research. Whites were primarily negatively affected by redlining because whites owned the property. This proves that blacks were not the target or "victim" of redlining.

This also shows that blacks and others were pushed into these areas because they were cheaper to rent. That is why they were drawn to those areas. No one corralled them into these areas. Poor whites, Latinos, newer immigrants were also in these same areas for the same reasons. Redlining did not cause the areas to deteriorate.

“Our results suggest that racial bias in the construction of the HOLC maps can explain at most 4 to 20 percent of the observed concentration of Black households in the lowest-rated zones. Instead, our results suggest that the majority of Black households were located in such zones because decades of disadvantage and discrimination had already pushed them into the core of economically distressed neighborhoods prior to the federal government’s involvement in mortgage markets.”

Redlining did not keep black people from owning homes. "However, there was a robust growth of black home ownership during the postwar era; continuously increasing from 21% in 1940 to 54% by 1980."

Another point is the condition of the homes in primarily black owned areas. They previously were middle class white areas which experienced deterioration and decline which is a natural real estate cycle. This made the properties cheaper and blacks and others were more easily able to afford to rent them. Some even owned them. Redlining didn't cause this. It's just a real estate cycle which happens all over the world. Blacks, Latinos ended up reaping the benefit of buying the depreciated homes when the areas went through the revitalization stage and greatly increased in value. They sold the properties at a large profit.

"Unlike the Oliver-Shapiro assertion that “their homes and communities deteriorated and lost value,” many of these black neighborhoods were previously upper-middle class ones. This filtering down housing process provided a financial foundation for many black families. And when the professional classes chose to repopulate some of these neighborhoods, black homeowners, including Washington DC’s Shaw district, reaped the gains from further housing appreciation."

Another interesting point is the wealth gap between whites and blacks. It's not caused by the median or average family wealth differences. It's mainly caused by the upper class wealth. I would bet that most of the overall wealth gap is driven by the 5% most wealthy people who are white. If you removed people worth over $5,000,000, the wealth gap would shrink immensely. It's probably the billionaires driving most of the wealth gap.

"The left-wing blogger Matt Bruenig found that if black households in the lower half of their distribution had their wealth raised to be exactly the same as white households in their lower half, the overall racial wealth gap would be reduced by just 3 percent. As a result, he concluded, “What this shows is that 97 percent of the overall racial wealth gap is driven by households above the median of each racial group.” Indeed, over two-thirds of racial gap reflects the differences in assets held by the top ten percent of households in each group. Class, not race is the major driver of wealth inequality. "

Another reason for the wealth gap is the difference in family structure. Couples have more money than single people.

"To be sure, racial disparities in home ownership rates persist. But a significant share can be explained by family structure. In 2022, overall black homeownership was 44 percent; but for married couples it was 64 percent, virtually the same as the overall white homeownership rate. "


ORIGINAL: Redlining - Definition: To refuse (a loan or insurance) to someone because they live in an area deemed to be a poor financial risk.
The National Housing Act of 1934 created the Federal Housing Administration FHA to help revive the US economy after the Great Depression. The purpose of the FHA was to provide affordable loans so people could buy homes. Private lenders would make the loans and the federal government would insure them for losses. The new loans would have lower down payments, smaller monthly payments and were more affordable.
President Roosevelt's New Deal created the Home Owners Loan Corporation to help process the home loans. "To facilitate private investment through the FHA, the HOLC, and the Federal Home Loan Board Bank (FHLBB), the federal government crafted a national set of standards for assessing mortgage risk. Through its 1935 City Survey Program, the HOLC gathered data about neighborhoods from approximately 239 cities and compiled the results into a rating system ranging from A to D. Communities with A ratings represented the best investments for homeowners and banks alike; B, neighborhoods that were still desirable, C, those in decline, and D, areas considered hazardous. "A" communities generally had access to better amenities such as better schools, parks, shopping, transportation and were therefore more desirable. "D" communities generally were located near less desirable features such as industrial properties and they had fewer and lower quality amenities." To visually capture these rankings, the HOLC then turned these ratings into color-coded maps, using green for A, blue for B, yellow for C, and red for D – the origin of the term “redlining.”

Many researchers have stated the HOLC maps were more a consequence of existing ordinary and discriminatory lending practices as opposed to being a cause for them. Still, the spatial isolation could make it a self-fulfilling prophecy over time. Many have stated the ratings were just a description of the current state of the real estate cycle for each neighborhood. A "D" area could be revitalized, redeveloped into a "B" area. If that area improved with the addition of more public transportation, parks, schools, shopping, it could become an "A" area. This is what has happened in downtown Los Angeles and other areas such as Boyle Heights which some refer to as gentrification. Areas which were in a then D zone are now a B zone. The reverse has also happened. Some areas which were B are now D. Real estate risk constantly changes.

Others have shown how the HOLC grades were more a function of factors such as housing condition, residential density, and housing type, as opposed to solely ethnic and racial composition. If the ethnic and racial compositions were not included in the maps, it would not have affected their accuracy in determining loan risk. Over time some of these ratings became more associated with race and immigration status than unbiased risk. The term "red zone" ended up having a connotation of POC, immigrants living in poor areas. Generally poorer people, people of color and immigrants lived in the C, D areas because it was less expensive. Over time the redlining caused less investment in C, D areas and more in A, B areas causing a greater divide between the areas. As people were pushed out of more expensive A, B areas and into C, D areas, those areas became A, B areas.

It must be noted that the actual HOLC maps never stated "D is a black area" or "D is an immigrant area." There were worksheets prepared by individuals which were used to determine the risk of each specific area. Those worksheets included many factors and descriptions including the following from top to bottom (see worksheet for an area of Los Angeles below), population, class and occupation, nationalities, income, sometimes "negro" %, building type, size, age, condition, owner/tenant % occupancy, home price bracket, sales demand, predicted price trend, sales demand, new construction, rate of sale of new construction, overhang of HOLC properties, description and characteristic of area. It's important to note that the maps only covered 239 cities. We have 108,000 cities in the US. The entire US was never mapped. Only .2% of cities were mapped, 1/5th of 1%. It's clearly impossible for the mapping of only .2% to affect all cities today.

Today in real estate appraisal and analysis we use all of the above factors except race and nationality. It's a violation of the Fair Housing Act to consider or mention race or nationality because it would be discrimination. All of the other factors are good indicators of value and trends. Now the US Census does include race and whether or not someone is "foreign born." The census has nothing to do with real estate sales or loans. It's a population study.

That said the areas ended up correlating with higher populations of POC, immigrants and poor people based on affordability. There is a direct correlation between income and POC. Whites make more than Latinos and Blacks. People with more money buy more expensive homes in more expensive areas. If the government wants to correct the wealth gap, they need to fix the income gap. Appraisers can't do it. If one were to note today property in the four distinct phases or life cycles of real estate, one would probably find a higher percentage of POC, immigrants and poor people in those same areas because hazardous, run down, less desirable areas have lower rent and less expensive homes to buy. In some areas, it's all poor white people. The correlation is income and wealth. People buy or rent what they can afford based on their income. Wealth is tied to income. Race correlates with income. The correlation is NOT race = home valuation. The causation is income.
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 made redlining due to race illegal. It became "unlawful to discriminate in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale of a dwelling because of race or national origin." A bank could no longer refuse to make loans in certain areas based on those specific factors. Banks can only refuse loans based on the credit, credit history, income, assets, debts, expenses of the buyer, borrower. Those were the only factors that ever mattered in relation to risk anyway.

I am using this example below because it specifically mentions race, nationalities. Not all of the worksheets noted it. It was up to the individual filling in the form. The race, nationality had no effect on the rating. It was just reporting. They could have omitted it and ratings would have been the same. We know that race, immigrant status, being poor correlated with the lower C and D ratings because they correlated with lower income, lower net financial worth, lower credit ratings which affects affordability. This is not to say one caused the other. This is just to aid in the explanation of what "redlining" was.


Another important thing to consider is most people in the "redlined" areas were renters. Generally these areas are 80% tenants. The people who owned the property were mainly white. White property owners were the ones being denied loans or charged more for the loans. POC property owners were in the minority but they were also denied loans or charged more. And again this is only for government backed loans. People still got loans on the properties from sub prime lenders. We still have sub prime lenders today who do riskier loans. Those riskier loans are for riskier borrows or properties. A risky borrower has little cash, poor credit, lots of debt, shorter confirmed work history, undocumented work history, little income showing on tax returns, income only from retirement funds or investment property... A risky property is located in a wildfire area, higher risk flood zone, lava zone, tornado zone, next to river/ocean/lake, landslide area, on an earthquake fault, condo development with a major lawsuit, condo development with insufficient repair funds, older property, property not in average condition, property that needs seismic word, property with tenants that refuse to move, property that is behind on property taxes... Notice all these risk factors have nothing to do with race or color. These are just loan risk factors. Any safe bank would consider all of these risk factors especially if they are offering and reselling government backed loans.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Se habla Español. We speak Spanish. Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Appraisal Los Angeles California

Se habla Español. We speak Spanish. Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Appraisal Los Angeles California Se habla Español. We speak Spanish. Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Appraisal Los Angeles California
Se habla Español. We speak Spanish.
My grandmother Maria "Mary" Rivera Cummins was born in Mexico City, Mexico. She was a real estate broker and lender. She also bought and sold trust deeds in Los Angles, California. My "Nana" raised me and my sister. That is why I speak Spanish with my family and in my profession.
Mi abuela María Rivera Cummins nació en la Ciudad de México, México. Ella era agente inmobiliaria y prestamista. También compró y vendió escrituras de fideicomiso en Los Angles, California. Mi "Nana" nos crió a mí ya mi hermana. Por eso hablo español con mi familia y en mi profesión.
Below is a helpful English/Spanish GLOSSARY OF REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY TERMS - TÉRMINOS DE LA
INDUSTRIA INMOBILIARIA from National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and REMAX.

Se habla Español. We speak Spanish. Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Appraisal Los Angeles California Se habla Español. We speak Spanish. Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Appraisal Los Angeles California



Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Discrimination in Real Estate Appraisals - Fair Housing Act - Mary Cummins Real Estate Appraiser Appraisal Los Angeles California

Mary Cummins real estate appraiser appraisal Los Angeles California Fair Housing Act anti-discrimination Mary Cummins real estate appraiser appraisal Los Angeles California Fair Housing Act anti-discrimination

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 is commonly referred to as the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Since 1968 its protections have been expanded significantly by amendment. The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is charged with administering and enforcing this law.
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 prohibited the following forms of housing discrimination:
Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to any person because of their race, color, religion or national origin. Discrimination on the basis of sex was added in 1974, and people with disabilities and families with children were added to the list of protected classes in 1988.
Discrimination against a person in the terms, conditions or privilege of the sale or rental of a dwelling.
Advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling indicating preference of discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin. This provision was also amended to include sex, disability, and having children.
Coercing, threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a person's enjoyment or exercise of housing rights based on discriminatory reasons or retaliating against a person or organization that aids or encourages the exercise or enjoyment of [fair housing] rights.
Neglecting maintenance and repairs of the units rented by people based on race, religion, sex, or any other discriminatory demographic.
Restricting access to services and amenities on the basis of the renter's race, gender, religion, or nationality.
In 2012, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity issued a regulation prohibiting LGBT discrimination in federally assisted housing programs. The Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that discrimination on the basis of "sex" includes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. It was not until February 2021 that Housing and Urban Development issued a rule change under President Joe Biden to implement this decision. In addition, many states, cities and towns have passed laws prohibiting discrimination in housing based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Types of allowed discrimination
Only certain kinds of discrimination are covered by fair housing laws. Landlords are not required by law to rent to any tenant who applies for a property. Landlords can select tenants based on objective business criteria, such as the applicant's ability to pay the rent and take care of the property. Landlords can lawfully discriminate against tenants with bad credit histories or low incomes, and (except in some areas) do not have to rent to tenants who will be receiving Section 8 vouchers. Landlords must be consistent in the screening, treat tenants who are inside and outside the protected classes in the same manner, and should document any legitimate business reason for not renting to a prospective tenant. As of 2010, no federal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is provided, but protections exist in some localities.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development has stated that buyers and renters may discriminate and may request real estate agents representing them to limit home searches to parameters that are discriminatory. The primary purpose of the Fair Housing Act is to protect the buyer's (and renter's) right to seek a dwelling anywhere they choose. It protects the buyer's right to discriminate by prohibiting certain discriminatory acts by sellers, landlords, and real estate agents.

Mary Cummins real estate appraiser appraisal Los Angeles California Fair Housing Act anti-discrimination Mary Cummins real estate appraiser appraisal Los Angeles California Fair Housing Act anti-discrimination



Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Homeowner claims discrimination in home appraisal by appraiser - Carlette Duffy, Indianapolis, Indiana

Carlette Duffy, Carlette Marie Duffy, discrimination, 1329 fall creek parkway east, indianapolis, indiana, appraisal, appraiser, real estate

UPDATE 01/04/2022 Based on some information I received I believe the initial HUD discrimination complaint was dismissed. This is also based on one of HUD's reply to my FOIA request. They stated the investigation is over. As soon as I get written confirmation I will post it. Neither Carlette Duffy nor the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana fhcci.org stated they won so it's assumed they lost. As they released national press releases when they filed the complaint, it would make sense they'd release national press releases if they won the case. The complaint was filed May 2021.

08/02/2021 Just received a reply from FOIA HUD. As expected they said they won't release any information until their investigation is over. I requested the docs anew when their investigation is complete if they do investigate. Andre Perry recently stated 90% of HUD complaints are denied. I'm still trying to verify that information. This is the process for HUD complaints.


Just found some numbers. Only 2% of the HUD housing discrimination complaints had cause. This is for 2019. 37% had no reasonable cause, 7% withdrawn, 36% conciliated, 14% administrative closure, 4% DOJ referral. 





UPDATE: One of the appraisers responds to the accusation. Tim Boston stated, "Anytime I put a report out, I prepare with the intention of having to defend that report before a group of my peers," Boston said, "It's all data driven. So it's inherent in the data and I wouldn't know how to change that."


As I noted in the article his value was in line with the three robot values. It was based on numbers and facts.

The article stated this which is false. 

"A number of studies have found that Black-owned homes are undervalued when compared to those of white homeowners. This is especially true in historically Black neighborhoods. A 2018 report by the Brookings Institution finds that adds up to $156 billion in cumulative losses for Black homeowners."

I've read the Brookings "report" which was written by Andre Perry who is on a book tour to sell his book on the same topic. "Black-owned homes" weren't "undervalued" compared to those of "white homeowners." All of the homes in the report were valued by robots who didn't see the homes or homeowners. Appraisers did not appraise them. The robots valued the homes based on location, size, age compared to the sales prices of other very similar nearby homes. That is the basis of real estate valuation theory called "paired sales analysis." The robots did not know the race or color of any homeowner. African Americans, Latinos, POC, immigrants, poor people generally own homes in areas with lower home values than areas which have a higher percentage of predominantly white people. African Americans, Latinos, POC, immigrants are more likely to be poorer than white people. There is research which shows that. Poorer people regardless of color buy homes in cheaper areas because that is what they can afford. No homes were "undervalued." Black homeowners did not suffer any losses in this instance. The areas weren't 100% Black. What about a white person who owned a home in that area. Their home had the same value as a Black person. How does the Brookings report explain that? They don't because they can't because their theory of causation is inherently flawed. 

Again, racism and discrimination are real. Stating a robot is racist, biased and CAUSED black homeowners to lose money is ridiculous. This is correlation and not causation. The correlation is between the financial means of the homeowner and the price of the home they buy and own. 

ORIGINAL: Racism and discrimination in any form should never be allowed. Anyone who discriminates against someone in business especially real estate should be punished according to law. It's a violation of the Fair Housing Act to discriminate in real estate and housing. In the most recent alleged discrimination case and public government complaint Carlette Duffy says she was discriminated against in an appraisal for a cash out refinance of a home at 1329 Fall Creek Pkwy E Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana.
A previous owner who built the home was violently murdered in the home then it burned down in 2015. The land was listed for $15,000 ("This property includes a home that has been destroyed by fire & is being sold 'as-is' as an improved lot, demolition to be (sic) responsibiliy of the buyer.") then someone bought the land for $10,000 then told Building and Safety they were just "remodeling the breezeway" of the legal 3 bed, 1 bath 960 sf home (per plans apx 35' x 27' GLA (13' x 19' is breezeway which is open is not livable, 24' x 18' not attached to GLA of home or built with permits per building and safety)). The property is only 960 sf per the tax roll and Building and Safety. There is a 240 sf enclosed area which is not considered livable. If there is an addition or second bath, it's not to permit or legal. She would have to remove it if she were reported. They rebuilt the interior of the burned home and fixed some fire damage. That person then listed the home for $110,000 as 3 bed, 2 bath 1,400 sf and sold it to Carlette Marie Duffy for about $100,000 July 2017. Based on the comps at the time and history of the home it appears she over paid for the home. I have not personally seen or inspected the home.
2020 Carlette Duffy decides to refinance her home to take money out. You need perfect credit and tons of equity to take cash out of a home. You also need a good income. Carlette's income is online because she works for the government as the Reentry Director for the Office of Public Health. Carlette Duffy filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2009 (Duffy, Carlette Marie (db) 1:2009bk06962, Carlette Marie Duffy, Indiana Southern Bankruptcy Court 05/18/2009, 01/29/2013). Carlette missed making her payments and defaulted so she converted it to Chapter 7 and dumped her home on the bank in 2013 well after the great recession. As prices were rising that means she took all equity out of the home then couldn't pay back the loan. She was also unemployed with student debts and other permanent liens besides credit card debt and two cars.
Per the complaint March 2020 Carlette Duffy applied for a loan and an appraiser came out to the house. That appraiser appraised it at $125,000 per Carlette. Carlette wanted more cash out so demanded another appraiser. The second appraiser appraised it at $110,000. Carlette who is not an appraiser thought her home was worth $187,000. Again, she over paid for the home in 2017 at $100,000. It had new interiors per the MLS so no upgrades were needed.
Real estate appraisal is a math formula. That is why software programs can and do appraise homes. Below are the three most commonly used appraising programs. Their values for the property as of May 5, 2021 were Zestimate $108,000, Redfn $99,994 and Realtytrac $115,000. This is over a year after the appraisals. Homes have appreciated in the meantime so the robot appraisals could have been lower in March 2020. The blind software programs appraised the home for about what the first two appraisers appraised the home last year. There is no way a software program can be racist or discriminate as it doesn't see the people or even the home. Carlette is still not happy with those values so she complains and probably threatens to sue the lender.
This is when we must mention that Carlette Duffy sued a past employer for racial discrimination 1:2009cv00611 DUFFY v. INDIANA JUVENILE JUSTICE TASK FORCE et al. Carlette lost that lawsuit, appealed and lost again in 2011. The Court ruled she had absolutely no basis to claim discrimination based on the facts. Carlette has evictions, collections, other lawsuits on her civil record which she lost. She also was convicted of "CONSPIRACY/DEALING IN COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG" case # 49G20-9701-CF-012251 in 1998 and sentenced to five years in prison in Indiana. Carlette said her record was expunged but I still see it in the courts so I don't know if it was.
A third appraiser goes out and allegedly appraises the home for $259,000. I have not seen any of these appraisals, don't know the appraisers and am not appraising the home. Based on some comps I ran $259,000 appears very high. I pulled permits and see no legal additions or upgrades to the home since 2016 when it was "remodeled." I personally feel the $259,000 appraisal was too high. The subject is in Flanner House Homes Project on the very edge almost the last house. I think the third appraiser probably used comps from the historical district in the inner core. If you pull comps from Flanner House Homes the value should be closer to the first two appraisals and the robot appraisals.
I'll keep an eye on this complaint and will be sure to post the final outcome. FHCCI should have ordered a new or review appraisal of the three appraisals before filing the complaint. I think the complaint would have ended right there. We shall see. Below is the article and some pics of the home in 2016 and the plans.

#carletteduffy #discrimination #realestate #appraiser #appraisal #indianapolis #indiana #home #bias #racial Carlette Duffy, Carlette Marie Duffy, discrimination, 1329 fall creek parkway east, indianapolis, indiana, appraisal, appraiser, real estate









Below is a photo of the appraisal which Carlette Duffy showed on the news. That makes this is a public document. Because Carlette Duffy contacted the media about this appraisal and her home these items are now issues of public concern. I am commenting about issues of public concern about a public person. 


Below are the tax records for the home. It is legally a six room, three bedroom, one bath house. 





Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit