![](media/image1.png){width="1.0180555555555555in"
height="1.0in"}**ATLANTA REGIONAL LOAN CENTER CONSTRUCTION AND VALUATION
FEE PANEL NEWSLETTER**

Volume 1, Issue 2 August 1, 2007

Hope you all are having a good summer. This is the second issue of our
quarterly newsletter to keep our fee panel appraisers updated on the
happenings of the Construction and Valuation section of the Atlanta VA
Regional Loan Center as well as policy changes. Items printed in italics
should be considered policy and supersede other previously established
guidelines. If you have any comments please contact one of the
representatives at our office.

We received numerous comments regarding the first newsletter, and most
of them were positive. Some of the responses were questions that we will
try to address in this newsletter. Please continue to provide feedback
so we can work together to provide our veterans the service they
deserve.

Vacation Requests

We continue to have issues with vacation requests made by some of our VA
fee appraisers. You must always:

-   Provide notification via email or fax.

-   Give yourself adequate lead time to complete any outstanding
    assignments.

-   Provide the name of another VA fee appraiser to complete any
    required repair certifications.

-   Be aware we may take up to 24 hours to process your vacation
    request.

Maximum Appraisal Fees

It has come to our attention that some appraisers are charging more than
the maximum appraisal fee allowed by the RLC. The current fee schedule
can be found online at:
<http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/atlanta/rlc/INFO/261-04-13.htm>.

Any appraiser charging more than the maximum appraisal fee will be
removed from the panel for a minimum of 90 days.

*Cancellation Changes*

During the last site visit by Central Office we were found to be
deficient in our handling of "duplicate assignments". As a result we now
run a daily report, covering the last 30 days, to correct multiple
assignments on the same property. Our goal is to always have the
appraisal completed by

the first appraiser assigned. As a result we no longer cancel cases
where access is delayed;

instead the cases are suspended. The suspension of a case does not
impact future assignments unless we have limited your number of pending
assignments due to a previously discussed deficiency.

*Fireplaces*

Some appraisers still fail to indicate if the subject property's
fireplace is vented or unvented. **You should include this information
on page one of all appraisals involving a fireplace.**

With the advent and use of so many different types of fireplaces we need
additional information from you. Some builders are considering the
installation of a fuel supply and/or gas logs as an option on homes with
ventless fireplaces. VA Notices of Value require certain certifications
on ventless fireplaces. When the builder is not providing a fuel supply
and/or gas logs these certifications cannot be met.

As you are aware the value for a vented fireplace, or fully equipped
ventless fireplace, is higher than the value of a ventless fireplace
with no fuel supply and/or gas logs. Therefore, you should determine if
the fuel supply connection and/or gas logs are included in the purchase
agreement when a ventless fireplace is present. If these items are not
included in the purchase agreement then the home only has a ventless
firebox.

*On these homes you should not indicate there is a fireplace on the
appraisal report; however, you can consider the minimal value of the
firebox in the determination of your final value. You should indicate in
the report, on the bottom of page one or the top of page three, that
"There is a ventless firebox installed but to my knowledge the
installation of a fuel supply and/or gas logs is not included in the
purchase price; therefore, VA does not consider the home as having a
fireplace."*

Appraisal Report File Size

The appropriate file size for appraisals submitted to VA's eAppraisal
system is less than 2MB for all appraisals except for proposed cases
which should be less than 5MB. Proposed cases may be larger due to the
inclusion of the plans.

You can determine the appraisal file size by right clicking on the
appraisal PDF icon on your computer, selecting Properties, and looking
for Size on the General tab. The most common reasons for appraisal files
to exceed acceptable size limits are your camera settings and your
scanner settings.

Re-uploading Reports

When you should re-upload an appraisal report:

-   To make corrections identified by the appraiser.

-   To make corrections requested by the Staff Appraisal Reviewer, or
    VA, when the changes are "value related".

-   To make corrections to the property address, legal description, and
    purchaser's name.

When you should NOT re-upload an appraisal report:

-   To include a copy of a repair certification.

-   To make other "non-value related" changes.

Email Correspondence with VA

Due to changes to VA systems we are required to digitally sign all email
correspondence. We have received reports from some of you this causes
problems when you respond to our messages using Microsoft Outlook. If
you are having problems and are using Outlook Express you may need to
turn off the digital signature option in Outlook Express by unchecking
the option for adding a digital signature under the Tools menu.  (The
option is located in various locations under the Tools menu based on
which version of Outlook Express you are using.  Look for an item that
is labeled \"encrypt\" or \"signature\" or \"digital signature\" or some
variation thereof.  This item could possibly be located under a submenu
labeled: Outgoing Mail.) If this information does not resolve your
problem then you should reply using an email created on your system and
include the text from our message to you. If your problems persist, you
should contact your IT specialist for assistance.

Cost Approach and Site Value

The last newsletter generated the following question: "Are we supposed
to provide a cost approach or not? It talks about no site value being
required unless a full cost approach is provided."\
Our answer is the VA does not require or prohibit the cost approach. The
decision to include the cost approach is left up to the appraiser. If
the appraiser feels that the cost approach is needed to support the
value determination, then the full cost approach should be provided with
comparable land sales data to support the opinion of site value. If you
do not provide a complete cost approach then you are prohibited from
providing a site value. Keep in mind that you cannot use the cost
approach to justify a value outside of the value range indicated by the
sales comparison approach. You can only use it to justify going to one
end or the other of the adjusted comparable value range.

PUD Information

The following information is required on properties located in a PUD:

1.  You must always complete line one of the PUD section of the
    appraisal report.

2.  You must always provide the purpose, or use, of the HOA fees at the
    bottom of the PUD section of the report.

3.  If the developer/builder is still in control of the HOA and the
    property is an attached dwelling then the entire PUD section of the
    report must be completed.

Maps

If your map does not provide sufficient detail to easily locate the
property you must:

1.  Provide multiple maps showing how to get to each property from a
    major road, as well as a map providing an overview of all properties
    in the appraisal report,

2.  Provide a handwritten map if the roads are so new they are not shown
    on the map, or

3.  Provide turn-by-turn directions from a major road to the subject and
    all comparables.

Utilities

Do not delay the completion of an appraisal report for the purpose of
having the utilities turned on.

Liquidations

The following reminders are provided regarding liquidation assignments:

1.  You must gain access to vacant properties.

2.  You must gain access on properties being considered for Refunding.
    Cases are identified as Refunding in the case number field of the
    26-1805.

3.  The timeliness on liquidation cases is five workdays. Your
    timeliness is measured inclusively from the day the assignment is
    made in TAS, or the date you indicate the assignment is received on
    page 3 of the report, until you upload the report into eAppraisal.
    On vacant properties, the days between your notification to the
    requestor that the property is vacant until you are provided access
    are excluded. For example, if it takes you three workdays to
    determine the property is vacant and notify the requestor and three
    workdays to upload the report after access is gained then your
    timeliness is six days.

Lead-Based Paint

You must assume that a defective paint condition (involving cracking,
scaling, chipping, peeling, or loose paint) on any interior or exterior
surface of properties built prior to 1978 involves lead-based paint.
**Your report must clearly indicate the potential presence of lead based
paint, identify the location of such conditions, and recommend
correction.**

Effective Date of Data Source(s)

On page 2 of the report you must provide the actual date of the data
source used in your determination of the prior sales information for the
subject and comparables. **Do not use "Current" as the effective date of
data source(s).** If the data source you are using is updated daily you
should indicate the effective date of data source(s) as the date you
reviewed the data source; otherwise, you should provide the date the
data source was last updated.

Appraisal Volume

The following graphs are presented to answer the common question
regarding our appraisal volume.

![](media/image2.wmf)

![](media/image3.wmf)

Contact Information

The latest contact information can always be found online
([http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/atlanta /rlc/contact.htm]{.underline})

RLC fax -- 404-929-5392

RLC phone -- 888-768-2132

RLC email -- 16/correspondence@vba.va.gov

[Staff Terminal Digits Ext]{.underline}

Andrew Plyler 00-09 5486

Marie Arnold 10-19 5394

Tom Watson 20-28 5406

Herbert Fenster 29-36 5415

Marilyn Evans 37-44 5416

DeLloyd Wilson 45-54 5381

Tim Greer 55-63 5475

Maria Sanders 64-73 5383

Lucius Gundy 74-82 5384

Don MacDonald 83-91 5382

Lia Solursh 92-99 5385

Assistant Valuation Officer

Gerald Williams 5389

Valuation Officer

Randy Rudeseal 5386