The Mortgage Porter

You Don't Want to Miss this Conversation

Dustin Luther of Rain City Guide and 4realz has been hosting weekly "radio shows" where people can call in, chat via the internet or do both while guest have a conversation with a panel selected by Dustin.   As a contributor to Rain City Guide, I've participated in a couple of these interesting sessions.  Recently we had a great discussion about the proposed changes to how appraisals are ordered for conforming mortgages...tomorrow's conversation promises to be just as informing when Dustin interviews Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors.  The conversation is centered around the Effect of the FDIC/Treasury Actions on Homebuyers and the Real Estate Industry.

Tune in tomorrow, July 17, 2008 at 5pm PST.

I'm planning on being a part of the conversation--if you would like to learn how you can attend, click here.

Update:  If you missed the live broadcast, you can hear the discussion here:

Great Roundtable Conversation about Appraisal Changes

I was just part of the latest 4realz Roundtable hosted by Dustin Luther and featuring Jonathan J. Miller, an appraiser from New York.   This discussion is about the upcoming changes with how conforming appraisals will be ordered, which I wrote about earlier this year at Rain City Guide.  I was planning to be a fly on the wall...but Dustin wouldn't have that!   Jessie B. from Retro.com was also active on the panel.

This will impact any conforming (Fannie/Freddie) mortgage and I really don't see ANY benefit to this new procedure that is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2009.   If this goes into effect, appraisals will be ordered from an "appraisal management company" instead of from a mortgage broker/loan originator.   It's my understanding that even though this change has come about from NY's Attorney General Coumo suing Washington Mutual and eAppraisal, banks like WaMU will not be impacted.  (Am I the only one who finds this ironic?).

My take on this is that appraisals will take longer and will have less quality if they are ordered via a pool (very similar to VA appraisals).

Listen and learn! Just click the green arrow above.

Join Me Tuesday at Rain City Radio featuring The Tim (aka the Seattle Bubble)

Once again we have a great show lined up at Rain City Radio, featuring "The Tim" who author and moderates The Seattle Bubble blog.  It should be a very interesting conversation and you are welcome to join the RCG panel.   For more information, click here.

I will update this post as more information becomes available.

Update:  Click below to listen to the interview with Tim Ellis from Seattle Bubble.  This is a great interview that expands beyond "the bubble" and also discusses blogging, and Tim's Naked Loon.

Catch Me Tomorrow at RCG Radio featuring the West Seattle Blog

Dustin Luther of Rain City Guide will be hosting Rain City Conversations at 4:00 p.m. PST on Tuesday, June 24, 2008. Our featured guest is non other than Tracy Record, Editor of the infamous West Seattle Blog.  I'm really looking forward to having the chance to actually chat with Tracy.   I have a very small neighborhood blog in West Seattle as well...I bow down and curtsy to WSB!   I do hope you join us at 4:00 p.m. PST to participate -- for more information, click here.

Dustin continues to line up the great guests and topics...plan on tuning in Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.

Update:  Listen to a West Seattle Conversation featuring Tracy Record, Editor of the West Seattle Blog.