I spilled my coffee this morning when we received the following request to bid on an appraisal assignment by a national retail bank. The request included the comment:

>occupied by violent squators, will require police escort

I think this is a statement of the way national retail banks view appraisers. After all, they are using appraisal management companies – we are basically seen as sheep.

In the era of drive-bys and AVM’s, how could someone knowingly put someone’s life in danger even if the alternative methods of valuation for the property are vastly inferior?

A few years ago while working on an appraisal, I walked around with the property owner who eventually blew himself up as well as the building we walked through, but my client (or anyone else for that matter) didn’t know that in advance.

…we declined to bid on today’s request. In this economy, the low bidder wins so lets be sure and wish them safe passage.

Good grief.