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Topic 6. Customer Service Expectations
March 11, 2019
This Chapter has been revised in its entirety.
a. Appraiser Expectations
Appraisers who are appointed to VA’s fee appraiser panel are well qualified, experienced appraisers. Fee panel appraisers are entrusted with the responsibility of performing accurate and timely appraisals for VA’s Home Loan Guaranty program. While VA fee panel appraisers are not VA employees, they are among the most visible participants in VA’s Home Loan Guaranty program. Appraisers serving on VA’s fee appraiser panel are expected to serve Veterans and their mortgage lenders in a professional manner at all times. VA is committed to providing the highest level of customer service to all Veterans.
b. Reassignments without Delay
If the VA fee appraiser finds that the appraisal request must be reassigned due to a conflict of interest or other valid reason, the appraiser must immediately notify the RLC to assign another appraiser.
c. Appraisal Status
Fee appraisers may be contacted by lender and servicer employees other than SARs inquiring about the status of the appraisal. Fee appraisers are expected to respond promptly, by the next business day at the latest, providing an update on when the appraisal report is expected to be completed.
d. Email Subject Line Timesaver
When communicating by email, place the VA Loan Identification Number (LIN) in the subject line. Do not include any other information such as the borrower’s name or address due to privacy concerns. Also state the reason for the request.
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e. Appraiser’s Notification to a Lender
When preparing an origination appraisal for a purchase, if the estimated market value appears to be below the sales price, the appraiser must notify the lender regarding additional market data (see Topic 8 of this chapter).
f. Appraisal Clarifications
The appraiser may be contacted by the appraisal reviewer, either a lender’s or servicer’s SAR or VA staff, to discuss the appraisal report. Appraisers are required to respond by the next business day. If a correction or clarification is needed on the appraisal report, a complete, revised appraisal report must be uploaded into WebLGY.
g. Oversight
The work of each fee appraiser is subject to quality review. Every appraisal report is desk reviewed by a SAR or VA staff. VA takes appropriate action, up to removal from VA’s fee appraiser panel, when appraisers fail to meet VA’s expectations for customer service, accuracy, and timeliness.