Why would I use a regional AMC you ask?

Hendricks Appraisal Services is a regional AMC. The best real estate knowledge is based on local information analyzed by local professional participants. Hendricks Appraisal Services is not, nor will it ever claim to be, a national appraisal management company. We are local appraisers, living and working in the greater San Antonio area with intimate knowledge of the market factors affecting the San Antonio housing market on a daily basis.

When changes occur in the local housing market, our appraisers know it. They feel it right down to their bones. It affects us personally, our families and our neighbors. There is no escaping it. There is no substitute for this kind of market knowledge. We don't read it in the paper. Our appraisers work here and live here.

Every one of our appraisal reports is individually reviewed by local, certified appraisers. Our reviewers are all practicing appraisers with years of experience in the local market. I am unaware of any other AMC providing this level of quality control. Most AMC's feed their appraisals through some sort of automated review software program designed to catch errors that are applicable to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guidelines. There is not a computer program yet written that competes with the sharp mind of a local, knowledgeable professional appraiser. Our appraisal reviewers know the Fannie/Freddie guidelines and the San Antonio market area.

But I don't want to have a million AMC's on my list of approved AMC's.

That's a good point. I understand wanting to reduce paperwork and oversight. But, did you know that San Antonio is rated the 7th largest city in the United States and 2nd largest city in the state of Texas? That's just behind Houston and just ahead of Dallas, Texas. San Antonio's economy continued to be one of the nation's strongest through the second quarter of 2009 with top 10 performances in employment, unemployment rates, home prices and productive output? If the San Antonio area was a state, its  economic base would be larger than that of twenty-two states. That's almost half the states in the whole country. That doesn't even include the other seven counties that make up the greater San Antonio market area. An area that large can easily support its own AMC.

Our systems provide the separation that is required by AIR, while still providing the transaction tracking desired by everyone involved. Better yet, the notification level of the tracking system is customizable by the customer. You can be notified at the completion of every step of the appraisal process. We can notify you of the appraiser accepting the assignment, the appraiser placing a call to the contact person, the date of the appointment, after the property inspection, etc, etc. Or you may simply want to know when the customer was contacted and when the appraisal report is complete and being delivered to you. It's your choice.

Need some special hand holding? Your borrower going to Europe tomorrow and you really need the property inspected by the appraiser today? AIR doesn't prohibit that kind of communication. Nor does our appraisal management system. Tell us about your needs. We'll take care of it for you. AIR does not relieve us of our responsibility to provide quality customer service and quality appraisal products.

AIR does not relieve the lender of their responsibility to provide a quality appraisal product. In fact the Fannie Mae Selling Guide states: "A lender must not assume - simply based on the fact that an appraiser is state-licensed or state-certified - that the appraiser is qualified and knowledgeable about a market area or is aware of the appropriate market data sources for the area and will be able to obtain access to them. If an appraiser is not knowledgeable about a particular location, is not experienced in appraising a particular type of property, or is not familiar with (or does not have access to) the appropriate data sources, a lender should not give the appraiser assignments in that market area or for that particular type of property." (Quoted from the Fannie Mae Selling Guide)

If you are relinquishing the control of your appraiser selection to a national AMC, how certain are you of that appraiser's market knowledge and skill set? Each appraisal assignment delivered to Hendricks Appraisal Services will be performed by an appraiser that is both qualified to appraise the property type and is knowledgeable about the market area and has all the sources available for that market area. In addition, that appraisal report will be reviewed by an appraiser that is both qualified and knowledgeable of the this local market. That is our guarantee to you.

How about price?

Surely with all this, the cost has to be higher than the national AMC's? Not all. Because we are smaller and more tightly focused, we are very efficient. Our prices are generally better than those required by the national AMC's.

What is the downside of adding Hendricks Appraisal Services to your list of approved AMC's?

You have to add us to your list. I'm sure there is some work involved. Maybe 10 minutes at the most!

What is the upside? The upside is Hendricks Appraisal Services is an already very highly regarded and well respected name in the greater San Antonio area. Having a local and well regarded pool of appraisers in your bag of tools can't hurt your sales and marketing department. Ask your marketing representatives. See what they think.

How big is the area covered by Hendricks Appraisal Services? See Our Service Area.

Need help with the quality control testing required by AIR?

We can help with that also. But, only in the greater San Antonio market area.

Want to get started or have questions?

Please feel free to contact us through this website, or by calling us directly at 210.946.6868. Speak with the owner, Doug Hendricks or our Office Manager, Adela Yglesias.