Per the appraiser independence guidelines issued under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Corporate Settlement Solutions has been contracted to provide appraisal ordering and report delivery services for various lenders. Client/appraiser communications are facilitated through the website and these communications are regularly monitored for content and appropriateness. These communications should be directed towards typical items including report status check, problems with entry or request of additional materials including survey, purchase contracts, access information, etc. In instances where the website is not adequate then please contact the offices of Corporate Settlement Solutions directly. More details on the Dodd-Frank bill can be found at the following web address: the library of congress

Vendor acknowledges that Corporate Settlement Solutions, LLC (“CSS”) is obligated to observe certain privacy requirements pertaining to the sharing of nonpublic personal consumer information with a nonaffiliated third party as promulgated by its customers and the various regulating agencies whether Federal, State or Local - including, without limitation, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Such consumer information shall include, without limitation, the names and addresses of customers provided by the financial institutions with which CSS conducts business. Vendor shall use all reasonable efforts to protect against any unauthorized disclosures of such consumer information and agrees to utilize any such consumer information for the limited purpose of fulfilling the undersigned's service commitment to CSS and will not disclose such consumer information to any third party unless such party must know such information for purposes of fulfilling Vendor’s service commitments to CSS. If Vendor chooses to engage the services of another party to fulfill service commitments to CSS, Vendor shall advise such party of the same obligations set forth herein, and have them acknowledge in writing, to Vendor, that they shall adhere to the same requirements.

By acceptance of any appraisal assignment you represent you are qualified to perform the assignment and are currently certified to perform this appraisal assignment. You affirm that by choosing to accept the orders assigned by Corporate Settlement Solutions to you/your company, you agree that the appraiser's fees for the order are reasonable and customary for the area where the subject property is located. You also represent that you are familiar with the relevant provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and will perform this appraisal assignment in conformity with those requirements, as well as all applicable Federal and State regulations. Failure to proceed per these guidelines may result in removal of your firm from consideration of future assignments.

Each engagement letter sent to you will include requirements specific to each of our customers, as well as CSS requirements and expectations which are listed below. Please review this Engagement Letter in its entirety.  Contact CSS immediately for questions, clarification, or guidance prior to accepting this assignment.

Corporate Settlement Solutions' Requirements and Expectations for all appraisal orders:

Please review this Engagement Letter in its entirety. Contact CSS immediately for questions, clarification, or guidance prior to accepting this assignment.

Appraisal Completion Requirements:

  • Client-specific requirements and/or special instructions attached to the order must be strictly adhered to when completing assignments. Please be sure to read all instructions associated with each order as client requirements can change.
  • Appraisers must follow the Square Footage-Method for Calculating: ANSI® Z765-2021- when measuring, calculating, and reporting the gross living area and non-gross living areas (basement, additional structures, etc.) of the subject property. Appraisals that require both interior and exterior inspections must follow this standard to comply with FNMA requirements.
    • If the appraiser is unable to adhere to the Square Footage-Method for Calculating: ANSI® Z765-2021 standard they must enter "GXX001-" at the beginning of the Additional Features field of the appraisal and provide an explanation of why they were not able to comply.
    • Appraisers must indicate adherence to the ANSI standard by making the applicable declarations in the appraisal report. Failure to provide the written declaration when applicable voids any claim of adherence to the ANSI standard
  • “AS IS” Value - All appraisals should be completed "as is" unless otherwise indicated in the comment section of this order, included within the client specific requirements, or approved by CSS prior to completion. Please notify CSS immediately if this is not an acceptable assignment condition.
  • UAD - UAD compliant appraisals should be provided when specifically indicated as "UAD" with "Appraisal Product Type" on this order form.
  • Multiple Parcels – In the event that the borrower owns multiple parcels, especially adjoining parcels, and it was not clearly indicated by the client in the engagement letter which parcels are to be appraised, please contact CSS immediately so that we can verify prior to your delivery of the appraisal report.
  • 1004MC must be included with all completed appraisals (unless indicated otherwise in the Special Lender Requirements section).
  • Exterior Photographs must be clear and descriptive showing the front, back, and a street scene of the subject property and the front of each comparable. The subject and all comparables must be appropriately identified.
  • Interior photographs must be provided with all reports requiring interior inspections and at a minimum should include:

    • the kitchen;

    • all bathrooms;

    • main living areas of the property (such as living room, family room, dining room, all bedrooms, etc.);

    • basement, including all finished and unfinished rooms;

    • examples of physical deterioration, if present; and

    • examples of recent updates, such as restoration, remodeling, and renovation, if present.

    • see client specific instructions for additional photo requirements

  • Sketch is required on all reports with interior inspections. It must display exterior dimensions & interior room placement.
  • Location map should include subject, comparable sales, comparable listings, and rentals (w/ 1007).
  • Comparable photographs are required with all appraisal report types, including Land Only appraisal reports.
  • Form Type – If the form type on this engagement letter does not coincide with the subject's property type, please notify CSS immediately as it may affect the fee or the assignment instructions for this order.
  • License- Please include a copy of your license with all completed reports.
  • Loan # - If provided, please include the loan # on the appraisal report.
  • Lender/Client Name on the bottom of the signature page must read: Corporate Settlement Solutions or CSS. The company name and address must be that of the client/lender.

All appraisers are mandated to comply with the requirements established under the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and all applicable state and federal laws that apply for the development and reporting of any assignment performed for CSS and our clients.

Service Level Agreement:

Accept the order on our website upon receipt. By accepting this order, you agree to the following SLAs:

  • Contact with borrower within 24 hours of order receipt (unless exterior only) - even if you have notified CSS of an extended TAT.
    • Contact CSS with-in 24 hours of order assignment if the contact/borrower cannot be reached or is not responsive.
  • Inspection of the subject property to occur within 48-72 hours of order assignment.
  • Completed reports delivered to CSS electronically 48-72 hours after inspection.
  • The due date reflected on each order is simply a guide on the completion date that should not be exceeded.
  • Revision/addendum requests from CSS or the client should ideally be completed with-in 2 hours of receipt, and not to exceed 24 hours.

If the assignment is offered and you cannot meet these SLAs, you may Accept with Conditions and provide the conditions for acceptance in detail.

If the order is not assigned to you with agreed upon conditions, then your acceptance of this order is confirmation that you are able to meet the turn time above expectation.

If at any time during the assignment these SLAs cannot be met, please contact CSS immediately.

Competency and License Requirements:

The acceptance of this assignment will serve as your attestation that you are competent (as defined by USPAP) to accept the assignment. In addition, you are affirming that you have knowledge and experience in appraising this type of property in this market area and being aware of and having access to the necessary and appropriate data sources for the area in which the property is located.

If at any point during the assignment you determine that you are not competent (as defined by USPAP) to complete this assignment, please notify CSS immediately.

Unless otherwise stated in the Client-specific requirements, the appraiser completing and signing the appraisal report must hold a current state license or certification for real estate appraisal (no trainees). Please note: In Illinois, an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser may inspect if they are properly supervised, and the report is cosigned by the supervisory appraiser.

Your acceptance of this assignment acknowledges that your license is active and in good standing. You are also confirming that to your knowledge, you are not included on exclusion lists for FNMA, FHLMC, HUD or this specific client.

If you are currently subject to a pending disciplinary action, notify CSS. Please include the details and any explanation.

Confidentiality and Appraiser Independence:

Your role as the appraiser is to provide an independent and impartial analysis of real property. If ever you feel pressured, by any party and at any time, to violate Appraiser Independence Requirements (AIR) as defined by Dodd-Frank, TILA, GSE Servicing guidelines and USPAP, immediately report the incident to CSS via our Appraiser Independence Hotline (440-788-7713).

Communication with borrowers or non-intended users regarding assignment results is strictly prohibited without express written authorization from CSS after approval from the client. USPAP’s Ethics Rule prohibits the appraiser from discussing the results of the report to anyone but the client who ordered the appraisal, or parties designated by the client. This may include, but is not limited to, transferees, homeowners, borrowers, brokers, lenders, listing or selling agents.

Please disclose any potential conflict of interest prior to accepting this assignment (as defined by USPAP).

Fees and Payment Terms:

Do not attach an invoice to your appraisal report. All invoicing is handled automatically through our accounting dept. This requirement does not apply to appraisals performed in the state of New York, where we require that the appraisers attach a copy of their invoice to the appraisal report.

Do not discuss appraisal fee with the borrower. Direct any questions regarding your fee to CSS.

If required by your state regulatory authority, you may record your fee within the appraisal report as a comment included on an attached addendum.

The fee on the engagement letter is either the fee provided by the appraiser in their profile, or the negotiated fee based on the scope of work and/or assignment conditions agreed to by both CSS and the appraiser. If the fee on this order is not your current standard pricing, please update your profile on our website and notify CSS.

A trip fee or partial payment for work completed will be available if the client cancels the order after the subject has been inspected. 

CSS does not have an agreement to pay for work that was completed prior to inspection of the subject or when an appraiser voluntarily withdraws at any time during the assignment. 

Any discrepancies with the fee must be approved by CSS prior to additional charges being incurred. Unauthorized work will not be paid for.

CSS will process payments for completed appraisals twice a month, typically on the 5th and the 20th of every month, based on the agreed fee stated on the engagement letter.

Appraisers are never responsible to pick up any fee at the door. Do not accept payment from any other party than CSS for the appraisal assignment.

Communication with CSS:

All scheduled appointments, ETA's, status updates, and any delays / updates should be communicated to CSS via our website. Use your login credentials to log on and access the order.

You can send a message to CSS by using the Add Comment option available on the order detail screen.

To notify us of an inspection appointment that was successfully scheduled, please go to the order, Click on Actions > Set Inspection Appointment. If the scheduled appointment is outside of standard turn time, please include a comment as to why.

Appraisal Report Submission:

Completed appraisal reports should never be transmitted to parties other than CSS and should not include your invoice (except for NY), our order form/engagement letter, or Par Logic rules.

All completed reports must be uploaded through our website. http://www.VisitCSS.com

  • Click on the Vendor Login button on the home screen and select Appraisers from the dropdown menu.
  • Enter your username and password to login.
  • Locate the order on your dashboard under All Orders in Progress.
  • On the order details screen, click on Actions -> Submit Appraisal Report.
  • This will open the ACI Sky Delivery screen and you may now browse your computer for the ACI file, MISMO XML or PDF of the appraisal you are delivering to us and click process.
  • ACI files and MISMO XML's upload much quicker than PDF's.

After successful submission, ACI will analyze your report and provide you feedback which is grouped into three categories.

  • Rating categories are as follows:
  • Errors: These are items that must be corrected.
  • Warnings: These items may need to be corrected. Please review.
  • Information: These items are typically "comments needed" reminders, which may or may not have already been addressed. Please review.

You can click on each item provided and it will take you to the portion of the report that the feedback is about. In many instances it will just remind you that appropriate comments were needed. If you have already made those comments, there is nothing you need to do. If it points out items that have been fully addressed in other free form comment fields, there is nothing else you need to do. If it uncovers items that you have not addressed and need to, close the program, make your revisions in your appraisal software and re-upload the report once revised. If everything is good as is, click over-ride or deliver, whichever is appropriate based on the category of the flag.

Technical Support/Trouble Shooting:

For technical support assistance:

  • Our website contains knowledge base trouble shooting and tutorial documents located under help and are also available upon request.
  • Specific issues with CSS / ValueLink website, contact info@valualinksoftware.com, 888-587-0805 option 2, or open a support ticket on-line by clicking “?”
  • Specific issues with uploading completed product, contact ACI Technical Solutions team at 800-234-8727 (Option 3)
  • You may also contact CSS at 440-249-5040 or customerservice@visitcss.com

Fair Housing Act

CSS is committed to and expects fair and unbiased property valuations in all appraisal reports produced by its appraiser

vendors. CSS trains its staff on the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and expects its

appraiser vendors to be familiar with and follow the practices of such.

CSS adheres to the principles of The Fair Housing Act and shall not tolerate any form of discrimination in the mortgage

lending process due to or based upon a person’s race, color, national origin, religion, gender, familial status or disability.

Consistent with this approach, we seek to eliminate any explicit or implicit racial bias or discrimination in the appraisal

process.

We ask for your assistance in these efforts by ensuring that, per your standard practice, you continue to complete your

appraisal using verifiable, objective data, and that you maintain a robust work file containing all necessary information to

support your opinion of value. We recognize that instances of appraiser bias are uncommon and not systemic, but also

that these issues are facing increased media scrutiny. As such, we appreciate your partnership in delivering an objective

and unbiased appraisal product to our lender customers.

 

By accepting this assignment, you agree to:

  • describe the property and the neighborhood in factual, unbiased, and specific terms;
  • consider all factors that influence value; and
  • be objective and unbiased in the development of the opinion of market value in the appraisal