Industry insights, product updates, and thought leadership from the Banks Technologies team.
Most lenders ordering STR appraisals on Form 1007 are not cutting corners. They are using the tools they already had. Here is why that creates a compliance problem, and what to ask for instead.
If you're buying a home or refinancing, you'll encounter the home appraisal. This independent professional assessment determines your property's market value and protects both you and your lender. Learn what happens during an appraisal, why lenders require them, the different types available in 2026, and what to do if the appraisal comes in lower than expected.
The residential appraisal landscape is evolving, with UAD 3.6 and alternative housing structures like residential ground leases requiring new approaches to valuation work. Banks Technologies, R3 AMC, and Cedar are sponsoring free education led by industry expert Josh Walitt to help appraisers confidently expand into these assignments. As lending products evolve, understanding alternative structures early creates competitive advantages for both appraisers and AMC operators who can deliver consistent, defensible work.
Mortgage rates have dropped below 6% for the first time since 2022, and appraisers who remember the 2020-2021 refi boom know what's ahead. The question isn't whether volume will increase - it's whether your operation can handle it without compromising quality or burning out. The appraisers who thrive during rate drops aren't the fastest or cheapest. They're the ones who use downtime strategically to refine processes, update technology, and position themselves as the reliable choice when lenders need trusted capacity.
As housing affordability pushes borrowers toward manufactured homes, ADUs, and mixed-use properties, a hidden bottleneck has emerged: appraisers are declining these assignments in droves. Not from lack of interest, but from legitimate uncertainty about complex valuation requirements. When appraisers can't confidently handle non-traditional property types, borrowers lose access to affordable housing options—and the entire valuation pipeline breaks down.
Leasehold properties create a unique challenge in residential appraisal work. They're common enough in certain markets that appraisers can't afford to turn them down, yet specialized enough that many don't get regular exposure to build confidence. This training gap has real business consequences—appraisers leave revenue on the table or spend excessive time researching fundamentals, while AMCs and lenders struggle to find qualified appraisers who can handle these assignments efficiently.