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Partner with MountainSeed and experience a different approach to appraisal management.
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We aren’t your average AMC. Register for a free trial of our appraisal-management services and see for yourself.
You have a problem? We have the solution.
Problem
Solution
We want help with overflow, but don’t like AMCs.
My bank has an in-house appraisal department and chief appraiser. We work with a few AMCs when we have to, but we often find ourselves frustrated with the quality and lack of transparency into the process. And besides, my chief appraiser isn’t a big fan of AMCs.
Partner with MountainSeed and experience a different approach to appraisal management. At MountainSeed, we encourage institutions to invest time and attention to the valuation process. For many larger institutions, that means building a sophisticated and independent in-house appraisal function. We don’t want to replace it. We want to serve it. We have meaningful experience working with chief appraisers and their teams.
I do reviews but I’m not an appraiser.
My bank’s in-house appraisal reviewer is overwhelmed. She has other underwriting and risk-management responsibilities, she doesn’t have any formal appraisal training, and she simply can’t keep up with it all. On top of that, we’ve heard that federal regulations may require appraisal reviewers to have minimum levels of expertise, experience and education.
Instead of investing overhead in hiring permanent, additional staff, partner with MountainSeed. Let us take the pressure off by coordinating appraisal reviews performed by licensed review appraisers, whether or not you order the appraisal through us or use us to manage the process.
We need help with appraisal independence.
My bank is rethinking our approach to the collateral valuation process in light of the new regulatory environment. I like the idea of involving an independent third party to manage a significant portion of our valuation process, including ordering appraisals, managing the process, and reviewing the appraiser’s work product. But I don’t understand how that would fit into our current process and lending policy.
Let MountainSeed share with you how we’ve successfully partnered with institutions like yours. MountainSeed Appraisal Management was originally born out of MountainSeed Advisors, a bank-advisory and -consulting firm. While we’ve developed an expertise in appraisal management, we’ve kept our advisory roots. We understand the regulations and can work with you to develop custom processes that solve business needs.
We are looking for an AMC that understands commercial as well as residential.
We’re looking for a holistic solution to manage our appraisal process. While residential appraisals are important, a significant percentage of our portfolio is commercial loans, and our special assets team needs valuations from time to time on all sorts of properties. The AMCs we’ve talked to seem to have experience dealing with high-volume residential work, but we’re not sure they can handle commercial or complex assignments.
Partner with MountainSeed and experience solutions tailored to every aspect of your real-estate lending program, and every stage in the life cycle of your loans. A substantial portion of the work we do, whether it’s ordering appraisals or reviewing appraisals, involves commercial and complex properties. Many of the members of our executive team have substantial prior experience developing, managing, and advising banks and investors with respect to their investments in, large, complex commercial properties at every point in the cycle, from origination or acquisition, through workout or disposition.
Do the regulations say we HAVE to use an AMC?
The regulations are so dense that I feel paralyzed. I’ve just been handed responsibility for my bank’s collateral valuation department, but I don’t know where to start. I know the process is supposed to be independent, but does that mean that I have to hire an AMC? I heard that even if I hire an AMC, I’m ultimately responsible for compliance. I’ve read some guidance, and I’ve picked up bits and pieces from conferences or compliance forums, but I need to see the big picture before I can make an informed decision.
We want you to hire us, but not out of fear. Here’s a fact. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your lending profile looks like. You don’t have to use an AMC. We’re not a law firm, but our in-house compliance team works hard to stay on top of regulatory developments. Members of our leadership team often write and present to national audiences on appraisal and valuation-related regulation. Before you move forward -- whether you ultimately hire us, use another AMC, or handle everything internally – give us a chance to show you how we see it all fitting together. You’ll make a better decision if you understand the current regulatory landscape, and we’re here to help.
Percentage of appraisals delivered on time or early
Percentage of clients who would recommend us
Percentage of appraisers who would recommend us
Approach
How do we work?
We built our appraisal-management platform to be flexible. We offer tailored solutions that give our clients the freedom they want with the control they need.
Commercial Appraisals
Residential Appraisals
Complex Assignments
Environmental
What is our process?
Login to our online, workflow-management portal.
Conveniently place orders right from our online portal
Let us manage the bidding and assignment of orders to appraisers on YOUR PANEL. Stay as involved as you want to be.
View the progress of the order and communicate with us through our online platform.
All of our reviews are done by licensed or certified general appraisers.
Monitor the performance of your panel appraisers with our appraiser scorecards. Scores are based on quality, communication and time. And the process is transparent. Appraisers have access to their scores.
Take comfort in the fact that we almost always hit deadlines.
Issues with an appraisal? Take advantage of our established dispute resolution process.
Questions? Just ask us. We’re not a lawfirm but our dedicated compliance team immerses themselves in appraisal regulation and process issues. We’re always happy to share our thoughts.
If we’re not adding value, you can leave. Our service has no minimum order volumes. When our clients offer feedback, we listen. And we regularly survey our clients in an effort to deepen our understanding of their changing needs.
Other great benefits
About
Why do we do what we do?
What is an appraisal management company?
In short, we help lenders order and review appraisals. But that’s not all…
We pride ourselves on being different than many AMCs out there, but there are some basic fundamentals that define our industry. At its core, an appraisal management company serves as an intermediary between a financial institution and appraisers.
Financial institutions order appraisals in connection with making a mortgage loan – a loan secured by real property -- or when they are forced to take ownership of a piece of property through foreclosure or some other means, or even just for the sake of monitoring the risk in the portfolio of loans they’ve already made.
Over time, appraisal and valuation related regulation and requirements have made their way into a number of consumer-protection and safety-and-soundness regimes. The largest players that invest in or insure residential mortgage loans, like Fannie, Freddie and the FHA, each have their own set of requirements.
Much of the newer legislation is focused on so-called “appraisal independence” – rules and procedures designed to prevent lenders from coercing appraisers into returning inflated values. As a result, AMCs have exploded onto the scene as bankers and lenders look for reliable, systematic methods of promoting independence in the appraisal process.
History
MountainSeed Appraisal Management, LLC is the result of a long-time business partnership between David Green and Carl Streck. David and Carl have owned, developed and managed real estate, and run a successful bank-advisory business. Several years ago, a community-bank advisory client asked for help with their appraisal process. David and Carl took on the challenge. From that single assignment, MountainSeed Appraisal Management, LLC has emerged as a distinct, thriving company within the MountainSeed family.
When
we started
Where we
are today
Company
Milestone
Legislative
Milestone
1989
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Leadership
Carl Streck is Chief Executive Officer of MountainSeed Appraisal Management, LLC and MountainSeed Advisors, LLC. He co-founded MountainSeed with David Green. Carl manages new and existing client relationships while directing research and analysis of real estate market conditions. Through years in the development and consulting industries, Carl has become an expert in the evaluation of all types of real estate collateral, as well as in the development of creative solutions for problem properties. Carl has been the catalyst for MountainSeed’s alliances with some of the world’s leading institutional investment management firms, leading money center banks, and top 10 hedge funds. The firm’s many ongoing relationships are testimony to his commitment to client success.
Carl has worked as an advisor to many of the World’s leading investments firms and has been recognized throughout the investment community as a real estate expert. He has led numerous round table groups and conferences for leading money management firms, including Angelo, Gordon & Co., Citi Group, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, SAC Capital, Blackrock and others.
David Green is Chief Financial Officer of MountainSeed Advisors, LLC and MountainSeed Appraisal Management, LLC. He directs the research and advisory activities of the firm. He co-founded MountainSeed with Carl Streck. David’s primary responsibilities include developing the firm’s financial models and creating the methodologies to analyze CRE loans, RMBS, CMBS, structured finance products. Additionally, David advises on risk management, and oversees all portfolio reviews. David directs MountainSeed Advisors daily operations and manages the firm’s analysts on all projects. Throughout the entire MountainSeed Advisors project schedule David is hands on with the client to understand their unique needs, and provide the highest possible level of service.
Prior to founding MountainSeed Advisors, David was a co-founder of Trinity Development Group, a real estate investment firm based in Tampa, and Atlanta. David has managed over $200 million of Trinity’s principal’s investments, and handled all aspects of the project level financials that has made Trinity Development a successful, and well respected owner/operator of Real assets throughout the Southeast.
Nathan Brown is the Chief Operating Officer of MountainSeed Advisors, LLC and MountainSeed Appraisal Management, LLC. In that role, he collaborates with MountainSeed’s co-founders, David Green and Carl Streck, in developing and executing the vision and goals of the organization. Nathan leads MountainSeed’s core teams, including the sales, operations, technology, government-relations and compliance functions, and often assumes key roles in the development and implementation of new products and services. Previously, Nathan served as MountainSeed’s Chief Legal Officer. Prior to joining MountainSeed, Nathan practiced law at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a large national law firm. There, he served as MountainSeed’s first outside counsel and worked with David and Carl to organize the companies and structure the initial round of financing.
Nathan frequently writes and speaks on regulatory and real-estate valuation issues. He has recently published several articles in national publications, including American Banker. And he is often published in state bankers association publications. He has been invited to speak at numerous webinars and conferences. Nathan presented on appraisal regulations at the American Banker’s Regulatory Symposium in Washington, D.C. and at the American Bankers Association’s national convention in San Antonio, Texas. He has been quoted in articles related to the valuation industry in national publications, including Mortgage Daily and National Mortgage News.
Our Appraisal Coordinators don’t just push paper. All of our Appraisal Coordinators undergo USPAP training and put that knowledge to work for our clients.
Our team includes over 70 licensed and certified review appraisers located throughout the United States. Many hold prestigious industry credentials, including the Appraisal Institute’s MAI and SRA designations.
Markets
AK
AL
AR
AZ
CA
CO
DE
FL
GA
HI
ID
IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
MA
MD
ME
MI
MO
MS
NC
ND
NH
NJ
NM
NY
OH
OK
PA
RI
SC
TN
TX
UT
VA
WA
WI
WV
WY
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
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Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; Licensed as an AMC
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Can work here; License not yet required (or pending)
Clients
We’re privileged to work with great clients. Just a sample appear below.
MountainSeed is endorsed by these state banking associations as the exclusive preferred provider of appraisal management services to their members:
MountainSeed employees are active in the following associations and industry groups:
