Welcome to The Spivey Group, Inc. where appraisers make you a top priority.  The customer service you will receive is second to none, and proven by the volume of referral business we are awarded.  Your expectations of an appraiser will be met with professionalism, prompt action and a quality product.

The Spivey Group, Inc. formerly known as Hastings and Spivey, Inc. has been a leader in the appraisal field for nearly 40 years. With offices in Orlando and Palm Beach County, our areas of expertise include eminent domain, litigation, commercial and residential appraisals. We are committed to providing a high quality product in a timely manner. Our goal is to exceed the expectations of our clients.

Please click on one of the following departments for additional information.

              
          Eminent Domain           Commercial                 Residential 

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Enacted May 1, 2009, the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) is a set of rules for the mortgage lending and real estate appraisal industries. The intended purpose of the HVCC is to protect appraiser independence and prevent pressure from being applied to appraisers to produce a desired property value. Ultimately, these safeguards are intended to protect consumers. Even though there has been considerable debate about the unintended consequences of the HVCC, compliance is required for all loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Nothing will change in the actual appraisal reports we produce. We've always focused on ensuring accurate, independent valuations in our appraisal reports. It's the core value of our business. We'll continue to do that going forward and we're ready and qualified to make sure everything we do complies with the HVCC.

The process of ordering appraisals has changed, however. If you're a homeowner in need of an appraisal of your home, an attorney needing a property appraisal, or even if you work for a small community bank or credit union and will continue to communicate directly with appraisers.

The HVCC was born from an agreement between the New York State Attorney General, OFHEO, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In 2007 New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed suit against First American Corporation and its appraisal management subsidiary, eAppraiseIT, accusing them of enabling Washington Mutual to pressure appraisers to change values, as well as hand-pick which appraisers should be used for WaMu's appraisal reports.

Attorney General Cuomo then subpoenaed Fannie and Freddie in order to learn more about loans purchased from banks like WaMu and the valuation processes they used. One of the results of the investigation was the HVCC, which was agreed upon and approved by Fannie and Freddie. From May 1, 2009 forward, every loan eventually funded by Fannie and Freddie must be in compliance with the HVCC.

The HVCC specifically prohibits any party from coercing, suggesting, or influencing appraisers in any way to produce a specific or desired value for a residential property.

Only the lender or a party authorized by the lender can engage the appraiser and order an appraisal that will be backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Mortgage brokers and real estate agents, without lender permission, are not allowed to engage appraisers or order appraisals. Also, internal loan production staff members or any other person who is compensated on a commission basis are not allowed to engage the appraiser or have any substantive communications with an appraiser.

A specific exception has been made for institutions which, because of their small size or limited staff, would be unable to establish absolute lines of independence. These smaller institutions are required to clearly demonstrate that they have implemented prudent safeguards to isolate its collateral evaluation process from influence or interference from it s loan production process.

All loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac must abide by the HVCC. The code doesn't apply to FHA and VA insured loans, or to appraisals ordered for non-lending purposes.

Lenders are required to ensure that the borrower receives a copy of the appraisal report at least three days before the loan closing. The lender, not the appraiser, must provide the copy to the borrower, at no extra charge. This allows the buyer to read the report and decide whether to go forward with the purchase.

You can read the full HVCC on Freddie Mac's website by clicking here: http://www.freddiemac.com/singlefamily/pdf/122308_valuationcodeofconduct.pdf