I have been appraising for 30 years, and for the first time am really concerned about the risk to the consumer for an appraisal product.  The lending industry has not allowed trainee appraisers to put their signature on an appraisal report, who after proper training by a supervisory trainee would be perfectly competent to prepare an entire appraisal report; yet the hybrid product will allow a non-appraiser....not even a trainee....to inspect and measure a property.  Instead, a third party with no appraisal training is being recruited for this important task. This puts the consumer at risk, who may be happy at the lower appraisal cost but at what REAL cost?  

This same lending industry has required appraisers to take original AND recent photos of comparables....which adds 2-3 hours to my day, every day.....yet with the hybrid product, suddenly those are not needed.  Amazing. 

This is clearly just an attempt to slam through appraisals without an appraiser...the only independent party in a lending transactions.....actually performing the inspection as a weak cost-cutting move.