Dear Rep. Ripp,
It was great to talk to you at my office a few weeks ago about the current business climate and challenges. I am now concerned about AB472 which would prohibit a Realtor from providing an opinion on a property value. It is current practice that homeowners routinely consult a Realtor for questions about the possible value of their home, when they are considering listing or sale but have not yet decided to do so. This would hurt consumers and realtors for several reasons. Please consider:
- Consumers would be required to pay for a more expensive appraisal when such an appraisal is not necessary (divorces and estates) and in areas of the state where licensed appraisers are unwilling to perform this type of work at a dramatically reduced charge.
- Appraisers would have no competition from anyone when determining the value of real estate. By eliminating competition, appraisers will be able to charge more for determining the value of a property.
-It is bad public policy that Realtors will be prevented from providing services to customers unrelated to a real estate transaction without an appraiser license.
Thanks for considering this.
