Appraisal management companies

Frequently asked questions

Does our company need to register as an appraisal management company if the company contracts for fewer than ten appraisals in a calendar year?
Yes. Unfortunately, as the legislation was drafted there is no workable exemption for persons that complete less than 10 appraisal assignments in a calendar year. Any company that provides a singular instance of appraisal management services in Oregon will need to register with the division.

Do all the individuals owning more than 10% of an appraisal management company need to be licensed as an appraiser or hold an appraisal management company registration to apply for an Oregon appraisal management company registration?
No. As part of the determination of good moral character under the law, we cannot issue a registration if the owners lost an appraiser license or an appraisal management company registration issued by another state. The application form asks for the owners’ license numbers to act as an appraiser or as an appraisal management company to check if another state had taken action against a license or registration. However, it is not a requirement to have a license as an appraiser to conduct business as an appraisal management company. If none of the owners have licenses or registrations, please mark “n/a” in the appropriate form fields.

Do I need to pay the application, registration, and audit fees with separate payments?
No. You may pay the full amount due with one check or one credit card payment, or pay the balance with separate checks or payments.

If our company reviews real estate appraiser activity, does our review appraiser need an Oregon appraiser certification?
Yes. An appraiser that reviews appraisals in Oregon must have a certification issued by the Oregon Appraiser Certification and Licensure Board. For more information on obtaining a certification, please contact the Appraiser Certification and Licensure Board at (503) 485-2555, or contact the Board online.

What kind of "fingerprint cards" should I submit to the division?
Fingerprints should be submitted using the FD-258 standard fingerprint form issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (see example). To ensure that a person is fingerprinted on the correct cards, a person may wish to have his/her fingerprints taken by a fingerprinting technician at a law enforcement agency or a private fingerprinting agency. Law enforcement and private fingerprinting agencies prefer to use standard card stock.

When is an appraisal management company considered a "new" company and can pay the lowest application and registration fees?
A "new" company has not provided appraisal management services for real estate appraisal activity in Oregon prior to the date of the company's application. For example, an established appraisal management company that had not previously conducted any business in Oregon could apply as a "new" company. Any company that is currently providing services in Oregon and applies for this registration will not be considered a "new" appraisal management company.

What real estate appraisal activity "in the previous calendar year" is counted for calculating fees?
For this initial year of registration, the "calendar year" will run from November 5, 2009, to November 5, 2010 (the first date applications were made available).