Appraisal Firewall Guide for Administrators Managing Your Branches and Market Areas in Appraisal Firewall The Appraisal Firewall Administrator user was designed to give lenders fast and easy access to all their branches appraisal orders while also offering management tools to promote efficient workflow over all their market areas. Administrators are automatically presented with all their branches active orders when they log in, but can quickly filter to view orders in a specific status or branch to efficiently locate orders that may need their attention. Read the below guide for detailed instructions on working as your company s Administrator user. Overview... 2 Getting Started - Adding Branches... 3 Basic Usage and Layout... 4 Orders... 5 Order List Icons... 6 Dashboard... 8 Pinned Orders... 9 Search... 9 Info... 9 New Order... 10 Credit Card Errors... 13 Credit card refunds... 14 Relationships... 15 My Lenders... 15 My Users... 20 My Profile... 21 Archives... 21
Overview Appraisal Firewall delivers administrative controls for your corporate office or appraisal administrator to have a scope into each branch s appraisal activities. The administrator is a level above each Rotation Manager (RM) that they are linked to, and can do everything the RM can do - plus administrators have the ability to browse across multiple RMs. Administrator features include the ability to: Review pipeline reports at each branch Review appraiser panels, coverage areas, appraiser quality, turn times and more Review appraisal independence information, including all mortgage departmentto-appraiser messaging Review loan officers, loan processors, underwriters, appraisal reviewers, and any other users that are interacting with appraisal orders at each branch Review post-delivery reports at each branch Review billing information at each branch
Getting Started - Adding Branches Contact your Appraisal Firewall manager to activate your administrator account. Once activated, you can log into your account at www.appraisalfirewall.com/originator.asp In order to manage your branches and place orders on their behalf, you will first need to add your company s different branches, or Market Areas, under your administrator account. Once logged in, navigate to the Relationships menu. Under the My Lenders tab, click the + icon to add a branch to your account. You have the option to create a new branch or add an existing one that already has an Appraisal Firewall account. To create a new branch, click New and fill out the Rotation Manager profile information. To add an existing branch/rotation Manager account, click Existing and enter the email address and password for the account. You have successfully established a relationship with your branch when the branch name appears in the lender list.
Basic Usage and Layout Once you have an active account and have added or created your branches within your administrator account, you are ready to manage and place orders. From your main Administrator dashboard which appears upon login, you can view every order under all your company s branches. Use the action menus along the left to place new orders, view existing ones, manage different branches settings, run reports and access archived orders.
Orders When you log into your Appraisal Firewall account, the view defaults to the Orders menu, which automatically displays all your Pipeline orders under every branch. The Pipeline is composed of active and recent orders. You can use this view to quickly locate, review, and work within any order. You may also choose to view only your Post Delivery orders which displays active orders that have a completed report associated with them. Sort orders by any column header. You can choose to view any order type you wish by selecting it in either the Pipeline or Post Delivery management tools. The Orders List below will populate the list associated with the order type you have selected (ie if you select Supplementing in the pie chart, the list will filter down to display only orders in a supplementing status). You can also sort by any of the columns within any orders list. Double click on any entry to open and work in that particular order. Use the Reporting tool to run open order and closed order reports on all branches under your account. To view reports pertaining to a specific branch (ie Open Orders, Closed Orders, Coverage Area, Appraiser Performance), open your Relationships window, select the branch, and use the Reporting tool for the specified branch.
By default, Appraisal Firewall displays orders for all your branches. To filter to view orders in a specific branch, select an option in the Branches drop down menu at the top of the dashboard. Select a branch to filter to view only their orders. Order List Icons Within any orders list, columns display relevant order specifics to give you detailed information at a glance. Pinned Represented by a thumbtack icon, you can pin an order to keep better track of it. Use it as a reminder for orders that require an action or attention. Click a gray thumbtack icon to pin an order. Click on the Pin column header to quickly view all pinned orders. Simply click a colored thumbtack to unpin it. These Pinned orders will be in your "Pinned Orders" view as a filter - this is explained below in the Pinned Orders section. # - Displays the Appraisal Firewall reference number associated with the order. Purpose Displays the purpose of the loan as indicated on the New Order screen (refi, purchase, equity, etc). Status Displays the current status of the order. o Requested Orders that have been placed but are not assigned to an appraiser. o Payment Review Indicates an order that is waiting for valid credit card information to be entered before it is assigned to an appraiser. o Bidding (commercial orders only) Indicates that appraisers are in the process of submitting bids for the order. o Assigned - Orders in an Assigned status have not yet been accepted by an appraiser. o Appraiser Accepted (set by appraiser) This status indicates that an appraiser has accepted the order and set a price.
o Attempting to Schedule Inspection (set by appraiser) Notifies you that the appraiser has tried to make contact to schedule an inspection. o Scheduled Inspection (set by appraiser) The appraiser has set the date and time of the inspection. o Completed Site Inspection (set by appraiser) Indicates that the appraiser has inspected the property. o Completing Final (set by appraiser) The appraiser is completing the report. o Done Indicates that the appraiser has delivered the report on the order. o Reviewing Depending on your settings, there may be a review performed on the appraisal after an appraiser uploads it (reviews are performed by a manual reviewer, UAD check, or UCDP submission). o Corrections Required If a review is performed, an appraiser may be required to make edits to the report. o Disputing You may dispute the value on a completed report, and request more information on comparables mentioned in the report. o Supplementing When you request more information or additional products from an appraiser, you may place the order in a supplementing status. Work with your appraiser to let them know what additional information you require. o Cancelled Orders You can cancel an order anytime prior to the report being uploaded. Appraisers have 24 hours to set a cancellation fee once it has been cancelled. Borrower Displays borrower s first and last name. Address/City/State View and sort by the location of the property. Price Change Indicator View and sort orders that have a price change pending (indicated by dollar sign icon). When the dollar sign is green in color, this means that order has a price change request that is pending on it. When it is grayed out, the order does not have a pending price change request on it. Overdue The clock icon can be used to locate orders that are overdue. When the clock icon is colored in red, this means that order is past due based on the lender's requested due date. When this icon is grayed out, the order is not overdue. On Hold the stop sign/hand icon indicates whether or not the order has been placed on hold by your account manager. When the stop sign is red, this means the order is currently On Hold. When it is grayed out, the order is not on hold. Notes the pencil icon indicates whether or not this order has a note on it. When the pencil icon is yellow, the order has a note on it. When it is grayed out, there are no notes on that order. Date Ordered Sort orders by the date they were originally ordered.
Dashboard The Dashboard mode, as indicated by the graphing icon, displays management tools to help you quickly locate and view specific order types and is your default view when you log in. The management tools are broken down into your Pipeline and Post Delivery orders so that you can compartmentalize orders and manage them easier. Use the pie charts to filter down to specific orders.
Pinned Orders Next to the Dashboard icon is the Thumbtack icon. Click on it to view Pinned Orders. Any orders you have pinned in other lists are displayed here. Quickly review at a glance these orders that you have marked for closer monitoring. Click on a thumbtack icon to pin/unpin an order. Click on the thumbtack icon to quickly view all your pinned orders. Search Use the Search field to locate specific orders. You can search by borrower last name, property address, city, state, zip code, reference number, or loan number. The Search field will limit to the list you have in view (ie If you use the Search field while viewing the Pinned Orders list, the Search field only searches the Pinned Orders list for the order). Press your keyboard Enter key or click the magnifying glass to expand the search to all orders. Info The Information icon will provide you with a basic overview of the features available to you on your dashboard for quick reference.
Tips on working in the dashboard: View all your completed orders by clicking the Completed link on the Post Delivery management tool. You can export orders on a particular list displayed by using the Export link. An exported list appears as a.csv file that can be saved to your local computer. By default, Appraisal Firewall displays your orders in a list format. To view orders as order card icons, click the Card radio button. Appraisal Firewall will remember this setting so the next time you log in, it will default to card view. When searching for orders via the Search field, hit the enter key or click the magnifying glass to include all orders in the search. New Order Click the New Order link along the left hand side of your account to create an appraisal order. You can designate which branch to place the order under when filling out new order information. On the Loan Details screen, fill out the basic loan information. Required fields are marked by an asterisk. Select the branch the order should be placed under. FHA, USDA, and Jumbo loans all require an appraiser with certification. Leave these boxes blank for conventional loans. Click Next to continue filling out order information.
On the Property tab, enter property specifics, including address and any special qualifications. You can also enter the contact information for property entry.
Click Next to continue to the Order tab. On the Order tab, select the product you are ordering from the Appraisal Type drop down list. You may also mark any addendums you would like included. Type in any additional information/directions for the appraiser. Select Credit Card from the Payment Method drop down menu to pay for the order with a credit card. Mark the Certified checkbox if the order requires a certified appraiser (FHA, USDA, et al). Note: Depending on your settings, you may have the option to place orders via credit card. Although SharperLending/Appraisal Firewall processes credit card payments on your behalf, you are responsible for providing 1099s to your appraisers regardless of whether or not you place billing or credit card orders. If the appraisal order will be billed, you can click the Order button after completing the Order tab. Choose credit card in the Payment Method dropdown menu if you would like to pay for the order by credit card. There may be additional technology fees incurred if you choose to use this feature. Contact your account manager to verify if credit card fees apply for your company.
In most cases, you can place an order with Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Credit Card Errors If there is an error while processing a credit card, you or your users may receive an error message. Error messages can appear on the payment screen when placing credit card order, or they may also appear within the Communications log of the order once it has been placed. The most common errors are: AVS mismatch The values entered on the payment screen do not match what the credit card company has on file. Confirm with the card holder the address and card information. The card holder may need to confirm with the credit card company that they have the most current information. Duplicate submission error The credit card company may see a similar charge to the order you are placing. Wait 10 minutes to let the information clear out with the credit card company, and hit the Order button again. This transaction has been declined There are various reasons a credit card is declined (insufficient funds, credit card company views the charge as fraudulent, etc). You can supply an alternate credit card to place the order, or have the card holder contact the credit card company to resolve the issue prior to placing the order again. Note: Credit card errors are messages received directly from the credit card company. For expediency, please have the card holder contact the credit card company to resolve credit card issues.
Credit cards are validated when an order is placed, and charged only when an appraiser accepts the order. If a credit card cannot be validated on a new order, you will be unable to place the order, but can go back and place it as Bill Me order. Please note: Appraisal Firewall cannot change billing methods after an order is placed (ie if you place and order using the Bill Me payment method, the order cannot be switched to credit card later). If a credit is declined when accepted by an appraiser, Appraisal Firewall will automatically cancel the order. Credit card refunds Credit card refunds are issued promptly. When an order is cancelled, an appraiser has 24 hours to set a cancellation fee. If no cancellation fee is set within the allotted time, the fee is automatically set to 0. The funds are released back to the issuing credit card company at midnight the day the cancellation fee is set. The credit card company may take several days to post funds back to the card holder s account. Click Here for a Demo of Placing a New Order
Relationships The main Administrator Relationships window displays each of your branches and their orders. Each branch is represented by a single Rotation Manager. The Relationships menu gives you the ability to view branch details, add users and appraisers, and manage order settings of any branch. My Lenders Within the Relationships window, use the My Lenders tab to manage all your branches settings and their orders. View each of your branches appraiser panels, orders, and profiles. You can manage orders, adjust specific settings, and edit billing items all in one location. Add New Branch Located directly under the My Lenders tab, you can search for an existing branch or click the + icon next to the search field to add a Rotation Manager. Enter the Rotation Manager s email address and password to add the branch to your account. Export This link will generate a spreadsheet listing all branches under your administrator account. Profile widget View the selected branch s basic company information such as contact name, company address, and phone number. o Products View and manage the products and prices that this branch offers.
o Settings Use this link to alter a branch s transaction fees, designate who pays for appraisal orders, and select more company-specific options. For detailed information on working in the Settings window, click here. Pipeline widget View the orders placed under this branch and work within them. Users widget View the users associated with the selected branch. You may also add and remove users on behalf of the branch. Appraisers widget View the appraisers associated with the selected branch. You can manage the branch s appraiser panel by adding/removing appraisers, and modify an appraiser s coverage area. For detailed information on working in the Appraisers screen, click here. Notes widget Create notes about working with this branch to better manage your relationship. These notes are only available for your viewing. Reporting widget Run management reports (open orders, coverage area, closed orders, appraiser performance) pertaining to the selected branch. Interacting with Widgets The My Users tab consists of several tools, or widgets, that provide you with a quick summary of a particular user s account. You can use the icons on the widgets to modify the account, create notes, and work within the user s orders. Profile Widget The Profile widget gives you an overview of the selected branch s profile information including email address and name. Use the Products link to control the products and product pricing available to users under this branch. Modify the order settings, view service fees, and edit branch account specifics with the Settings window.
Pipeline Widget The Pipeline widget gives you a brief summary of the selected branch s active orders. You can view an outline of all the branch s pre-delivery orders plus view recently delivered reports in the Recently Completed section of the Pipeline. Select any color along the Pipeline monitor to view orders in a specific status. Click the Maximize icon to expand the view and see the Orders dashboard as it appears to the selected branch. Click on any completed order to view the order and work within it. Click the Maximize icon on the Pipeline widget to view all the branch s orders and work within them. Note: Expanding the Pipeline widget will display the selected branch s information as they see it (ie the Rotation Managers main Orders dashboard). However, all work you perform within an order is tracked in the Communication Log as Administrator to make it clear which user performed an action. Whenever you expand a widget that opens the branch s view, you can always return to the previous screen by clicking the Close link.
Users Widget The Users tool offers easy management of your branches managed users. You can add or remove users on behalf of a branch, modify user rights, and view orders specific to individual managed users. Click the + icon to add a new user to the selected branch s account. Click the Maximize icon to expand the view and see the Relationships window as it appears to the selected branch. Click the Maximize icon on the Users widget to view all the branch s users. Note: Expanding the Users widget will display the selected branch s information as they see it (ie the Rotation Manager s main Relationships window). Appraisers Widget Use the Appraiser s widget to view and modify the selected branch s appraiser panel. You can add and remove appraisers to a branch s panel and modify their areas of coverage. Click the Maximize icon on the Appraisers widget to view and modify a branch s appraiser panel. Note: Expanding the Appraiser widget will display the selected branch s information as they see it (ie the Rotation Manager s main My Appraisers tab). For more information on how your branches create and manage an appraiser panel, click here.
Notes Widget Using the Notes widget lets you track any important information associated with the selected branch s account. Only you as the Administrator can create and view these notes. Click the + icon to enter a new note. View a previous note by clicking on the one you want to review. Reporting Widget Run reports for a selected branch using the Reporting widget. Select a report and click run to see the report as it applies to the specified branch. Note: For reports on all orders under your Administrator account, use the Reporting widget on your main Orders dashboard.
My Users You can set up users that can view orders across multiple branches but still keep the scope of a managed user (managed users cannot view appraiser information or change branch settings). To add a user under the My Users tab, they must already exist as a managed supervisor under one of your branches. Administrative Supervisors These user types have access to view and work in any orders under all branches. An administrative supervisor can only be created at the administrator level. A user must exist under a rotation manager as a supervisor in order to be added as an Administrative Supervisor. Interacting with widgets The tools, or widgets, on the My Users tab allow you to see information that pertains to any selected administrative user. Profile widget View the selected user s basic company information such as contact name, company address, and phone number. Pipeline widget View all orders the designated user is associated with and work within them. Notes widget Create notes about working with this user to better manage your relationship. These notes are only available for your viewing. Reporting widget Run management reports (open orders and closed orders) pertaining to the selected user.
My Profile My Profile allows you to view and edit your company information including contact numbers, login information, and address. Archives With Archives, you have the ability to search for and restore archived orders. This allows your main order list to stay uncluttered, while also giving you access to old orders. Appraisal Firewall routinely archives completed orders over six months old. To activate an archived order, select the order in the Archives list and then click Restore. The order will automatically be moved to your active orders section. The Archives list displays the last fifty orders that have been archived. To locate an older order, use the Search field within the Archives list.