Got a help help help. You did not include any listing information but there is a for sale sign in the yard. I replied there is a sign but the home is not listed in either mls. I got a pop of saying "listed" is a bad word. How silly. You used it, why cant I?

BB has on their site a list of 'Red Flag' words that trigger the system so that it will not go auto-complete. It's not always a bad word but it is something to notify the company that they need to manually review the order. FYI

J~

You can always run words together so you can submit it. I do that with PVCM with the word "crime". They don't like the word. Its a crime to use the word "crime". So I state it that........

The subject conforms to the other homes and general characteristics of this inner city neighborhood that experiences moderate to heavycrime and is REO driven.

Someone has yet to kick it back that way.

thats pretty good Brad....Let me just cut n paste here....lol. I got away from the"crime" word...it seems that more than one client does not like it. NOw I will say an area has an "active police presence"....It all means the same thing. Now sure why it has to be sugar coated.

How about "one step from anarchy" Is anarchy a bad word?

Why not just say "limited police presence". Says the same thing with no red flag words.

They just want you to be more verbose

Instead of "crime" you can try:
"Neighborhood is experiencing a prolonged period of economic decline. Vandalism risk is excessive."

I was told that talking about crime as it relates to real estate is a violation of the Fair Housing Act, maybe that's why it kicks back. Someone could say that you were really talking about race, plus what's "heavy" is your opinion. Not calling you out or criticizing just repeating what I was taught.

Steph,

That would be correct. For many of BB's clients especially HomeEq they cannot have anything that violates Fair Housing... So mereging your words together just to avoid that check flag from coming up is not helping you or your client. There's a reason for the word check. Its there to keep bad words out... But it also is there to check on red flag words such as 'Listed' 'Debris' 'Construction' ect.

J~

I understand the politically correctness of it all, but disagree with it. If I am the bank, I would want to know if the property that I temporarily own is in an area of high crime! Perhaps I would want the property boarded, or maybe not do anything. Give them the facts to give them that option.

I don't think (IMHO) that HUD, RESPA, USPAP or anything else for that matter should trump the First Amendment. Too many veterans have died to protect that. I'm not trying to get political, but like Steph just voicing my thoughts.


PS I don't advocate yelling "Fire" in a theater.

The banks may be checking for that on their own; the county that I live in has a program that anyone can use to check the crime rate via a zipcode search, I'm sure those programs are available nationwide.

This is a email I was sent by BB.
Client Hot Word List

You may have experienced the quality integrity flag warning you about your use of some of the words listed below. The use of these words does not affect your score, nor does it mean that you are wrong to use them, but the reason for this flag is that if these words are used in your comments, it is a flag to our client that they need to investigate closer.

For example: The word "remodel" is on the watch list. As you know, a lender's position on the title can be inferior to mechanics liens. Thus if remodeling is going on, further title work is
warranted. The word list is not made up of only discriminatory and "illegal" words. It also has triggers that merely say “Take a second look, lender.”

Words in the comments section which cause client concern:

Un-kept Property
Abandoned, Boarded, Care, Extensive, Tarp, Rehab, Remodel, Poor, Converted, Damage, Vacant, Broken

Possible Mechanics Liens
Rehab, Remodel, Converted, Construction, Dumpster

Derogatory/Racial terms
Class, Hispanic, Asian, Collar, Black, Chicano, Gang, White, Oriental, Polynesian, Adult, Drug, Crack, Bad, Beauty, Crime

Could affect marketing time
Resort, Seasonal, Listed

Environmental and Health Concern
Asbestos, Gasoline, Gas, Fungus, Oil, Cars, Condemned, Tanks, Tires, Environmental, Mold, Junk

Natural Disaster
Fire, Hurricane, Wind, Flood, Burn, Earthquake, Volcano, Ice, Tornado

Additional Feature
Guest, Lakefront, Waterfront, Mixed, Storage, B & B

Street
Traffic, Busy

Other
Assisted, Station, Office, Business, Apartment, Salon, Commercial, Warehouse, Doctor, Nursing, Breakfast, (These could be Zoning issues), Day, Dead, Child, Day, Underground, Living

LOL.

Man, what words are left?? Most of those unallowed words are completely absurd! If only George Carlin were still alive and was in the BPO buiz. He would have a field day!

As I count it, the 83 words you cannot say with a First India BPO. What's ironic is they aren't even a company based in the U.S.

Brad,

Where do you get your info from? BB is based in the US. Their main facility is in Sandy, UT. They were originally Source One until FA bought them out in 2002. They remained Source One Services until they were rebranded in 3rd quarter of 2003 to Be First American Residential Value View. Now they have been rebranded again as they were restructured in 2008 to merge with their property services sister company.

Regardless of where they are based it shouldn't change the expectation of having a report that is suppose to be unbiased in it's opinion go to a client with unprofessional language.

And before you start with, "Some of those words are very professional" - Maybe you should take a second look at the part that states 'The word list is not made up of only discriminatory and "illegal" words. It also has triggers that merely say “Take a second look, lender.”'

J~

I guess I am wrong thinking that FARVV was based out of India. I suppose my bad. Is it just their call center is there?

As far as the words go, whatever.... I guess I could never say in my report that a house was seriously wind damaged from a hurricane and is now in poor condition. This would make the subject property's primary value in the lot and is now a candidate for new construction.

I really don't want to belabor the issue, I just don’t care for the English language to be restricted in its use in a free society. As I said prior in this thread, I don't believe that any company policy or industry guideline(s) should preceed the First Amendment. I plead guilty on that as I come from a military family.

In my opinion every rule is the result of a law suit. If the general public would stop suing us in the real estate industry left and right when we clearly meant no harm our lives would be much easier. Not saying that all Realtors always do the right thing but Gee wiz. When there is the potential for loss of money or general aggravation is involved no one cares about the first amendment.

I use "elevated risk" in place of high crime.

First Amendment does not apply.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

First Amendment only applies to Congress restricting what you can say, not what a private employer says you can say.

an olde but a goodie to use

area has a high polce presence

BPO is Broker price opinion, in my opinion some homes are is a [censored] poor area, look like crap, beyond normal repairs and we have to sugar coat it.
Give these companies what they want and get your check, its their game.

yes, give the financial giants what they want, collect your paycheck, and watch the economy tank.

who's responsible? nobody, we were all just "giving them what they want". In light of recent events, does anybody else have a huge problem with this mentality?

OK - so when we get listings that don't have plumbing, electric, furnances, hot water tanks and light fixtures and the asset company wants to put all of it back in - this is why. I am really surprised that no one is curious at the asset management company - where it all went. I had one that we put it all back in ONE day - my crew showed up and put back the kitchen, furnance, hot water tank and electrical. Guess what - THE VERY NEXT DAY AT 5pm - it was gone!!! That includes the kitchen cabinets - the cop was shaking her head the whole time she was writing the report. I do not use the word theft or crime but I do comment very heavily that this property should be marketed as is since it will remain vacant and there are no protective measures in place to assure work will remain intact. I have never been red flagged when I phrase it that way.

Political correctness run amuck -

Can't say "kid" even if it applies to a goat.
Can't say "hog" even if it applies to the Razorbacks.
Can't say Alabama because it might be interpreted as Obama.
Can't say tall, it's got to be vertically enhanced.
Can't say short, must be vertically challenged - Maybe we'll have a bunch of vertically challenged sales in the future.
Can't say "smart house" it discriminates against the dumb houses.
Can't say "Greenhouse" because it is unfair to houses of another color.

Where will it end

TIC

Hey, Leave us vertically challenged people out of it...

Yes, as some of us resemble that remark

I haven't had any problems using the word "crime" thus far with BB. Most of the forms I get ask me to comment on crime & environmental hazards. I did have a good discussion on the phone with a rep one afternoon, trying to figure out how to say what was needed said on a duplex that's in a rathole neighborhood full of crime that spilled onto a main thorofare as a riot one summer afternoon. We had a blast, laughing and brainstorming the wording. That's the only one I've been questioned about. Maybe it's all relevant to the area we're working in, I don't know.