CSS Talks Appraisal Management

With County National Bank’s Vice President-Mortgage Lending Manager
Group 246 (5)
What pushed you to find a new solution?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
We didn’t have a good efficient program. We didn’t have an in-house appraisal department and the whole process involved several different people, none of whom had a clear understanding of the entire piece of it. The refinance boom in 2020 caused us to re-look at this. We were too busy to look for a new solution before then.
Group 246 (5)
What was preventing you from finding a new solution?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
New processes, approvals, and a lot of due diligence from the board were our main challenges. One of the biggest hurdles in getting CSS approved was in the compliance issues. CSS helped us alleviate that.
Group 246 (5)
Can you describe a typical day before you started using our solution?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
So many people were involved in appraisals that it led to inefficiencies. There were a lot of different spreadsheets to keep track of. We had several departments involved for one appraisal - Accounting with billing, the back office dealing with processing of the bills, and many more. There were lots of errors as a result of human error.
Group 246 (5)
What did you hope to achieve by using our solution?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
At the beginning, we didn't know what to expect, but CSS turned out to be everything we hoped it would be. The efficiency has been fantastic. They streamlined the entire process, and it wasn't until we started using CSS that we realized how inefficient our previous operations were.
Group 246 (5)
What specific features of our solution did you find most valuable and why?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
The technology would be number one. The program itself we use is good, but it’s only as good as the people you have behind it. CSS has great people that follow up and do their piece of it.
Group 246 (5)
If you couldn't use our solution, what would you have used?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
We wouldn’t go back to what we were doing - never. We would try to look for something similar. We had tried to create an appraisal department before CSS, but there was too much involved and finding knowledgeable people was a challenge.
Group 246 (5)
What made our solution stand out from others you considered?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
The technology and the ease of use are what sold us on it in the end. We’ve been really satisfied with the solution to date.
Group 246 (5)
How did you describe our solution to a friend or colleague?
Tim Whitney-02 1 (2)
CSS would be a solution for our inefficiencies, for our ease in processing, from start to finish. It would be better overall for client experience (client meaning loan officers). It will take away the worry of compliance and regulatory items.

CSS and County National:

CSS offers residential title and valuation services to three departments at County National Bank: Mortgage, Consumer, and Commercial. Our valuation services include evaluations, hybrid appraisals, and full appraisals. We also manage title-only transactions for home equity loans above a set dollar amount.

Background of CNB:

 

Founded in Hillsdale in 1934, County National Bank has consistently been at the forefront of investing in its community. With a commitment to principles like honesty, integrity, and exceptional service, the bank prides itself on earning the trust of its customers and being the go-to financial institution for both business and personal needs.

County National Bank now operates 13 full-service offices, a loan production office, a mortgage lending office, and 19 ATMs, spread across four counties: Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson, and Lenawee.