System Setup
Once your account is set up, our support team will send you an email letting you know you are ready to go. This email will also contain the URL (e.g. amc.spurams.com) and credentials to access your ValueLink system. Now you can begin setting up the system.
Setting Company Settings and Preferences
Getting started, you should take a quick look at the company settings. This screen allows you to modify the system to suit your needs during day-to-day use. Using company settings, you can set:
- Company Profile
- Company users
- Holiday Schedule
- Investor DNU lists
- Subscription details
- Company Logo
- Compliance Certificate
- Default Order Instructions, Vendor Agreements for Appraisers
- Bid request settings
- Engagement Letter
- Appraiser self-registration settings
- UCDP Integration Settings
- EAD Integration Settings
- Managing default County and State level fees for appraisers and clients
- Managing default county and state-level turn times
Just go under Admin -> Company Settings to see all settings and make adjustments as needed.
Quote Request Settings
Managing bid requests can be done by clicking Actions -> Bid Request Settings. Residential and commercial appraisal settings are managed separately.
In this section, you can select whether the appraiser will need to provide the fee quote and the completion date when submitting the bid. To do so you need to check off each of the checkboxes provided. You can also configure the email that is sent out to the appraisers and includes a Reply-To Email, Email Subject, and Email Text.
The same information needs to be provided when Commercial Appraisals are selected at the top of the screen. Click Save Bid Request Settings when the settings have been configured.
Appraiser Self-Registration Settings
You can also amend the settings for the documents required from the appraiser when they attempt to register themselves in the system. Click on Actions -> Appraiser Self Registration Form on the Company Settings page. Here you will see a list of documents about the appraiser and settings for each document can be amended.
You can select whether a document type will show on the self-registration form and whether providing it is mandatory for the appraiser. To do so check the Include on Form button and the Is Required checkbox respectively. You can also choose whether the appraiser will be required to provide an issue date and expiry date for the document and whether the appraiser would be allowed to delete the document from his profile. The Appraiser Self-Registration Page will be amended based on the options you have selected.
UCDP Integration Settings
To make submissions to the UCDP directly from ValueLink, you must have a Direct Integration username and password. To obtain Direct Integration credentials, contact the UCDP by visiting UniformDataPortal.com.
Once you have the direct integration credentials, go to Actions -> Set UCDP Credentials on the Company Settings page. Enter the username and password and click Save UCDP Information to save the information provided.
EAD Integration Settings
To make submissions to the EAD directly from ValueLink, you must have a Direct Integration username and password. To obtain Direct Integration credentials, contact the EAD by visiting the EAD Portal
Once you have the direct integration credentials, go to Actions -> Set EAD Credentials on the Company Settings page. Enter the username and password and click Save EAD Information to save the information provided.
Setting up Additional Administrators and Staff Members
You may add as many administrators and staff members to your ValueLink account as needed. Administrators have complete control over all areas in the system from order management to accounts and reporting. Staff Members can manage orders for the company, but have limited access to system administration, accounts, and reports.
To add an administrator or a staff member, browse to Admin -> Users & Permissions -> All Users. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add New User. Enter the user’s name, select the role (select AMS Admin for Administrators, and AMS Staff for staff members), set a password, and provide an email address for this user. Click Save to add the user to the system. The system will automatically send an email to any user you have added along with their username and password and a link to the system. Add as many users as you need.
Setting up Appraisal Types/Products
The administrator can create new appraisal types/products in the system. The system allows you to set up both Residential and Commercial appraisal types/products.
To set up products in the system. Go to Admin -> Products to see the list of pre-listed products. You may add/edit/remove items from the list as per your requirements. Each order type listed will be available as an option on the order form.
To add a new product, click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add New Product. Fill out the form and click on Save Product to add it to the system. You may also set a Default Appraisal Fee (what you will charge the lender) and a Default Appraiser Fee (what you will pay the appraiser) for each product. You can also add any Technology Fee you want to be associated with the product by default as well as the Estimated Turn Time (Business Days). You can also set the appraisal type to be automatically eligible for auto assignment and automatic reviews as well as other settings such as requiring UAD reports or not requiring reports at all based on the appraisal type. You can check off the relevant checkboxes provided, add any product-specific engagement terms and click Save Appraisal Type.
To modify an existing appraisal type, click on the Edit icon
next to the appraisal type. Fill out the form and click on the Save Appraisal Type button to save the updated information.
To remove an existing appraisal type, click on the Edit icon
next to the appraisal type. On the Update Appraisal Type screen, click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Delete this Appraisal Type. The appraisal type will be removed from the system.
Setting up Clients
Before creating orders, the lenders need to be set up in the system. If you are a lender using the system to manage your appraisal desk, you must set up at least one branch/department.
Setting up the client/branch is very simple. From your Home page, Click Admin -> Clients. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add New Client. Fill out the form with the details for the lender/branch and click Save Client to add the lender to the system. Once a client is set up, you can add client-specific details in the system including:
- Users (Branch Managers, Loan Officers, Loan Processors, etc.)
- Create branches for the client
- Engagement Instructions for Appraisers
- Manage Email Alerts
- Product Lists
- Fee Tables at state and county levels
- UCDP Submission Credentials
- EAD Submission Credentials
- Order instructions for AMCs
- Approved Appraisers
- Do Not Use Appraisers
Client Users
Each client/branch can have multiple users set up in the system. Users for a lender may be added to the system if you want the users to log in and directly place orders. Client users can also manage and view the status of their orders from the system and can also retrieve appraisal reports once the order is completed.
To set up users for a client, go to Admin -> Clients and click on the lender’s name. Scroll to the bottom of the lender’s profile until you see the Users for this Client section and click on Add New User button. Enter the user’s information, set a password, and provide an email address for this user.
If you want the user to be able to see all orders for this client, check the Is Master User option. If this option is not selected, the user will only see his/her orders and orders where he/she is specified as an additional user on the order. If this user needs to receive emails for all orders for the lender, check the Copy on emails for orders option. You can also have a Read Only setting for the user where the user can log in and view orders but not perform any activities in the system.
You can also determine if the client user will have access to Selected or All branches for the client. A branch can be set up via the client's profile by clicking Add Branch in the Branches section.
Click Save User to add the user to the system. The system will automatically send an email to the user you have added along with the username and password and a link to the system. Add as many users as needed for the lender.
Creating Branches for The Client
You can set up branches within a client’s profile in case you have multiple, independent teams and locations which are managing orders for the client. This is particularly true for banks that have multiple branches where orders are managed independently.
You can set up branches for a particular client by going to the Branches section and clicking Add Branch. Fill out the details for the branch and click Save Branch Information. You can assign client users to these branches or create new ones with access only to that specific branch.
Client-Specific Engagement Instructions
You can specify client-specific engagement instructions which automatically appear at the top of the engagement letter that is sent out to an appraiser when an order is assigned to them.
Setting up client-specific engagement instructions is very easy in ValueLink. Go to Admin ->Clients and click on the lender’s name. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Set Engagement Instructions. You can set engagement instructions for both Residential and Commercial orders. Fill out the instructions in the space provided and click on the Save Engagement Letter Text to save the instructions.
Managing Email Alerts
You can manage the email alerts that a client user receives by going to Actions -> Manage Email Alerts. You can either choose that the client users receive all email alerts for the order or you can manually select and unselect specific email alerts that you want the client users to receive. In the latter option, choose to Allow this client to receive only the alerts SELECTED below and hit the Select button for the alerts you want the client user to be copied on. The button will turn green and show Selected, which can be unselected by clicking it again.
Client-Specific Product Lists
You can set client-specific product lists so that only those products are made visible to the client when they are placing orders with your company. This ensures that your clients see data relevant to their company.
Setting up a product list for a lender/branch is extremely simple. Go to Admin -> Clients and click on the lender’s name. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Manage Products. You can choose to make your entire product list visible to the client OR you can select the products for the client. You can select as many products as you need by clicking on the Select box.
Client-Specific State and County Fee Tables
Fee tables are a useful tool to ensure that the correct fee is being charged to each client every time an order is placed. Once a fee table has been set up, the appraisal fee is automatically populated for the order using values from the lender’s fee table. This can be done at both state and county level
Setting up a fee table for a client is extremely simple. Go to Admin -> Clients and click on the lender’s name. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Manage State Fee Table or Manage County Fee Table. For the state fee tables, you can specify the Client fee and the Appraiser fee in the space provided for All States or specific states. The all-states table will be what the system defaults to if no fee is found in the specific state for the product. County fees for specific counties can be set up in the same way. The system first looks for a fee in the county fee tables, then in the state fee tables if nothing is found at the county level. Once done, click the Save Appraisal Fees button at the bottom of the page to save the fee table in the system.
Other than setting up state and county fees manually, you can also upload the fees via excel. To do so for the state level, click Actions -> Manage State Fee Table and click Actions -> Import Appraisal State Fees. The instructions provided allow you to download a sample file that needs to be populated with the data you want to upload. Based on the method you choose, the uploaded file will only overwrite data for what is part of the excel file, or completely delete all previous fees in the system for the client and replace it with the contents of the uploaded file.
The same steps can be followed to upload county-level fee tables. These fees can also be exported out by going to Actions –> Manage State Fee Table and clicking Actions -> Export Appraisal State Fees.
Setup Client UCDP Submission Credentials
ValueLink enables you to submit orders to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac via the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP) on your client’s behalf. UCDP submission is a premium feature and should be requested when signing up for your ValueLink account.
If UCDP submission is enabled on your account, you must set up your client’s UCDP credentials in the system. This can be done by going to Admin -> Clients and clicking on the lender’s name. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Set UCDP Credentials. Enter the client’s Business Unit Number along with the Seller Number and Branch Identifier for both GSEs. Click on the Save UCDP Information button to save this information in the system. You will now be able to submit UAD XML reports to the GSEs on behalf of your clients from your ValueLink system.
Setup Client EAD Submission Credentials
ValueLink enables you to submit orders to FHA via the Electronic Appraisal Delivery Portal (EAD) on your client’s behalf. EAD submission is a premium feature and should be requested when signing up for your ValueLink account.
If EAD submission is enabled on your account, you must set up your client’s EAD credentials in the system. This can be done by going to Admin -> Clients and clicking on the lender’s name. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Set EAD Credentials. Enter the client’s Business Unit Number along with the FHA Lender ID of the Client. Click on the Save EAD Information button to save this information in the system. You will now be able to submit UAD XML reports to the FHA on behalf of your clients from your ValueLink system.
Client Approved Appraisers
Use ValueLink to set up an approved appraiser panel for each client. This panel can be used during order assignment to assign orders to approved appraisers for the lender/branch.
To set up approved appraisers, Go to Admin -> Clients and click on the lender’s name. Scroll to the bottom of the lender’s profile until you see the Approved Appraisers section and click on Add Appraiser button. Select all appraisers you want to add to the panel and then click on the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add Selected Appraisers to add the appraisers to the panel for this lender.
Order Instructions for AMCs
You can specify client-specific order instructions which automatically appear on the order form of all orders about the client. These are meant to be the client’s instructions to the AMC on how to handle the client’s orders.
Setting up client-specific engagement instructions is very easy in ValueLink. Go to Admin ->Clients and click on the lender’s name. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Set Order Instructions. Fill out the instructions in the space provided and click on Save to save the instructions.
Appraiser DNU List for Clients
You can set up a Do Not Use appraiser list for each client. These appraisers will not appear on the assignment screen for orders about the client.
To add appraisers to a client’s DNU list, go to Admin -> Clients and click on the lender’s name. Scroll to the bottom of the lender’s profile until you see the Do Not Use Appraisers section and click on Add Appraiser button. Select all appraisers you want to add to the list and then click on the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add Selected Appraisers to add the appraisers to the panel for this lender.
Alternatively, you can upload the list of appraisers you want to be added to the DNU list. This can be done by selecting Import Appraiser(s) from File at the top of the screen. You can download a sample of the upload file using the See Sample button. Populate the appraiser data in the format provided including the appraiser license number and state. Save the file on your computer and click the Choose File button and select the file. Click the Import File button to upload the appraiser data to the DNU list. The display will show how many appraisers were successfully added from the file as well as those that weren’t along with the reason why. Only those appraisers can be added to a DNU list who already have a profile present on the system.
Setting up Appraisers
There are multiple ways to get appraisers set up on your ValueLink site. You may:
- Send an email invite to appraisers
- Import the appraisers from an Excel file
- Recruit appraisers from our directory of over 16,000 appraisers nationwide
- Manually add each appraiser to the system
Sending an Email Invite to Appraisers
You may use any of the popular email services (MailChimp, CampaignMonitor, iContact) to send an email invite to appraisers. You may set the text of the invite to suit your needs, but it must contain the link below that the users can click to get to the registration form:
https://[my-company].spurams.com/AppraiserSelfRegistration.aspx
Replace [my-company] with your ValueLink subdomain. The appraisers who receive this email will be able to fill out the registration form and submit their profile, along with their E & O Insurance and supporting documents. Every time an appraiser registers to use your ValueLink system, you will get notified by email. The email will contain a link that will allow you to review the appraiser’s application and approve or decline it. Once approved, you may assign orders to the appraiser.
Import Appraisers from an Excel File
If you already have a list of appraisers you work with, they can be easily imported into the system using an Excel file in Comma Separated Value (CSV) format.
To import appraisers into the system, browse Admin -> Vendors. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Import Vendor Metrics. Select the CSV file from your computer and click on the Upload button to load the data into the system. If appraisers will be logging in to use the system, users will have to be created for each imported appraiser.
Recruit Appraisers from Appraiser Directory
If you are a new AMC or an existing AMC looking to expand to new regions, ValueLink has the ultimate solution for you in the form of a nationwide appraiser directory built directly into the system. Using the directory, you can search for appraisers and invite them to sign up in your ValueLink system. Once set up, these appraisers can be assigned orders.
To recruit appraisers from the appraiser directory, go to Admin -> Vendors. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Recruit Vendors. You can search for appraisers by State, County Zip Code and Radius. You can then select which appraisers you want to invite and send them an email form within the system to come and signup with your company. Once they submit their information and their profiles are approved, you can begin assigning orders to these appraisers.
Manually Adding Appraisers in the System
You can always add appraisers manually into the system so that you can assign orders to them.
Adding appraisers to the system is very easy. From your homepage, browse to Admin -> Vendors. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add New Vendor. Fill out the appraiser’s details and enter their username and password before clicking on the Save Vendor button. The appraiser's profile will be created and they will receive an email with the link to the system and their login information.
Setting up Appraiser Profiles
Once the appraisers are set up in the system, you can update their profiles to include:
- Additional Users
- Appraiser State and County Fee Tables
- Vacation Scheduling
- Coverage Area
- License Information
- Adding supporting documents
Additional Users for Appraisers
Each appraiser can have multiple users set up in the system. Adding at least one user for an appraiser is required.
To add a user for an appraiser, go to Admin -> Vendors and click on the appraiser’s name. Scroll to the bottom of the appraiser’s profile until you see the Users for this Vendor section and click on the Add New User button. Enter the user’s name, set a password, and provide an email address for this user. If you want the user to be able to manage the profile for this appraiser, select the Is Master User option. If this user needs to receive emails for all assigned orders, select the Copy on Emails option.
Click Save User to add the user to the system. The system will automatically send an email to the user you have added along with the username and password and a link to the system.
Appraiser State and County Fee Tables
Fee tables are a useful tool to ensure that the correct fee is being set for each appraiser every time an order is assigned. Once a fee table has been set up, the appraiser’s fee is automatically populated for the order using values from the appraiser’s fee table.
To set up fee tables for an appraiser, go to Admin -> Vendors and click on the appraiser’s name. Click the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Manage State Fee Table or Manage County Fee Table.
For state fees, you can manually enter fees for All States as well as each state individually. To manually populate fees, enter the fee for each Appraisal Type in the space provided and click the Save Appraisal Fees button at the bottom of the screen to save the fee table in the system.
For county fees you need to select Actions -> Manage County Fee Table and select the state and county using the dropdowns provided. You can then enter the fee for each Appraisal Type in the space provided and click the Save Appraisal Fees button at the bottom of the screen to save the fee table in the system.
Scheduling Vacations
To schedule a vacation on behalf of an appraiser click on Actions -> Schedule Vacation on the appraiser’s profile. Add a start date and end date for the vacation and click Schedule Vacation to save the vacation dates in the system. A separate section called Vacation Schedule will appear on the appraiser’s profile showing the dates of the vacation. During the vacation period, the status of the appraiser will automatically be set to Vacation and will revert to what it was prior to the vacation when the vacation period ends.
Setting up the Coverage Area
To set up the coverage area for an appraiser, go to Admin -> Vendors and click on the appraiser’s name. Click on the Actions button on the top right of the page and select Modify Coverage Area. Select the State and County and click on the Add County button to add it to the Coverage Area. Individual zip codes can be added or removed by checking the boxes listed on the screen.
Appraiser Licenses
You can use ValueLink to track licenses for each appraiser and add one license per state for each appraiser in the system. The licenses are automatically verified with the ASC.gov website to ensure that accurate data is shown in the system.
To add licenses for an appraiser, go to Admin -> Vendors and click on the appraiser’s name. Scroll to the bottom of the appraiser’s profile until you see the Licenses section and click on Add License button. Fill out the form where license state, number and expiration date are mandatory fields and click on Save Appraiser License to add the license information to the appraiser’s profile.
Adding Supporting Documents for the Appraiser
To add supporting documents for an appraiser, go to Admin -> Vendors and click on the appraiser’s name. Scroll to the bottom of the appraiser’s profile until you see the Supporting Documents section and click on Add Documents button. The system has a pre-defined list of document types that can be added to the supporting documents which can be selected using a dropdown provided. You will need to provide a document name and enter the issue date and expiry date of the document and upload the document as well.
Checkboxes provided on the screen allow you to manage whether the document would show on order, whether the uploaded document would be visible to the appraiser and whether the appraiser would be allowed to delete the document.
Once the form is filled out and the document added, hit the Upload button to add the document to the appraiser’s profile.
Setting up Integrated Payment Processing
Integrated payment processing is an add-on feature within ValueLink that allows customers to process credit card payments from within the system. The service links your ValueLink account to your payment gateway allowing customers to manually run credit card payments, or receive payments from customers on an order-by-order basis.
Currently supported gateways:
1) Authorize.net (Recommended. Click to sign up)
To set up your payment gateway information, go to Admin -> Payment Gateways and click on the Edit icon
next to the payment gateway you want to use.
For Authorize.net, enter your API Login ID and Transaction Key from your Authorize.net account and click on the Save Payment Gateway button to save the information. You can also check the CIM Integration Enabled box if your account has CIM enabled. This will allow you to save the credit card information on file when the order is placed and bill the card when the order is completed. Click on the Actions button and select Activate to process payments with Authorize.net.
Payment processing is an OPTIONAL premium service. Your payment processor may also charge additional monthly and transaction fees.
Setting up Automated Alerts
Automated Alerts can be set up in your ValueLink system for order management and vendor management. These emails are automatically triggered after a specified time from an event. E.g. An email is sent out to the administrator if the order has been created, but not assigned in X number of days. Automated alerts ensure that you remain on top of your orders and that your vendors are delivering reports in a timely manner. They also help keep track of your vendor’s License and Insurance expiring and automatically request them to update their profile in the system.
To set up automated alerts, go to Admin -> Automated Alerts. Toggle the On and Off buttons to enable the listed automated alerts. You can specify the time interval for when some alerts are triggered as well. Once you are done, click on the Save Alert Setting button at the bottom of your screen to enable automated alerts.
Email Alerts
You can also configure email alerts for Admin and staff users by going to Admin -> Email Alerts.
This section lists all email alerts that are fired off by the system which can be marked Active or Inactive using the button provided against each alert.
Auto Order Assignment
You can also set up Auto Order Assignment Settings in the system by going to Admin -> Auto Order Assignment. Here you can set up which order types will be eligible for automatic assignments as well as configure the rules which will be followed when using the auto assignments. The settings provided can be turned off or on by selecting the appropriate radio button and clicking Save Settings.
Any order will be auto-assigned only if
- The order satisfies the rules criteria set in the Auto Assignment section
- Appraisal type (e.g. 1004 conventional) is set up to be eligible for auto assignment
- Client on the order has been marked as Eligible for Auto Assignment
- Appraiser receiving the order is set up as eligible for auto assignment
Document Templates
The system allows you to set up document templates that can be attached to the supporting documents of an order. These can be customized engagement terms or special instructions which can be added to any order.
To create a document template click Admin -> Document Templates and select Actions -> Add New Document Template. You will be required to fill out the Document Name and select the Document Type from the dropdown options provided. You can also add a brief document description and create the text for the document. When creating the document template you can use Tags to pull up order/ company information and incorporate it into the template.
Click Save Document Template to save the template created. This document can then be added to the supporting documents of any order by clicking Add Document in the Supporting Documents section and selecting Attach Document from Document Templates. You can also choose whether this document would be shared with the client and/ or appraiser.
Managing State Details
The system allows you to manage details for individual States by going to Admin -> State Details. Here you can define the Sales Tax Rate, AMC Registration Number, and AMC License Expiry Date for each state individually. You can also select if you want invoices pertaining to orders for that state should be itemized and if the AMC provides a service in the state. You can also define unique Engagement Terms for any particular state.
Setting up Common Responses
Common Responses are a great way to save time and make your appraisal desk more efficient. Common Responses are blocks of text (e.g. client-specific instructions, appraiser instructions etc.) that can be typed and stored in the system. These can be used when posting comments to your clients and appraisers, without having to type the entire text repetitively. Once set up, just select the common response on the comment screen and it auto-populates on the text area.
To set up common responses, go to Admin -> Common Responses. Click on the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add New Common Response. Enter the Common Response Name (which will appear in the dropdown on the comment screen) and the Common Response Text. Click on the Save Common Response button to save it in the system.
Setting up Review Checklists
Review Checklists can be built right into ValueLink, enabling you to complete your appraisal review process within the system and making it completely paperless. Review checklists are completely customizable and can be tailored to your internal QC policies. Your reviewers can check the orders against these lists to complete their review. A PDF document of the checklist is automatically attached to the supporting documents of the order once the review is completed. The system comes with pre-built checklists for Residential and Commercial order reviews.
To set up review checklists, go to Admin -> Review Checklists. Click on the Actions button on the top right of your screen and select Add New Checklist. Enter a Name and Description of the checklist and click the Next button. Click on “Click here to add the first field” to start building your checklist. Add as many fields as you like with the option of checkboxes, radio buttons and drop downs. Click the Done button at the top right of your screen to save the checklist in the system.
Setting up Order Statuses
You can set up your own custom workflow in ValueLink by setting up Order Statuses in the system. The status of appraisal orders can be updated manually and fall into categories that your company would like to use.
To set up appraisal statuses, go to Admin -> Appraisal Statuses. Click on the Actions button and select Add New Order Status. Enter the name of the status and specify if you would like to give a status update access to your appraiser and reviewers. You can also mark the status as important so that it shows highlighted on your Dashboard. Click on the Save Appraisal Status button to save the status in the system.
The system also allows you to sort appraisal statuses. Click Actions -> Sort Appraisal Statuses and the screen that appears next will show all available statuses. You can drag and drop and status and rearrange them to appear in in the order you want them to appear in for the Admin dashboard. Click Save Changes to save the changes made.
You also edit existing appraisal statuses by clicking on the Edit icon next to the appraisal status. You can then enter the changes and click on the Save Appraisal Status button to save the status in the system.
Managing Transaction Types
You can manage transaction types in the system by going to Admin -> Transaction Types. To create a new transaction type click Actions -> Add New Transaction Type. Add the name of the transaction type and save.
To manage existing transaction types click the Edit icon next to the transaction type. On this page you can either amend the name of the transaction type or delete it altogether by clicking Actions -> Delete This Transaction Type.
Managing Labels
Labels can be managed in the system by going to Admin -> Manage Labels. Here you can add new labels at the top of the screen by adding a label name and assigning a color to the label. You can also delete any existing labels from the list on the screen by clicking the delete icon.
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