Hutchinson Real Estate

Mr. Wayne Hutchinson of Hutchinson Appraisals is a deal-killer. His appraisals are so particular and demanding that the buyer can’t obtain lender approval.

My advice: if Mr. Hutchinson is assigned as your appraiser, then dismiss him from your property and request another one from the appraisal management company. That’s less hassle than coping with Mr. Hutchinson and his deal-breaking appraisals.

In our case, he spent over two hours going through a 2400 sq ft house. He audited all of the room measurements against the house plans (good thing we had a copy of the house plans) by measuring Every. Single. Length. And. Width. He decided that a 27-year-old permit on a lava-rock retaining wall was invalid. When we brought up the issue with the Department of Plans and Permits, the supervisor examined the permit and photos and said that the permit was valid and no corrective action was required. Mr. Hutchinson objected to DPP’s conclusions and refused to update the appraisal comments.

Part of the Veteran Administration’s appraisal criteria for a VA loan is safety and habitability. We were simply attempting to refinance a conventional loan into a VA loan, but Mr. Hutchinson was so excessive on these criteria that the lender would not even conduct manual underwriting. One mortgage broker said that Mr. Hutchinson is widely known and feared as the island’s most difficult appraiser.

During the appraisal Mr. Hutchinson was gruff, intimidating, and impatient. When we offered him a copy of a previous appraisal’s floor plans, he scolded us that he’d draw his own and implied that we were trying to co-opt his appraisal. He was physically unsteady on staircases, and at one point I was afraid that he’d stumble and fall down our steps. I was afraid to let him out of my sight.

I’ve already filed written complaints with the VA Regional Lending Center, the state’s Regulated Industries Complaints Office, and the licensing association. All have declined to get involved.