What others have said:

• "I thought he was nuts.... until the Assistant Attorney General stood by his side and said "Richard is correct, insiders are committing fraud, harming consumers and going to jail."
• "I had no idea the problem was this big and in our town"
• Richard is the single best instructor I've ever seen in 35 years - never a dull moment"
• "There are so many that need this information. We need to make this class an absolute requirement to keep a license"

About the instructor, Richard Hagar SRA

My father was a real estate broker selling homes in Seattle, later selling recreational property in various places around the World. I've spent my entire life in and around the real estate business.

I started as a licensed real estate agent in 1976, selling homes and condominiums to first time home buyers. On weekends I'd sell recreational properties such as timeshare condominiums, camping lots and acreage for vacation homes.

I've worked with builders creating entire subdivisions, condominiums, converting apartments into condominiums and building homes throughout western Washington.

As a regular investor in real estate, I've read every get rich quick book I could find and tried to purchase property using every method around.

• The owner of American Home Appraisals. My company information
• One of the more senior real estate appraisers in the State of Washington with the highest residential certificate available from the State.
• An SRA with the Appraisal Institute. (The SRA designation indicates proficiency in appraising and is awarded to less than 1% of all appraisers)
• On the approved list with more than 100 different lenders,
• Perform review work for the State of Washington and some of the largest lenders
• Provide attorney's, valuation and real estate consulting for legal matters in Washington and Colorado.
• One of the few people to be licensed by the State of Washington to teach more than eight different fields of real estate including valuation, construction issues, sales and marketing, land use and real estate investment.
• Create classes for local community colleges, real estate agents, mortgage brokers and appraisers
• Regularly teach Real Estate Investing, fraud, and Appraisal classes
• Author of "The Real Estate-Advisor", The Real Estate Investors Handbook, "The 8-Step Plan" and Real Estate ~ Agent ~ Appraiser and ~ Mortgage Fraud.
• Own and manage, with my wife's constant help, our own portfolio of investment properties including homes, condominiums, multi-family, and a commercial office building.

• On a weekly, if not daily basis, someone asks my office to commit fraud.
• Attempts at fraud come to us in person, via phone, fax, and email.
• Loan officers, processors, underwriters, corporate presidents, agents, buyers, sellers, and borrowers have tried bribes, threatened my health, business and when all else failed - fall back on the "Well if you won't, I'll find an appraiser who will."
• This isn't always overt fraud, it also includes someone demanding a predetermined value, or asking me to be silent about a problem with the property. Ignorance is one reason, greed is the most common.
• A large percentage of the review work I see is beyond bad, its an attempt to lie and hide facts, most often to make a lender or borrower happy.
• In legal matters, I examine appraisals with opposing conclusions, often discovering the absence of fact and failure to comply with basic appraisal standards.
• I've provided information to bank examiners, Senators, and State Attorneys.
• I'm the author of the first and only class in the Nation to be approved for continued education to all real estate professionals.
• I was a co-author of Washington's Mortgage Brokers Practices Act (RCW 19.146)