FAQs About Collateral Investigate™

Cotality is building a brand new, robust valuation review solution to prepare for the changing industry landscape and regulatory requirements. The new solution, Collateral Investigate, will improve upon existing functionality, features, workflow, and user experience while fully supporting the modern UAD 3.6 format.

The new review solution is exclusively for files submitted in the new UAD 3.6 format. If you have legacy reports, you'll continue to use your current review product, such as GAAR or RealView.

We're creating a unified workflow and rules engine for all valuation review, regardless of the platform (CMS, Mercury, Appraisal Scope) you use. This design removes the need for custom builds by development when you have customization requests.

Yes, absolutely. We're putting you in control to manage and update your own rules, review assignments, escalation paths, and more. This is a core value proposition of Collateral Investigate.

The solution features an intuitive Dashboard for pipeline management. You can quickly see orders in the queue, completed orders, and Flagged Orders. Message banners keep you up-to-date, showing orders at a standstill or needing review resumption.

Data indicates that accepted findings average just 2.3 rounds of review until acceptance, showing enhanced efficiency for appraisal professionals. This efficiency is tracked via robust reporting in Collateral Investigate.

Yes. Reviewers can be assigned to multiple tiers simultaneously. When they use the Get Next feature, the system evaluates files across all tiers assigned to that reviewer based on the global tier order.

If a file fails to match the criteria of any active tier, it appears in the Orders tab with an Unassigned status. To avoid unassigned files, ensure tier logic covers your standard pipeline and that logic rules do not completely overlap or create unintended gaps.

There is a strict field dependency between tabs: a data field must first be selected and configured on the Assignment logic tab before it becomes available in the + Add another prioritization rule drop-down.

A best-practice recommendation is to set a broader criteria threshold on the Assignment logic tab, and then define narrower ranges on the Get next prioritization tab. Example: You might allow all files closing within 30 days into the tier via assignment logic, but use prioritization rules to surface orders closing within 5 days first.

Yes. On the Get next prioritization tab, drag and drop fields in the list to reorder them. Rules higher in the list take precedence over lower rules. You can also click the trashcan icon to delete a rule or click the red X on individual enumerations to remove specific values.

Yes, you can use the Findings bulk actions setting. This setting lets you select multiple findings and decisions to enter the same comment, escalate, request revisions, or share findings in bulk.

Note: You can only perform bulk decisions on low- and medium-severity findings because high-severity findings typically require individual interaction. However, you can still tag high-severity findings with bulk actions for escalations, revisions, and shared findings.

No. When you configure the Accept findings setting, you can accept findings without entering a comment. This indicates that the findings are accurate but do not require additional comments, as they do not impact the overall collateral decision.

Only you can view your personal notes. The Personal notes feature functions as your private scratch pad and does not replace official review comments.

You can select the Exclude weekends option. This setting excludes weekends from the date thresholds defined in your assignment logic.

The Archive date limit defines how long records are retained in the system before they are archived. You must ensure this date matches your archive date in the platform.

Yes. You can manage character and comment length using the following options:

• Content character limit: Sets the maximum number of characters for messages and finding commentary.

• Minimum length for summary comments: Requires reviewers to enter a minimum number of characters when completing summary comment sections like Finalize Review, ROV Determination, and Reconciliation.

You can use the Reason for decision setting to define which options (enumerations) appear in the dropdown menu on each status screen for Finalize review, Request revision, and Determine Reconciliation.

The Holistic date range priorities setting allows you to define holistic dates that override the Get Next prioritization set at the tier level. You can enter a number in each date field and rearrange them by importance, or input your range. Select which tiers you want the date override to apply to. If you select no tiers, the system applies it to all tiers.

Note: Override dates are searched across all selected tiers, and the most prioritized date continues to be assigned until all prioritized dates have been assigned. The auto assignment then follows Get Next logic in order of your tier.

The Wordsearch management setting manages words and phrases that trigger findings to be cleared by reviewers. This helps ensure that no disallowed comments are used during the review process.

The Default sharing setting defines a default list of items to share with your vendor during a revision request. If you do not establish a default list, reviewers must select which items to share manually during each request.

Get Next Order automatically opens the highest-priority file in your queue based on assignment due dates and rush status. This lets you move through work without manual selection. Your organization can customize this prioritization logic in a future release.

The assigned reviewer filter remains fixed to your account to streamline your view. This ensures you only see the files assigned to you when you navigate your workspace.

You can view child orders by clicking the expandable arrow icon in the first column of the Queue Grid.

No. When you adjust the dropdown to change the number of files shown per page, your selection only persists for your current session. You must select your preferred page size again when you start another session.

The Orders tab displays all files accessible to you, including those assigned to other reviewers whom you have visibility to (this requires specific permissions). The Queue tab displays only the files assigned directly to you and is available to all reviewers.

You can open a file by clicking the Loan # link on the left side of the table or by selecting the View button on the right side of the table.

The red dot indicates that something has changed in the file since you last viewed it. This indicator displays on all applicable tabs within the order to help you quickly identify where changes have occurred.

No. Legacy files in non-UAD 3.6 formats, such as 1004MC or 2055, must continue to be worked in RealView or GAAR within your existing platform.

In the Orders tab, click the unassigned loan file and select a reviewer from the drop-down menu to complete the manual assignment.

Open the assigned loan file, select the More Actions control, and choose a reviewer from the available options to reassign the file.

Select the Received date drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the Order Details screen. Each revision of the appraisal (matching the same loan number and appraiser) appears as a selectable date. Selecting a date updates the screen with the corresponding scores and findings for that specific version.

The Previous orders tab identifies and displays historical valuations based on a matching property address under your client profile, even if they were submitted under a different loan number. This helps you identify valuation trends and detect discrepancies over time.

The dynamic rules and scoring metrics reflect modern data standards. Refer to the official Collateral Investigate scoring documentation for complete details on the specific scoring logic changes introduced with the UAD 3.6 data architecture.

No. Bulk Actions are available for Low and Medium severity findings only. You must work and decision all High severity findings individually to ensure proper review and documentation.

These two options are mutually exclusive to prevent ownership conflicts on review files. You cannot set a finding to Revision Needed if other findings on the file are in Escalation Needed status, and you cannot select Escalation Needed if other findings are in Revision Needed status.

Select the Faulty Finding decision when a rule has fired incorrectly for the appraisal report. This decision flags the finding for Cotality review and removes it from your metrics calculations.

You can share an individual finding by clicking Share Finding on the finding detail panel. Select the colleague you wish to consult and enter your message. The review remains in your queue, and you can view their response on the Messages tab once they reply.

The Review Artifact is a stacked PDF containing the complete review record, including risk scores, findings, comments, and the appraisal report. Once you finalize your review and click End Review, you can download the PDF by clicking the cog wheel icon in the top right corner of the Final Review page and selecting Review artifact.

When you escalate a file by clicking Escalate, you transfer ownership of the review to the receiving reviewer or tier. The file is removed from your queue, and you will no longer have access to it.

Yes, for Dismiss decisions, you must enter a justification comment to explain why the finding is cleared. For Accept decisions, comments are optional (and your organization may disable this option entirely). For manual findings, you must always enter a detailed description and justification.