The Mortgage Crisis and Appraisers

When a house is for sale, an evaluation is done to determine its value before a loan is made.  Appraisers are trained to make judgments about the value of properties with "boot-on-the-ground" inspections. In the past, a few appraisers were influenced by over zealous brokers and lenders. Now there are new guidelines in place. But are they protecting the consumer or making money for the lender?