Originally published on September 6, 2023, by Fannie Mae. 

Originally published on August 29, 2023, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of the Army (the agencies) issued a final rule to amend the final “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” rule, published in the Federal Register on January 18, 2023. This final rule conforms the definition of “waters of the United States” to the U.S. Supreme Court’s May 25, 2023, decision in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. Parts of the January 2023 Rule are invalid under the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Clean Water Act in the Sackett decision. Therefore, the agencies have amended key aspects of the regulatory text to conform it to the Court’s decision. Read more about the conforming rule.

Read More

Originally published on August 23, 2023 by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Securities and Exchange Commission today adopted new rules and rule amendments to enhance the regulation of private fund advisers and update the existing compliance rule that applies to all investment advisers. The new rules and amendments are designed to protect private fund investors by increasing transparency, competition, and efficiency in the private funds market.

Originally published on July 27, 2023 by the White House.

resident Biden’s economic vision is about building an economy from the middle out and bottom-up, not the top down— that’s Bidenomics. A critical foundation of that vision, and the central goal of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan, is an economy where everyone has access to a safe and affordable home. That vision means lowering costs, including by building and preserving more housing, particularly for lower- and middle-income households. Today’s announcements will lower housing costs by tackling challenges that have stifled affordable housing for decades, as well as seizing immediate opportunities:

• Reducing barriers to building housing like restrictive and costly land use and zoning rules;
• Expanding financing for affordable, energy-efficient and resilient housing; and
• Promoting commercial-to-residential conversion opportunities, particularly for affordable and zero-emissions housing.

Read More

Originally published in July 2023 by the Federal Reserve.

The July 2023 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices

The July 2023 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices (SLOOS) addressed changes in the standards and terms on, and demand for, bank loans to businesses and households over the past three months, which generally correspond to the second quarter of 2023.1

Originally published on July 26, 2023 by Jeff Cox for CNBC.com.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday approved a much-anticipated interest rate hike that takes benchmark borrowing costs to their highest level in more than 22 years.

Originally published on July 12, 2023, by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Demand for residential real estate remains high, but low inventories of available properties continue to dampen sales, according to the latest Beige Book released by the Federal Reserve on July 12. Construction of both residential and commercial buildings declined during the same timeframe.

View Report

Originally published on June 29, 2023, by the Federal Reserve.

Federal financial institution regulatory agencies today jointly issued a final policy statement on commercial real estate loan accommodations and workouts. The updates reinforce and build on existing supervisory guidance calling for financial institutions to work prudently and constructively with creditworthy borrowers during times of financial stress.

Originally published on June 21, 223 by the Novogradac.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, and several members of the House of Representatives today reintroduced three bills that target the affordable housing crisis, homelessness and the racial wealth and homeownership gaps in the nation. Similar versions were all introduced in 2021. The Housing Crisis Response Act of 2023 would expand U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rental assistance, invest in public housing and more to provide more than $150 billion in affordable housing investments, creating 1.4 million affordable, accessible homes, helping 300,000 households afford their rent and make a national investment in homeownership for first-generation, first-time homebuyers.

In May, members Richard Early, Mike Elwell, Peter Hitchens, and Greyson Morgan attended AI’s 2023 Leadership Development and Advisory Council conference in Washington, DC. LDAC is an annual conference that brings together a group of dedicated appraisers who come together to formulate solutions to problems and challenges faced by the appraisal profession. As part of the conference, NC members met with lawmakers to discuss current and upcoming legislation topics that impact the North Carolina appraisal industry. 

Originally published on June 8, 2023, by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Five federal regulatory agencies today requested public comment on proposed guidance addressing reconsiderations of value (ROV) for residential real estate transactions. The proposed guidance advises on policies that financial institutions may implement to allow consumers to provide financial institutions with information that may not have been considered during an appraisal or if deficiencies are identified in the original appraisal. ROVs are requests from a financial institution to an appraiser or other preparer of a valuation report to reassess the value of residential real estate. An ROV may be warranted if a consumer provides information to a financial institution about potential deficiencies or other information that may affect the estimated value.

Originally published on June 1, 2023, by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Six federal regulatory agencies today requested public comment on a proposed rule designed to ensure the credibility and integrity of models used in real estate valuations. In particular, the proposed rule would implement quality control standards for automated valuation models (AVMs) used by mortgage originators and secondary market issuers in valuing real estate collateral securing mortgage loans.  

Originally published on June 1, 2023, by The White House.

Homeownership remains a central part of the American dream and the primary contributor to generational wealth building and housing stability for millions of families. For far too long, bias in home valuations has limited the ability of Black and brown families to enjoy the financial returns associated with homeownership, thereby contributing to the already sprawling racial wealth gap.

Two years ago today, on the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, President Biden announced the creation of the Interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE): a first-of-its-kind interagency effort to root out bias in the home appraisal process. As its first order of business, the Task Force developed and released the most wide-ranging set of actions ever announced to advance equity and root out racial and ethnic bias in home valuations – the PAVE Action Plan. Since its release in March 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration has made critical progress towards fully implementing the Action Plan, including by empowering consumers with new tools to address appraisal bias; leveraging data to identify trends and crack down on offenders of appraisal bias; and supporting a well-trained and more representative appraiser profession.

Originally published on May 25, 2023 by Aarthi Swaminathan for MarketWatch.com.

Homeowners are sitting on ultra-low mortgages, refusing to sell and deal with higher mortgage rates and few home listings to choose from. One Congressman says the solution is in D.C.’s hands.

Originally published on May 15, 2023, for the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a Request for Input (RFI) on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s (the Enterprises) single-family pricing framework. The RFI solicits public feedback on the goals and policy priorities that FHFA should pursue in its oversight of the pricing framework.

Originally published on May 10, 2023, by Adam Russell for the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced that it has rescinded the upfront fees based on borrowers' DTI ratios for loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). FHFA announced in March it would delay implementation in order to engage with industry stakeholders and better understand their concerns.

JOINT STATEMENT ON ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS
AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND BIAS IN AUTOMATED SYSTEMS

Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Charlotte A. Burrows, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Lina M. Khan, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission issued the following joint statement about enforcement efforts to protect the public from bias in automated systems and artificial intelligence:

America’s commitment to the core principles of fairness, equality, and justice is deeply embedded in the federal laws that our agencies enforce to protect civil rights, fair competition, consumer protection, and equal opportunity. These established laws have long served to protect individuals even as our society has navigated emerging technologies. Responsible innovation is not incompatible with these laws. Indeed, innovation and adherence to the law can complement each other and bring tangible benefits to people in a fair and competitive manner, such as increased access to opportunities as well as better products and services at lower costs.

Full Statement

Originally published on May 5, 2023 by Amy Kaufman for The Appraisal Foundation.

New edition will be effective January 1, 2024

(Washington, DC) May 5, 2023 –The Appraisal Standards Board today voted to adopt the Fifth Exposure Draft of proposed changes to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). The new edition will be available this fall and will become effective on January 1, 2024. Unlike previous editions, it will not have an end date.

“Conducting this comprehensive review and revision of the Ethics Rule will benefit the profession and the public,” said Appraisal Standards Board Chair Michelle Czekalski Bradley. “The Board was pleased by the results of this process and feels that this new edition of USPAP will be an asset to appraisers and the public alike who are seeking to gain a better understanding of an appraiser’s ethical obligations and requirements under fair housing laws and regulations. Bias and discrimination have never been permitted by our standards, and now that is clear to all who read them.”

All exposure drafts are developed by the Appraisal Standards Board and released for public comment. Successive exposure drafts are updated and released based on public comments on previous drafts.

Originally published on April 26, 2023, by The Appraisal Institute. 

The Portal for Appraisal Licensing Act, known as the PAL Act, was reintroduced in the House of Representatives on April 20. The bipartisan legislation is intended to modernize the real estate appraisal licensing system to reduce costs and cut red tape for appraisers and those who use the services of appraisers. 

Originally published on April 19, 2023, for the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Today, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that it is seeking comment on a proposed rule that would formalize many of the Agency’s existing practices and programs regarding fair housing and fair lending oversight of its regulated entities.