US Government Accountability Office - Appraisers Blogs

GAO to Investigate Appraisal Loopholes

VaCAP Board — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 13:30:32 +0000

…Arizona is seeking damages and penalties against CoesterVMS… GAO has agreed to complete the study… Maxine Waters and Congressman William Lacy Clay requested a formal study/investigation into Title XI (FIRREA) and the recent dilution of its intent by the Federal Agencies. VaCAP has learned GAO has agreed to complete the study. The Network of State Coalitions has sent the following to their state members: This is the result of so many voices – the Foundation, ASA, coalitions, NAR, etc. Our Network efforts have given us an inside connection that hopefully we can continue to build on. Our meeting in DC...

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FIRREA Under Attack!

VaCAP Board — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 13:30:15 +0000

…the federal agencies charged with implementing Title XI of FIRREA have taken steps to limit the number of transactions for which an appraisal is required… Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Congressman William Lacy Clay request a formal study/investigation into Title XI (FIRREA) and the recent dilution of its intent by the Federal Agencies. The letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office, addresses threshold increases, regulatory exemptions, appraisal waivers, the North Dakota appraiser certification waiver and evaluations in lieu of an appraisal. It is clear the Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee and Subcommittee Chairman on Housing, Community Development and Insurance...

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FDIC Says NO to Appraisals

VaCAP Board — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 12:30:22 +0000

The FDIC voted to increase the minimum appraisal threshold to $400,000 for residential appraisals, despite the overwhelming opposition. The vote was quietly supported by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Maxine Waters and The Appraisal Foundation condemn the actions of the FDIC. See The Appraisal Foundations response below. (Washington, DC) August 20, 2019 – The Appraisal Foundation President David Bunton issued the following statement after the final rule exempting residential real estate transaction of $400,000 or less from appraisal requirements was approved by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. “When the proposed rule was announced in November 2018, The Appraisal Foundation...

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Appraisal Complaint Hotline to Open This Year

AppraisersBlogs — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:30:39 +0000

Appraisal Complaint Hotline The Appraisal Subcommittee, a federal monitor of state bodies responsible for governing valuations, will open an appraisal complaint hotline by the end of the year, HousingWire reported July 2. The appraisal complaint hotline, required by the Dodd-Frank Act, will allow homebuyers, real estate agents, lenders and others in the industry to file complaints about appraisers and appraisal management companies. “ASC member agencies are currently working to finalize the details for how they will handle the referral of a complaint from the hotline,” ASC Executive Director James Park noted in House testimony, HousingWire reported. Park reported that a...

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Regulators Should Take Actions to Strengthen Appraisal Oversight

AppraisersBlogs — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:30:38 +0000

Fed Report Scrutinizes Appraisal Processes The Government Accountability Office released a report June 28 that scrutinized real estate valuations in the wake of the recent mortgage crisis. The report, Residential Appraisals — Regulators Should Take Actions to Strengthen Appraisal Oversight, was produced using data from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and five of the biggest mortgage lenders. The report revealed that valuations received through broker price opinions and automated valuation models take less time and are less costly than traditional appraisal reports, but traditional appraisal reports are still mandated for almost all first-lien residential loan originations due to their greater reliability....

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Statement of Frank Gregoire (NAR) Before Appraisal Oversight Hearing

AppraisersBlogs — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:37:01 +0000

NAR believes that lenders should be prohibited from retaining the services of an AMC where the lender maintains any level of ownership. Frank Gregoire‘s written testimony to the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity before the Appraisal Oversight Hearing … APPRAISAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES There are a myriad of circumstances and issues working to hinder the recovery of the nation’s housing market. Among them, and often overlooked, are those related to the credible valuation of real property. A credible valuation provided by a licensed or certified professional 1) ensures the...

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TAF Receives High Marks in GAO Survey

AppraisersBlogs — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:34 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 2, 2012 Contact: Paula Douglas Seidel, Executive Administrator, The Appraisal Foundation Washington, DC — A recent survey conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of state appraiser regulatory programs has produced high marks for The Appraisal Foundation regarding its effectiveness in issuing appraisal standards and appraiser qualifications. The survey, which was performed in conjunction with the GAO study issued last month entitled “Real Estate Appraisals: Appraisal Subcommittee Needs to Improve Monitoring Procedures,” contained 65 questions relating to the effectiveness of the current real property appraiser regulatory system. In addition to the effectiveness of the Foundation,...

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‘Middleman’ Appraisers Spur Concerns

AppraisersBlogs — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:56:36 +0000

If you’ve paid for a home appraisal within the last five years, a chunk of that charge likely went to a middleman you never knew existed. And because a third party was used, it might have driven up your closing costs and affected the quality of the valuation. Lenders often use appraisal management companies to block collusion between mortgage brokers and appraisers — and to comply with anti-fraud rules the industry adopted in May 2009. The hotly debated reforms have boded well for the appraisal managers, whose presence in the U.S. has jumped from a handful in the 1990s to...

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Residential Appraisals: Opportunities to Enhance Oversight of an Evolving Industry – GAO

AppraisersBlogs — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:47:48 +0000

Yesterday, the GAO released its analysis of the Real Estate Appraisal Profession and its regulatory framework titled Residential Appraisals: Opportunities to Enhance Oversight of an Evolving Industry. Full report can be reviewed or downloaded below. Summary of analysis: Real estate valuations, which encompass appraisals and other estimation methods, have come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the recent mortgage crisis. The Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Act) mandated that GAO study the various valuation methods and the options available for selecting appraisers, as well as the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC), which established appraiser...

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