OCC

The effort to raise the threshold for transactions excused from appraisal requirements responds to concerns that the current threshold is outpaced by real estate prices.

The federal agencies said in a recent statement that “guidance does not have the force and effect of law,” but two trade groups say that standard should be more binding.

Federal regulators have issued answers to frequently asked questions on appraisal regulations.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency lowered the $14 billion-asset thrift in Cleveland to “needs to improve” from "satisfactory."

The House of Representatives passed two bills that would tie appraisal waivers for Small Business Administration loans to bank rules for commercial real estate loans, despite objections from the Appraisal Institute about its members being cut out of transactions.

The senator’s bill to reform the 40-year-old law and expand housing investments could gain clout as Democrats look to pick up congressional seats and she eyes a presidential run.

The changes mandated by the recent regulatory relief law would narrow the definition of "high-volatility commercial real estate" exposures that get a higher risk weight.

Regulators will continue to issue guidance to articulate general views on appropriate practices, but they will not issue enforcement actions based on violations.

Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting writes that the Community Reinvestment Act has not kept pace with changes in banking and needs to be updated.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s questions for the public to comment on the decades-old law could illuminate a path forward as regulators struggle to agree on an updated policy.