The members of Region V can be proud of the many individuals who have served the Appraisal Institute membership at the Regional and National levels. Through their dedicated service, Region V members have the opportunity to meet and interact with other leaders who are also active in the governance of the organization. This enriches their careers by expanding their network of peers in addition to their knowledge of appraisal and other issues outside of their individual communities. Each of you is urged to become involved in this process by seeking out leaders in your Chapter who will assist Region V with continued service on the National Board of Directors, Committees, and Panels

The Region V Nominating Committee will be meeting live stream via Zoom to prepare a slate of nominees to fill Region V positions for the years 2025-2026. Please consider members within your respective chapters or other Region V chapters who have the skills, eligibility, and character to assume the leadership positions for 2025- 2026 as listed below. You may provide your recommendations to the 2024 Region V Chair, Claire M. Aufrance, MAI, SRA  at [email protected], or the Region V Executive Director, Nancy Linton-Hall, by this Friday, February 9, 2024.

Originally published on November 29, 2023, by the FDIC.

I am pleased to report on the release of third quarter 2023 performance results for FDIC–insured institutions.

Originally published on November 28, 2023, by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the conforming loan limit values (CLLs) for mortgages Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will acquire in 2024. In most of the United States, the 2024 CLL value for one-unit properties will be $766,550, an increase of $40,350 from 2023.

Originally published on November 22, 2023, by Erik Sherman for GlobeSt.com.

Originally published on November 1, 2023, by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC).

On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council’s Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC)  held its third public hearing on appraisal bias to discuss how a residential appraisal is developed and reviewed, the process for reconsiderations of value for residential real estate valuations, and the development of rural appraisals.

Originally published on October 27, 2023, by The White House. 

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to support the conversion of high-vacancy commercial buildings to residential use, including through new financing, technical assistance, and sale of federal properties. These announcements will create much-needed housing that is affordable, energy efficient, near transit and good jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, nearly 30 percent of which comes from the building sector.

Office and commercial vacancies across the country are affecting urban downtowns and rural main streets. A new blog released today by the Council of Economic Advisers finds that office vacancies have reached a 30-year high from coast-to-coast, placing a strain on commercial real estate and local economies. At the same time, the country has struggled for decades with a shortage of affordable housing units, which is driving up rental costs, and communities are seeking new ways to cut emissions, especially from existing buildings and transportation.

The actions announced today build upon the initiatives in the White House Housing Supply Action Plan, which is lowering housing costs, boosting housing supply, and promoting fair housing, and the Administration’s actions to lower energy costs and tackle the climate crisis. Lowering costs, increasing access to good jobs, and building the clean energy economy are key tenants of Bidenomics — the President’s agenda to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up. 

Originally published on October 17, 2023 by Craig Steinley, MAI, SRA, AI-GRS, AI-RRS for the Appraisal Institute. 

The Appraisal Institute, the nation’s leading professional association of real estate appraisers, announced that the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) has approved the certified residential real property credential (CR) path for the Appraisal Institute Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (AI PAREA) program.
 
This follows the May approval and September public release of the AI PAREA licensed residential (LR) path, an online, simulated appraisal experience program that is an alternative pathway for aspiring appraisers to gain the required experience to become a licensed or certified appraiser. Historically, the primary option for an appraiser to complete experience hours was through a supervisor/trainee model that required the aspiring appraiser to find a supervisory appraiser.
 
“We are proud to be the first-to-market with this innovative program,” said Appraisal Institute Board President Craig Steinley*. “Following significant initial interest in our licensed residential path, we are determined to continue opening more virtual doors to new communities of aspiring appraisers.”

Originally published on October 25, 2023, by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has failed to adequately document desktop appraisal reports, and the lack of oversight can make it difficult to determine the effectiveness of the program and hinders the ability to detect trends or problems with the appraisals, the Office of Inspector General reported Oct. 25 in an audit of the FHFA's supervision of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's use of desktop appraisals.

Originally published on October 23, 2023, by the White House.

Today, President Biden and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will announce the designation of 31 communities across the country as Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs (Tech Hubs) through the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration. These Tech Hubs will catalyze investment in technologies critical to economic growth, national security, and job creation, and will help communities across the country become centers of innovation critical to American competitiveness. The Tech Hubs program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act – signed by President Biden in August 2022 – and is part of the President’s Bidenomics agenda to grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up.

Originally published on October 11, 2023, by Bryan Mena for CNN.com

Most Federal Reserve officials said last month that they expect one more rate hike, according to minutes from their September policy meeting released Wednesday. Some officials said that how fast inflation cools in the coming months will determine how long rates remain elevated.

Originally published on October 9, 2023, by Tony Cantu for MPAMag.com.

The inspector general’s office of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has released its report on management and performance challenges for the upcoming year, key among them the continued conservatorship of the GSEs – both of which have a combined adjusted total risk-based capital shortfall of more than $400 billion, according to the document.

Originally published on October 5, 2023 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

While the number of U.S. home appraisals and median appraised values declined year-over-year between the second quarters of 2022 and 2023, both indicators increased between the first and second quarters of 2023.​

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 August 8, 2023, by Anneliese Mahoney for the Mortgage Banker's Association.

Berkadia, New York, in its 2023 U.S. Student Housing Preleasing Report found student housing operating fundamentals are among the strongest in the commercial real estate sector, with the fall 2023 lease-up cycle the fastest on record.

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 Laura Pop-Badiu for the Coworking Cafe.

Coworking — which has consistently been on the rise and significantly fueled by the increase in remote and hybrid work — continues its upward trajectory across the U.S. And, with more flexible workspaces opening their doors every day and new operators entering the market, the changes in this industry are notable, even in the span of just a few months.

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.