Originally published on June 8, 2022, by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the release of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's (the Enterprises) Equitable Housing Finance Plans for 2022-2024. These plans are designed to complement the initiatives outlined in FHFA's Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2022–2026 that promote the Enterprises' safety and soundness and foster housing finance markets that provide equitable access to affordable and sustainable housing.

Originally published on May 23, 2022, by Maria Volkova for HousingWire.

A piece of legislation introduced in the Senate in mid-May could streamline the appraisal process for VA loans. The legislation would modernize the Department of Veteran Affairs‘ appraisal requirements by allowing desktop appraisals, and in some circumstances, waving appraisals altogether. Currently, all VA appraisals must be performed in-house.

Originally published on May 23, 2022, by Maria Volkova for HousingWire.com.

A piece of legislation introduced in the Senate in mid-May could streamline the appraisal process for VA loans. The legislation would modernize the Department of Veteran Affairs‘ appraisal requirements by allowing desktop appraisals, and in some circumstances, waving appraisals altogether. Currently, all VA appraisals must be performed in-house.

Originally published by the White House on May 16, 2022.

As President Biden said last week, tackling inflation is his top economic priority. Today, President Biden is releasing a Housing Supply Action Plan to ease the burden of housing costs over time, by boosting the supply of quality housing in every community. His plan includes legislative and administrative actions that will help close America’s housing supply shortfall in 5 years, starting with creating and preserving hundreds of thousands of affordable housing units in the next three years. When aligned with other policies to reduce housing costs and ensure affordability, such as rental assistance and downpayment assistance, closing the gap will mean more affordable rents and more attainable homeownership for Americans in every community. This is the most comprehensive government effort to close the housing supply shortfall in history.

Originally published on May 4, 2022, by Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir for Reuters.

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark overnight interest rate by half a percentage point, the biggest jump in 22 years, and the U.S. central bank's chief made an appeal to Americans struggling with high inflation to be patient while officials take the hard measures to bring it under control.

Originally published on April 27, 2022 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today published the 2022-2024 Underserved Markets Plans for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) under the Duty to Serve (DTS) Program.

Originally published on April 7, 2022.

The Appraisal Institute on April 7 joined the National Association of Realtors and 17 other organizations in filing an Amicus Brief with the Supreme Court pertaining to a lower court ruling that would allow copyright infringement lawsuits to be filed against individuals, including appraisers, who make floor plans of a home.

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Originally published on April 14, 2022 by the Federal Housing Finance Agency,

Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today issued the FHFA Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2022-2026​ (Strategic Plan). The Strategic Plan provides a framework that outlines the Agency’s priorities for the coming years as a regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank System and as regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises).

Originally published on April 4, 2022, by Mike Sorohan for the Mortgage Banker's Association. 

The Federal Housing Administration on Friday published a proposed rule that would increase the maximum modification loan term limit from 360 months (30 years) to 480 months (40 years).

Originally published on March 31, 2022, by Georgia Kromrei, for HousingWire.com.

Congress hopes to supplant the appraisal governing body at the center of the industry’s self-regulated framework and make public the trove of appraisal data held by the government-sponsored enterprises.

Originally published on March 23, 2022, by President Joseph R. Biden for the White House.

Following the release of the Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity Task Force Action Plan on appraisal bias, the Appraisal Institute on March 23 sent a letter to the White House stating that it looks forward to working with the Task Force to implement several of their regulatory initiatives and reiterating that the majority of appraisers strive to uphold high standards and maintain independence and objectivity in their work.

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Originally published on March 30, 2022 by the White House.

The Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity Task Force on March 23 published an Action Plan to address concerns about lower appraisals for properties owned by individuals of color. The Appraisal Institute provided input to the Task Force, whose Action Plan covers appraisal standards, diversity within the valuation profession, and reporting requirements for violations of federal law.

Originally published on March 30, 2022, by the Appraisal Institute

The Appraisal Institute Board of Directors on March 28 sent to 45-Day Notice proposed amendments to Bylaws, Regulation Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 8 and the Code of Professional Ethics. Read the 45-Day Notice (AI log in required).

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Originally published on March 16, 2022, by Danny Gardner for Freddie Mac.

TO: Freddie Mac Sellers

SUBJECT: AUTOMATED COLLATERAL EVALUATION (ACE) ELIGIBILITY

This Guide Bulletin announces:

Originally published on February 28, 2022, by Adam Russell for the FHFA.

 Today, FHFA Acting Director Sandra L. Thompson announced that the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund will receive a total of $1.138 billion for affordable housing initiatives from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises). This is the largest amount ever provided to these programs from the Enterprises.

Originally published on March 2, 2022, for the Appraisal Institute. 

The Appraisal Institute Board of Directors voted to adopt one 45-Day Notice item during its Feb. 24-25 meeting in Chicago. The 45-Day Notice item addresses Compensation Committee Policies and Procedures.

Originally published on February 9, 2022, by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

​Washington, D.C. – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today requests input on its Draft Strategic Plan, which outlines the Agency's priorities for the coming years as a regulator of the Federal Home Loan Bank System and as regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises).

Originally published on January 21, 2022 by the White House. 

Today, President Biden announced during his remarks at the U.S. Conference of Mayors that his Administration is teaming up with states, cities, labor, and industry to launch the Building Performance Standards Coalition, the first-of-its-kind partnership between 33 state and local governments dedicated to delivering cleaner, healthier, and more affordable buildings. With nearly 20% of the nation’s building footprint in their jurisdictions, the partnership facilitates new commitments to design and implement building performance standards at the state and local level, create good-paying, union jobs, lower energy bills for consumers, keep residents and workers safe from harmful pollution, and cut emissions from the building sector. Today’s announcement builds upon the Department of Energy’s efforts to upgrade one million homes and makes progress toward President Biden’s goal to retrofit four million buildings and two million homes during his first term.

Originally published on February 7, 2022, by NAFCU Newsroom.

The NCUA, CFPB, and several other agencies including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and Federal Reserve Board (FRB) Friday wrote to The Appraisal Foundation (TAF), a private non-governmental entity with the sole power to set professional standards for appraisers, regarding appraisal discrimination. The agencies called out TAF for failing to “include clear warnings about the requirements of federal law in the standards it sets, and in the training it provides for appraisers.” 

The National Fair Housing Alliance, under contract by the Appraisal Subcommittee and the Council on Licensure, Enforcement, and Regulation, on Jan. 19 released its report on whether the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and Appraiser Qualifications Criteria support or promote fairness, equity, objectivity and diversity in both appraisals and the training and credentialing of appraisers. The findings and recommendations are far-reaching, and some will require legislative action.

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