Appraisal Institute News | Appraisal Institute

Lender PHH Fined $74M Over Defective Mortgages

Mortgage lender PHH will pay more than $74 million to resolve claims that it generated defective loans that were purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Aug. 8, Reuters reported. The settlement is the latest between DOJ and lenders over faulty loans issued during the financial crisis.

Aug 16, 2017 12:30 PM

Wells Fargo to Pay $108M Over Veteran Refinance Fees

Wells Fargo agreed to pay $108 million to the federal government to settle accusations that it overcharged veterans who refinanced their mortgages, HousingWire reported Aug. 4. The bank was alleged to have collected unauthorized fees, which would have made some loans ineligible for Department of Veterans Affairs guarantees.

Aug 09, 2017 08:00 AM

Appraisal Institute Book Helps Value ‘Green’ Commercial Real Estate

Commercial real estate valuation professionals must master a new set of terminology and concepts to identify and understand “green” property characteristics and to recognize their effects on market demand and value, according to a new book published by the Appraisal Institute.

Aug 02, 2017 12:30 AM

FTC Grants Stay of its Complaint Over Louisiana Appraisal Laws

The Federal Trade Commission, which alleged May 31 that Louisiana's laws mandating how appraisal management companies pay appraisers amount to price-fixing, on July 28 granted the Louisiana Real Estate Appraiser Board's request for a stay to allow the state to repeal its laws and implement new policies, HousingWire reported.

Aug 02, 2017 12:30 AM

Feds to Raise Interest Rates, Unload Mortgage Bonds

The Federal Reserve is expected to reaffirm its commitment to increasing interest rates this year and begin selling mortgage bonds to gradually unwind its $4.5 trillion balance sheet, MarketWatch reported July 26. Job creation and economic growth has the Fed optimistic, but consumer spending is a concern.

Interest Rates Won't Be Set by LIBOR after 2021, FCA Head Says

The scandal-plagued London Interbank Offered Rate, which is used worldwide to set rates for mortgages, loans and other financial agreements, will be replaced by the end of 2021, CNBC reported July 27. The head of the Financial Conduct Authority said LIBOR will be replaced with a more reliable alternative.

Jul 26, 2017 12:30 PM

FTC Alleges Louisiana Appraisal Law Restricts Competition

The Federal Trade Commission alleged that Louisiana’s new law mandating how appraisal management companies pay appraisers amounts to price-fixing and rejected the state’s request to withhold enforcement actions so it could repeal the law and implement new policies, HousingWire reported July 25.

Jul 26, 2017 12:30 PM

Quicken Loans Fined $11 Million for Appraisal Tampering

A federal court found that Quicken Loans provided appraisers with inflated estimates of property values to secure higher-value loans, The Washington Post reported July 19. More than 2,750 plaintiffs filed a class-action suit claiming their loans were underwater from the start.

Jul 26, 2017 12:30 PM

Federal Banking Agencies Propose Raising CRE Appraisal Threshold

The Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on July 19 issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to increase to $400,000 the threshold for commercial real estate transactions requiring an appraisal.

Jul 19, 2017 12:30 PM

US Metro Markets Embracing Green Office Space, Study Shows

Nine of the top 10 cities in the annual Green Building Adoption Index have implemented energy benchmarking ordinances, and the number of office buildings with green certifications has risen, Commercial Property Executive reported July 10. The Index was produced by CBRE and Maastricht University in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council.

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