Appraisals

From medical expenses to home improvements, here's a look at some of the most frequently cited reasons homeowners are borrowing against their home equity.

The removal of costly appraisal requirements on tens of thousands of smaller commercial properties could help community banks better compete for loans they say they have been losing to nonbank lenders.

If Freddie Mac's credit-risk transfer activities continue to grow, mortgage lenders could eventually see a reduction in the guarantee fees they pay to the government-sponsored enterprise, according to CEO Donald Layton.

TriStar Bank in Tennessee says a shortage of appraisers is slowing down its commercial real estate lending and raising the cost of appraisals. The claim has outraged appraisers, who argue that the bank is simply trying to avoid paying their fees.

Lenda, launched in 2014, currently makes mortgages start to finish in two weeks. But it's aiming to make it a process that can be finished on a borrower's lunch break.

The legislation, a similar version of which passed in the last Congress, would give favorable regulatory treatment to certain loans even if real estate-related fees were paid to an affiliate of the lender.

Under a joint order, lenders still have to document the value of properties in storm-affected regions, but they will not have to depend on appraisers.

Federal regulators issued a proposal Tuesday that would increase the threshold at which commercial real estate transactions require an appraisal, a move that could give some lenders sizable relief.

Financial regulators issued joint guidance on Wednesday highlighting the availability of cross-state appraiser licensing agreements.

Banking regulators on Tuesday called for a raft of regulatory changes, including streamlining capital, reporting and appraisal rules in order to reduce compliance burden.