Dodd frank
Dodd-Frank established new government agencies such as the Financial Stability Oversight Council and Orderly Liquidation Authority, which monitors the performance of companies deemed “too big to fail” in order to prevent a widespread economic collapse. The new Orderly Liquidation Fund provides money to assist with the liquidation of financial companies that have been placed in receivership because of their financial weakness. Additionally, the council can break up large banks that may pose a risk to the financial system because of their size. It can also quickly and neatly liquidate or restructure firms it deems too financially weak. Similarly, the new Federal Insurance Office identifies and monitors insurance companies that may pose a systemic risk.
The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is tasked with preventing predatory mortgage lending, improving the clarity of mortgage paperwork for consumers and reducing incentives for mortgage brokers to push home buyers into more expensive loans. The CFPB has also changed the way credit card companies and other consumer lenders disclose their terms to consumers. It requires loan terms to be presented in a new, easy-to-read-and-understand format.
The Volcker Rule, another key component of Dodd-Frank, restricts the ways banks can invest and regulates trading in derivatives.
The goal of the new SEC Office of Credit Ratings is to improve the accuracy of ratings provided by the agencies that evaluate the financial strength of businesses and governments.
FHA
Our company is on the FHA Roster of approved residential appraisers. We're qualified and approved to do appraisals for FHA insured loans. We're trained and understand the rules and procedures in FHA's guidance and policy documents.
If you're in need of an appraisal for an FHA loan, please contact us and we'll be able to help you right away.
An FHA loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The FHA does not loan money to borrowers, rather, it provides lenders protection through mortgage insurance (MIP) in case the borrower defaults on his or her loan obligations. Available to all buyers, FHA loan programs are designed to help creditworthy low-income and moderate-income families who do not meet requirements for conventional loans. Remember, the FHA is different from the VA appraiser panel in that the lender can choose the appraiser.
FHA loan programs are particularly beneficial to those buyers with less available cash. The rates on FHA loans are generally market rates, while down payment requirements are lower than for conventional loans.
USPAP
USPAP, which you might hear pronounced like "YOOS-pap," is the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. USPAP is published and maintained by the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) of the Appraisal Foundation, a non-governmental entity charged by Congress with promulgating appraisal standards.USPAP is revised periodically, usually annually, and almost never radically.
It includes sections covering rules, such as an Ethics Rule, a Departure Rule, and a Competency Rule. It includes Standards, 10 of them, each covering in detail different functions an appraiser might perform ("Real Property Appraisal, Reporting"; "Business Appraisal, Development"). It includes 10 Statements, some retired, which are used to clarify or supplement the Standards. It also includes Advisory Opinions, such as "When does USPAP apply in valuation services?" and "Clarification of the client in a federally related transaction," which describe real-life problems and how they would be governed under the Rules and Standards of USPAP.
Every appraiser is charged with knowing and following USPAP, usually by operation of state law, and must complete Continuing Education periodically to relearn the basics and become familiar with new Advisory Opinions and annual changes to USPAP. USPAP may be considered the Bible of appraisal practice.