For the first time in 25 years, federal regulators are increasing the property value limit under which buyers of certain homes must obtain an appraisal as part of selling. Federal banking agencies have approved a plan enabling certain homes worth $400,000 or less to be subject to an evaluation rather than an appraisal.
For nearly a year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., office of the comptroller of the currency, and board of governors of the Federal Reserve deliberated on the proposed rule change, reviewing hundreds of comments from the public. Regulators finally approved the rule last Friday. The new rule doesn’t apply to transactions in which the buyer is purchasing the home with financing wholly or partially insured by a government-run or government-sponsored agency, including the Federal Housing Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. As a result, the majority of residential transactions in the U.S. will not be affected by this new rule.