82_FR_35623 82 FR 35478 - Real Estate Appraisals

82 FR 35478 - Real Estate Appraisals

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 145 (July 31, 2017)

Page Range35478-35493
FR Document2017-15748

The OCC, Board, and FDIC (collectively, the agencies) are inviting comment on a proposed rule to amend the agencies' regulations requiring appraisals of real estate for certain transactions. The proposal would increase the threshold level at or below which appraisals would not be required for commercial real estate transactions from $250,000 to $400,000. This proposed change to the appraisal threshold reflects comments the agencies received through the regulatory review process required by the Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act (EGRPRA) and completed in early 2017. For commercial real estate transactions with a value at or below the proposed threshold, the amended rule would require institutions to obtain an evaluation of the real property collateral that is consistent with safe and sound banking practices if the institution does not obtain an appraisal by a state certified or licensed appraiser.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 145 (Monday, July 31, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 145 (Monday, July 31, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 35478-35493]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15748]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

12 CFR Part 34

[Docket No. OCC-2017-0011]
RIN 1557-AE18

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 225

[Docket No. R-1568; RIN 7100 AE-81]

FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

12 CFR Part 323

RIN 3064 AE-56


Real Estate Appraisals

AGENCY: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury (OCC); 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board); and Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The OCC, Board, and FDIC (collectively, the agencies) are 
inviting comment on a proposed rule to amend the agencies' regulations 
requiring appraisals of real estate for certain transactions. The 
proposal would increase the threshold level at or below which 
appraisals would not be required for commercial real estate 
transactions from $250,000 to $400,000. This proposed change to the 
appraisal threshold reflects comments the

[[Page 35479]]

agencies received through the regulatory review process required by the 
Economic Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act (EGRPRA) and 
completed in early 2017. For commercial real estate transactions with a 
value at or below the proposed threshold, the amended rule would 
require institutions to obtain an evaluation of the real property 
collateral that is consistent with safe and sound banking practices if 
the institution does not obtain an appraisal by a state certified or 
licensed appraiser.

DATES: Comments must be received by September 29, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are encouraged to submit written comments 
jointly to all of the agencies. Commenters should use the title ``Real 
Estate Appraisals'' to facilitate the organization and distribution of 
comments among the agencies. Interested parties are invited to submit 
written comments to:
    Office of the Comptroller of the Currency: Because paper mail in 
the Washington, DC area and at the OCC is subject to delay, commenters 
are encouraged to submit comments by the Federal eRulemaking Portal or 
email, if possible. Please use the title ``Real Estate Appraisals'' to 
facilitate the organization and distribution of the comments. You may 
submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal--Regulations.gov: Go to 
www.regulations.gov. Enter ``Docket ID OCC-2017-0011'' in the Search 
Box and click ``Search.'' Click on ``Comment Now'' to submit public 
comments.
     Click on the ``Help'' tab on the Regulations.gov home page 
to get information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for 
submitting public comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, 
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Suite 
3E-218, Mail Stop 9W-11, Washington, DC 20219.
     Fax: (571) 465-4326.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th Street SW., Suite 3E-218, 
Mail Stop 9W-11, Washington, DC 20219.
    Instructions: You must include ``OCC'' as the agency name and 
``Docket ID OCC-2017-0011'' in your comment. In general, OCC will enter 
all comments received into the docket and publish them on the 
Regulations.gov Web site without change, including any business or 
personal information that you provide such as name and address 
information, email addresses, or phone numbers. Comments received, 
including attachments and other supporting materials, are part of the 
public record and subject to public disclosure. Do not enclose any 
information in your comment or supporting materials that you consider 
confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure.
    You may review comments and other related materials that pertain to 
this proposed rule by any of the following methods:
     Viewing Comments Electronically: Go to 
www.regulations.gov. Enter ``Docket ID OCC-2017-0011'' in the Search 
box and click ``Search.'' Click on ``Open Docket Folder'' on the right 
side of the screen and then ``Comments.'' Comments can be filtered by 
clicking on ``View All'' and then using the filtering tools on the left 
side of the screen.
     Click on the ``Help'' tab on the Regulations.gov home page 
to get information on using Regulations.gov. Supporting materials may 
be viewed by clicking on ``Open Docket Folder'' and then clicking on 
``Supporting Documents.'' The docket may be viewed after the close of 
the comment period in the same manner as during the comment period.
     Viewing Comments Personally: You may personally inspect 
and photocopy comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC. 
For security reasons, the OCC requires that visitors make an 
appointment to inspect comments. You may do so by calling (202) 649-
6700 or, for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-
5597. Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present valid 
government-issued photo identification and to submit to security 
screening in order to inspect and photocopy comments.
    Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System: You may submit 
comments, identified by [Docket No. R-1568 and RIN 7100 AE-81], by any 
of the following methods:
     Agency Web site: http://www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments at http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include the 
docket number and RIN number in the subject line of the message.
     Fax: (202) 452-3819 or (202) 452-3102.
     Mail: Address to Ann E. Misback, Secretary, Board of 
Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20551.
    All public comments will be made available on the Board's Web site 
at http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm as 
submitted, unless modified for technical reasons. Accordingly, comments 
will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information. 
Public comments may also be viewed electronically or in paper form in 
Room 3515, 1801 K Street NW. (between 18th and 19th Streets NW.), 
Washington, DC 20006 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
    Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: You may submit comments, 
identified by RIN 3064-AE56, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Agency Web site: http://www.FDIC.gov/regulations/laws/federal/propose.html.
     Mail: Robert E. Feldman, Executive Secretary, Attention: 
Comments/Legal ESS, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20429.
     Hand Delivered/Courier: The guard station at the rear of 
the 550 17th Street Building (located on F Street) on business days 
between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
     Email: [email protected]. Comments submitted must include 
``FDIC'' and ``Real Estate Appraisals.'' Comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/laws/federal/
propose.html including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    OCC: G. Kevin Lawton, Appraiser (Real Estate Specialist), (202) 
649-7152, Mitchell E. Plave, Special Counsel, Legislative and 
Regulatory Activities Division, (202) 649-5490, for persons who are 
deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-5597, or Christopher Manthey, 
Special Counsel, or Joanne Phillips, Attorney, Bank Activities and 
Structure Division, (202) 649-5500, Office of the Comptroller of the 
Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.
    Board: Anna Lee Hewko, Associate Director, (202) 530-6260, or 
Carmen Holly, Senior Supervisory Financial Analyst, (202) 973-6122, 
Division of Supervision and Regulation; or Gillian Burgess, Senior 
Counsel, (202) 736-5564, Matthew Suntag, Senior Attorney, (202) 452-
3694, or Kirin Walsh, Attorney, (202) 452-3058, Legal Division, Board 
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th and C Streets NW., 
Washington, DC 20551.

[[Page 35480]]

    FDIC: Beverlea S. Gardner, Senior Examination Specialist, Division 
of Risk Management and Supervision, at (202) 898-3640, Mark Mellon, 
Counsel, Legal Division, at (202) 898-3884, Kimberly Stock, Counsel, 
Legal Division, at (202) 898-3815, Benjamin K. Gibbs, Counsel, at (202) 
898-6726, or Lauren Whitaker, Senior Attorney, at (202) 898-3872, 
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 550 17th Street NW., Washington, 
DC 20429.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

A. Background

    Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and 
Enforcement Act of 1989 (Title XI) \1\ directs each federal financial 
institutions regulatory agency \2\ to publish appraisal regulations for 
federally related transactions within its jurisdiction. The purpose of 
Title XI is to protect federal financial and public policy interests 
\3\ in real estate-related transactions by requiring that real estate 
appraisals used in connection with federally related transactions 
(Title XI appraisals) be performed in accordance with uniform 
standards, by individuals whose competency has been demonstrated and 
whose professional conduct will be subject to effective supervision.\4\
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    \1\ 12 U.S.C. 3331 et seq.
    \2\ ``Federal financial institutions regulatory agency'' means 
the Board, the FDIC, the OCC, the National Credit Union Association 
(NCUA), and, formerly, the Office of Thrift Supervision. 12 U.S.C. 
3350(6).
    \3\ These interests include those stemming from the federal 
government's roles as regulator and deposit insurer of financial 
institutions that engage in real estate lending and investment, 
guarantor or lender on mortgage loans, and as a direct party in real 
estate-related financial transactions. These federal financial and 
public policy interests have been described in predecessor 
legislation and accompanying Congressional reports. See Real Estate 
Appraisal Reform Act of 1988, H.R. Rep. No. 100-1001, pt. 1, at 19 
(1988); 133 Cong. Rec. 33047-33048 (1987).
    \4\ 12 U.S.C. 3331.
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    Title XI directs the agencies to prescribe appropriate standards 
for Title XI appraisals under the agencies' respective 
jurisdictions,\5\ including, at a minimum, that Title XI appraisals be: 
(1) Performed in accordance with the Uniform Standards of Professional 
Appraisal Practice (USPAP); \6\ (2) written appraisals, as defined by 
the statute; and (3) subject to appropriate review for compliance with 
USPAP. All federally related transactions must have Title XI 
appraisals.
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    \5\ 12 U.S.C. 3339. The agencies' Title XI appraisal regulations 
apply to transactions entered into by the agencies or by 
institutions regulated by the agencies that are depository 
institutions or bank holding companies or subsidiaries of depository 
institutions or bank holding companies. OCC: 12 CFR part 34, subpart 
C; Board: 12 CFR 225.61(b); 12 CFR part 208, subpart E; FDIC: 12 CFR 
part 323.
    \6\ USPAP is written and interpreted by the Appraisal Standards 
Board of the Appraisal Foundation. Adopted by Congress in 1989, 
USPAP contains generally recognized ethical and performance 
standards for the appraisal profession in the United States, 
including real estate, personal property, and business appraisals. 
See http://www.appraisalfoundation.org/imis/TAF/Standards/Appraisal_Standards/Uniform_Standards_of_Professional_Appraisal_Practice/TAF/USPAP.aspx?hkey=a6420a67-dbfa-41b3-9878-fac35923d2af.
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    Title XI defines a ``federally related transaction'' as a real 
estate-related financial transaction that is regulated or engaged in by 
a federal financial institutions regulatory agency and requires the 
services of an appraiser.\7\ A real estate-related financial 
transaction is defined as any transaction that involves: (i) The sale, 
lease, purchase, investment in or exchange of real property, including 
interests in property, or financing thereof; (ii) the refinancing of 
real property or interests in real property; and (iii) the use of real 
property or interests in real property as security for a loan or 
investment, including mortgage-backed securities.\8\
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    \7\ 12 U.S.C. 3350(4) (defining ``federally related 
transaction'').
    \8\ 12 U.S.C. 3350(5).
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    The agencies have authority to determine those real estate-related 
financial transactions that do not require the services of a certified 
or licensed appraiser and are therefore exempt from the appraisal 
requirements of Title XI. These real estate-related financial 
transactions are not federally related transactions under the statutory 
or regulatory definitions because they are not required to have Title 
XI appraisals.\9\
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    \9\ See 59 FR 29482 (June 7, 1994).
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    The agencies have exercised this authority by exempting several 
categories of real estate-related financial transactions from the 
appraisal requirements.\10\ The agencies have determined that these 
categories of transactions do not require appraisals by state certified 
or licensed appraisers in order to protect federal financial and public 
policy interests or to satisfy principles of safe and sound banking.
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    \10\ See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a); Board: 12 CFR 225.63(a); FDIC: 12 
CFR 323.3(a).
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    In 1992, Congress amended Title XI, expressly authorizing the 
agencies to establish a threshold level at or below which an appraisal 
by a state certified or licensed appraiser is not required in 
connection with federally related transactions if the agencies 
determine in writing that the threshold does not represent a threat to 
the safety and soundness of financial institutions.\11\ In the Dodd-
Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank 
Act),\12\ Congress amended the threshold provision to require 
concurrence ``from the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection that 
such threshold level provides reasonable protection for consumers who 
purchase 1-4 unit single-family residences.'' \13\ As noted above, 
transactions at or below the threshold level are exempt from the Title 
XI appraisal requirements and thus are not federally related 
transactions.
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    \11\ Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, Public Law 
102-550, sec. 954, 106 Stat. 3894 (amending 12 U.S.C. 3341).
    \12\ Public Law 111-203, 124 Stat.1376.
    \13\ Dodd-Frank Act, sec. 1473, 124 Stat. 2190 (amending 12 
U.S.C. 3341(b)).
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    Under the current thresholds, which were established by rulemaking 
in 1994,\14\ all real estate-related financial transactions with a 
transaction value \15\ of $250,000 or less, as well as certain real 
estate-secured business loans (qualifying business loans) with a 
transaction value of $1 million or less, do not require appraisals.\16\ 
Qualifying business loans are business loans that are real estate-
related financial transactions and that are not dependent on the sale 
of, or rental income derived from, real estate as the primary source of 
repayment.\17\
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    \14\ See 59 FR 29482 (June 7, 1994). The NCUA promulgated a 
similar rule with similar thresholds in 1995. 60 FR 51889 (October 
4, 1995).
    \15\ For loans and extensions of credit, the transaction value 
is the amount of the loan or extension of credit. For sales, leases, 
purchases, investments in or exchanges of real property, the 
transaction value is the market value of the real property. For the 
pooling of loans or interests in real property for resale or 
purchase, the transaction value is the amount of each such loan or 
the market value of each such real property, respectively. See OCC: 
12 CFR 34.42(m); Board: 12 CFR 225.62(m); FDIC: CFR 323.2(m).
    \16\ See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a)(1) and (5); Board: 12 CFR 
225.63(a)(1) and (5); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(a)(1) and (5).
    \17\ OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a)(5); Board: 12 CFR 225.63(a)(5); FDIC: 
12 CFR 323.3(a)(5).
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    For real estate-related financial transactions that are exempt from 
the appraisal requirement because they are within the applicable 
thresholds or qualify for the exemption for certain existing extensions 
of credit,\18\ the

[[Page 35481]]

appraisal regulations require financial institutions to obtain an 
evaluation of the real property collateral that is consistent with safe 
and sound banking practices.\19\ An evaluation should contain 
sufficient information and analysis to support the financial 
institution's decision to engage in the transaction. However, 
evaluations need not be performed in accordance with USPAP or by 
certified or licensed appraisers. The agencies have provided 
supervisory guidance for conducting evaluations in a safe and sound 
manner in the Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines 
(Guidelines).\20\
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    \18\ Transactions that involve an existing extension of credit 
at the lending institution are exempt from the Title XI appraisal 
requirements, but are required to have evaluations, provided that 
there has been no obvious and material change in market conditions 
or physical aspects of the property that threatens the adequacy of 
the institution's real estate collateral protection after the 
transaction, even with the advancement of new monies; or there is no 
advancement of new monies, other than funds necessary to cover 
reasonable closing costs. See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a)(7) and (b); 
Board: 12 CFR 225.63(a)(7) and (b); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(a)(7) and 
(b).
    \19\ See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(b); Board: 12 CFR 225.63(b); FDIC: 12 
CFR 323.3(b).
    \20\ 75 FR 77450 (Dec. 10, 2010). See also Interagency Advisory 
on the Use of Evaluations in Real Estate-Related Financial 
Transactions, OCC Bulletin 2016-8 (March 4, 2016); Board SR Letter 
16-5 (March 4, 2016); Supervisory Expectations for Evaluations, FDIC 
FIL-16-2016 (March 4, 2016).
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B. The EGRPRA Process

    In early 2017, the agencies completed a review of their regulations 
pursuant to EGRPRA, which requires that, not less than once every 10 
years, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), 
Board, OCC, and FDIC conduct a review of their regulations to identify 
outdated or otherwise unnecessary regulatory requirements imposed on 
insured depository institutions (IDIs).\21\
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    \21\ Public Law 104-208, Div. A, Title II, sec. 2222, 110 Stat. 
3009-414, (1996) (codified at 12 U.S.C. 3311). The FFIEC is an 
interagency body comprised of the Board, OCC, FDIC, NCUA, Bureau of 
Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) and State Liaison Committee. Of 
these, only the Board, OCC and FDIC are statutorily required to 
undertake the EGRPRA review. The FFIEC does not issue regulations 
that impose burden on financial institutions and therefore its 
regulations were not included in the EGRPRA review. The NCUA is not 
required to participate in the EGRPRA review, but elected to review 
its regulations pursuant to the goals of EGRPRA, as it did during 
the agencies' first EGRPRA review 10 years ago. Accordingly, the 
NCUA participated in the recent EGRPRA review process with the 
Board, OCC and FDIC. The results of the NCUA's review are included 
in Part II of the EGRPRA Report, described below. The CFPB is 
required to review its significant rules and publish a report of its 
review no later than five years after the rules takes effect. See 12 
U.S.C. 5512(d).
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    As part of the EGRPRA review, the agencies received numerous 
comments from bankers, banking trade associations, associations of 
appraisers, and other commenters related to the Title XI appraisal 
regulations. These comments included recommendations to increase the 
thresholds at or below which real estate-related financial transactions 
are exempt from the Title XI appraisal requirements. Some commenters 
noted that the current thresholds have not been adjusted since they 
were established in 1994, even though property values have increased, 
and that the time and cost associated with the appraisal process impose 
an unnecessary burden in the completion of smaller-dollar amount real 
estate-related transactions. Some commenters also argued that the time 
and financial costs attributed to meeting the appraisal requirements at 
the current threshold levels particularly affect banks in rural 
markets. These commenters contended that it is often difficult to find 
state certified and licensed appraisers to complete assignments for 
properties in rural areas.\22\
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    \22\ Earlier this year, the agencies and the NCUA issued an 
advisory on appraiser availability that points to alternatives that 
may help in areas facing a shortage of appraisers. Interagency 
Advisory on the Availability of Appraisers. See OCC Bulletin 2017-19 
(May 31, 2017); Board SR Letter 17-4 (May 31, 2017); FDIC FIL-19-
2017 (May 31, 2017).
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    In March 2017, the agencies submitted a joint EGRPRA report to 
Congress (EGRPRA Report) that identified potential initiatives to 
reduce regulatory burden.\23\ In the EGRPRA Report, the agencies 
addressed comments received concerning the appraisal thresholds and 
stated that the agencies would propose an increase to the threshold for 
commercial real estate transactions from $250,000 to $400,000.\24\ 
Section II of this SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION invites comments on this 
proposed increase. The agencies also stated their intention to gather 
more information about the appropriateness of increasing the $1 million 
threshold for qualifying business loans, which is being done through a 
request for comment in Section III of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
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    \23\ FFIEC, Joint Report to Congress: Economic Growth and 
Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act, (March 2017), (EGRPRA Report), 
available at https://www.ffiec.gov/pdf/2017_FFIEC_EGRPRA_Joint-Report_to_Congress.pdf.
    \24\ The $250,000 threshold in the current Title XI appraisal 
regulations applies, by its terms, to all real estate-related 
financial transactions, whether or not the borrower is a consumer.
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    In the EGRPRA Report, the agencies also addressed whether it would 
be appropriate to increase the current $250,000 threshold for 
transactions secured by residential real estate. The agencies 
determined that it would not be appropriate to increase the threshold 
for this category of transactions at this time based on three 
considerations. First, the agencies observed that any increase in the 
threshold for residential transactions would have a limited impact on 
burden, as appraisals would still be required for the vast majority of 
these transactions pursuant to rules of other federal government 
agencies and the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs).\25\ As 
reflected in the 2015 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data,\26\ at 
least 90 percent of residential mortgage loan originations had loan 
amounts at or below the threshold, were eligible for sale to GSEs, or 
were insured by the Federal Housing Administration or the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs. Those transactions are not subject to 
the Title XI appraisal regulations, but the majority of those 
transactions are subject to the appraisal requirements of other 
government agencies or the GSEs. Therefore, raising the appraisal 
threshold for residential transactions in the Title XI appraisal 
regulations would have limited impact on burden.
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    \25\ Other Federal Government agencies involved in the 
residential mortgage market include the U.S. Department of Housing 
and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Veterans 
Affairs, and the Rural Housing Service of the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture. These agencies, along with the GSEs (which are 
regulated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)), have the 
authority to set separate appraisal requirements for loans they 
originate, acquire, or guarantee, and generally require an appraisal 
by a certified or licensed appraiser for residential mortgages 
regardless of the loan amount.
    \26\ See FFIEC, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, www.ffiec.gov/hmda/.
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    Second, appraisals can provide protection to consumers by helping 
to assure the residential purchaser that the value of the property 
supports the purchase price and the mortgage amount.\27\ The consumer 
protection role of appraisals is reflected in amendments made to Title 
XI and the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) \28\ through the Dodd-Frank Act 
governing the scope of transactions requiring the services of a 
certified or licensed appraiser. These include the addition of the CFPB 
to the group of agencies assigned a role in the appraisal threshold-
setting process for Title XI,\29\ and a new TILA provision requiring 
appraisals for loans involving ``higher-risk mortgages.'' \30\
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    \27\ The agencies posited in the 1994 amendments to the Title XI 
appraisal regulations that the timing of the appraisal may provide 
limited consumer protection. Changes to consumer protection 
regulations since 1994 now ensure that a consumer receives a copy of 
appraisals and other valuations used by a creditor to make a credit 
decision at least three business days before consummation of the 
transaction (for closed-end credit) or account opening (for open-end 
credit). See 12 CFR 1002.14 (for business or consumer credit secured 
by a first lien on a dwelling).
    \28\ 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.
    \29\ Dodd-Frank Act, Public Law 111-203, Title XIV, sec. 
1473(a), 124 Stat. 2190 (2010), (codified at 12 U.S.C. 3341(b)), as 
discussed earlier in this SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    \30\ ``Higher-risk mortgages'' are certain mortgages with an 
annual percentage rate that exceeds the average prime offer rate by 
a specified percentage. See Dodd-Frank Act, Public Law 111-203, 
Title XIV, sec. 1471, 124 Stat. 2185 (2010), which added section 
129H to TILA, (codified at 15 U.S.C. 1639h). See also Appraisals for 
Higher-Priced Mortgage Loans, 78 FR 78520 (December 26, 2013) 
(interagency rule implementing appraisal requirements for higher-
priced mortgage loans).

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[[Page 35482]]

    During the EGRPRA process, the staff of the agencies conferred with 
the CFPB regarding comments the agencies received supporting an 
increase in the threshold for 1-to-4 family residential transactions. 
CFPB staff shared the view that appraisals can provide consumer 
protection benefits and their concern about potential risks to 
consumers resulting from an expansion of the number of residential 
mortgage transactions that would be exempt from the Title XI appraisal 
requirement.
    Third, the agencies considered safety and soundness concerns that 
could result from a threshold increase for residential transactions. As 
the EGRPRA Report noted, the 2008 financial crisis showed that, like 
other asset classes, imprudent residential mortgage lending can pose 
significant risks to financial institutions.
    For these reasons, the agencies concluded in the EGRPRA Report that 
a change to the current $250,000 threshold for residential mortgage 
loans would not be appropriate at the present time. The agencies are 
interested in comment on whether there are other factors that should be 
considered in evaluating the current threshold for 1-to-4 family 
residential transactions and whether the threshold can and should be 
raised, consistent with consumer protection, safety and soundness, and 
reduction of unnecessary regulatory burden. The agencies will also 
continue to consider possibilities for relieving burden related to 
appraisals for residential mortgage loans, such as coordination of the 
agencies' Title XI appraisal regulations with the practices of HUD, the 
GSEs, and other federal participants in the residential real estate 
market.

II. Revisions to the Title XI Appraisal Regulations

A. Threshold Increase for Commercial Real Estate Transactions

Overview of Proposal
    The agencies propose to amend the Title XI appraisal regulations to 
increase the monetary threshold for commercial real estate transactions 
at or below which a Title XI appraisal would not be required.\31\ The 
proposal would establish a separate threshold for commercial real 
estate transactions of $400,000, which represents an increase from the 
current threshold of $250,000 for all real estate-related financial 
transactions.
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    \31\ The agencies have coordinated with the NCUA in developing 
this proposal. The agencies understand that the NCUA is evaluating 
options to develop a separate proposal to provide comparable relief 
for federally insured credit unions.
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    In considering whether to propose an increased threshold for 
commercial real estate transactions, the agencies considered the 
comments received through the EGRPRA process, and took into account 
whether changes to the threshold would be appropriate to reduce 
regulatory burden consistent with the federal financial and public 
policy interests in real estate-related financial transactions and the 
safety and soundness of regulated institutions.
    As stated, the threshold for exempt transactions was last modified 
in 1994. Given increases in commercial property values since that time, 
the current threshold requires institutions to obtain Title XI 
appraisals on a larger proportion of commercial real estate 
transactions than in 1994. This increase in the number of appraisals 
required may contribute to the increased burden in time and cost 
described by the EGRPRA commenters.
    Based on supervisory experience and available data, the agencies 
propose to increase the threshold for commercial real estate 
transactions, as defined below, to $400,000. This proposal would reduce 
burden for both rural and non-rural institutions and, as discussed 
below, would not pose a threat to the safety and soundness of financial 
institutions. The agencies are consulting with the CFPB regarding this 
proposal and will continue this consultation in developing a final 
rule.
    The agencies propose to make the proposal, if adopted, effective on 
publication of the final rule in the Federal Register.\32\
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    \32\ The Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement 
Act of 1994, Public Law 103-325, 108 Stat. 2163 (Riegle Act) 
provides that rules imposing additional reporting, disclosures, or 
other new requirements on IDIs generally must take effect on the 
first day of a calendar quarter that begins on or after the date on 
which the regulations are published in final form. 12 U.S.C. 
4802(b). As discussed further in the Section IV of the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION, the proposed rule does not impose any new requirements 
on IDIs, and, as such, the effective date requirement of the Riegle 
Act is inapplicable. Additionally, the 30-day delayed effective date 
required under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) is waived 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1), which provides a waiver when a 
substantive rule grants or recognizes an exception or relieves a 
restriction. The proposed rule would exempt certain transactions 
from the Title XI appraisal requirements. Consequently, the proposed 
rule meets the requirements for waiver set forth in the APA.
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    Question 1. The agencies invite comment on the proposed effective 
date, including whether this time period is appropriate and, if not, 
why.
Definition of Commercial Real Estate Transaction
    The proposed $400,000 threshold would apply only to transactions 
defined as ``commercial real estate transactions.'' Under the proposed 
definition, a commercial real estate transaction would include any 
``real estate-related financial transaction,'' as defined in the Title 
XI appraisal regulations, excluding any loans secured by a 1-to-4 
family residential property,\33\ but including loans that finance the 
construction of buildings with 1-to-4 dwelling units and that do not 
include permanent financing.\34\ Accordingly, the definition would 
include a loan extended to a consumer to finance the initial 
construction \35\ of the consumer's dwelling, but exclude loans that 
provide both initial construction funding and permanent financing.\36\
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    \33\ A 1-to-4 family residential property is a property 
containing one, two, three, or four individual dwelling units, 
including manufactured homes permanently affixed to the underlying 
land (when deemed to be real property under state law). See OCC: 12 
CFR part 34, subpart D, appendix A; Board: 12 CFR part 208, appendix 
C; FDIC: 12 CFR part 365, subpart A, appendix A.
    \34\ The second part of the definition is intended to clarify, 
not be an exception to, the first part.
    \35\ ``Initial construction'' refers to construction of a new 
dwelling, as opposed to improvements on an existing dwelling. This 
is intended to be consistent with the meaning of this phrase in 
provisions of TILA and its implementing regulation, Regulation Z. 
See, e.g., 15 U.S.C. 1602(x); 12 CFR 1026.2(a)(24).
    \36\ The agencies propose to exclude consumer ``construction-to-
permanent'' loans because these loans are, in effect, for the 
purchase of 1-to-4 family residential property, which would 
otherwise be subject to the $250,000 threshold. This carve-out for 
construction-to-permanent financing would avoid the anomaly of 
requiring appraisals for permanent financing of 1-to-4 family 
residential properties above $250,000 while allowing an evaluation 
for permanent financing (at or below $400,000) that is preceded by a 
construction phrase.
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    The proposed definition would largely capture the following four 
categories of loans secured by real estate in the Consolidated Reports 
of Condition and Income (Call Report) \37\ (FFIEC 031; RCFD 1410), 
namely loans that are: (1) For construction, land development, and 
other land loans; (2) secured by farmland; (3) secured by residential 
properties with five or more units; or (4) secured by nonfarm 
nonresidential properties. However, loans that provide both initial 
construction funding and permanent financing and are reported as 
construction, land development, and other land loans during the 
construction phase would be excluded from the definition.
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    \37\ See https://www.ffiec.gov/pdf/FFIEC_forms/FFIEC031_201703_f.pdf.
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    The definition generally aligns with the categories of transactions 
to which

[[Page 35483]]

agency guidance on commercial real estate lending applies.\38\ The 
agencies are treating construction-only loans to consumers as 
commercial real estate transactions to maintain consistency with other 
regulations and guidance that address construction loans to consumers 
in other contexts.
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    \38\ Real Estate Lending: Interagency Statement on Prudent Risk 
Management for Commercial Real Estate Lending, OCC Bulletin 2015-51 
(December 18, 2015); Statement on Prudent Risk Management for 
Commercial Real Estate Lending, Board SR Letter 15-17 (December 18, 
2015); Statement on Prudent Risk Management for CRE Lending, FDIC 
FIL-62-2015 (December 18, 2015); Guidance on Prudent Loan Workouts, 
OCC Bulletin 2009-32 (October 30, 2009); Policy Statement on Prudent 
Commercial Real Estate Loan Workouts, Board SR Letter 09-07 (October 
30, 2009); Policy Statement on Prudent Commercial Real Estate Loan 
Workouts, FDIC FIL-61-2009 (October 30, 2009); Concentrations in 
Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices, 71 
FR 74580 (December 12, 2006).
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    Supervisory experience indicates that financial institutions 
generally administer construction loans to consumers in a way similar 
to construction loans to businesses. Therefore, subjecting most 
construction loans to the same threshold would minimize regulatory 
burden. This treatment would also be consistent with other mortgage-
related rules, which exempt consumer construction loans from various 
consumer protection requirements.\39\ The agencies believe that 
promoting consistency in definitions and structure across different 
regulations can reduce confusion and regulatory burden for financial 
institutions.
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    \39\ 78 FR 10368 (February 13, 2013) (exempting transactions to 
finance the initial construction of a dwelling from the higher-
priced mortgage appraisal rule); 78 FR 4725 (January 22, 2013) 
(exempting transactions to finance the initial construction of a 
dwelling from the higher-priced mortgage escrow requirements); 78 FR 
6408 (January 30, 2013) (exempting transactions to finance the 
initial construction of a dwelling from the ability-to-repay 
requirements); 78 FR 6856 (January 31, 2013) (exempting transactions 
to finance the initial construction of a dwelling from the high-cost 
mortgage loan term restrictions and disclosure requirements in the 
Home Ownership and Equity Protections Act); 76 FR 79772 (December 
22, 2011) (exempting loans with maturity of 12 months or less for 
the construction primary dwelling from the balloon payment 
limitations).
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    Moreover, including all 1-to-4 family residential construction-only 
loans in the proposed definition of commercial real estate transactions 
is consistent with the agencies' longstanding practice under the Title 
XI appraisal regulations of treating construction loans for 1-to-4 
family residential properties as ``nonresidential'' for purposes of the 
requirement that certified appraisers be used for ``nonresidential'' 
federally related transactions.\40\
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    \40\ See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(d); Board: 12 CFR 225.63(d)(2); FDIC: 
12 CFR 323.3(d)(2). The agencies have long subjected such loans to 
this requirement, as opposed to permitting licensed appraisers, 
which is the case for typical 1-to-4 family residential properties.
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    As discussed further below, financial institutions report 
information about consumer construction loans aggregated with other 
construction loans through the Call Report.\41\ Thus, much of the 
supervisory information that the agencies receive, including the basis 
for the analysis presented below, aggregates consumer construction 
loans with other construction loans secured by 1-to-4 residential 
properties.
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    \41\ See series RCFD F158 and F159.
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    Question 2. The agencies invite comment on the proposed definition 
of commercial real estate transaction.
    Question 3. The proposed definition of commercial real estate 
transaction would include loans to consumers for the initial 
construction of their dwelling or transactions financing the 
construction of any building with 1-to-4 dwelling units, so long as the 
loan does not include permanent financing, with the effect of 
permitting these loans to qualify for the higher $400,000 threshold. 
The agencies invite comment on the consumer, regulatory burden, and 
other implications of the proposal. What would be the implications of 
not including these loans in the definition, which would leave the 
current $250,000 threshold in place?
    Question 4. The agencies invite comment on the consumer, regulatory 
burden, and other implications of the proposed exclusion of 
construction-to-permanent loans from the definition of commercial real 
estate transaction, meaning that the current $250,000 threshold would 
apply. What would be the implications of including construction-to-
permanent loans in the definition of commercial real estate 
transaction, thus allowing these loans to qualify for the higher 
$400,000 threshold?
Threshold Increase
    The agencies propose to increase the threshold in the Title XI 
appraisal regulations for commercial real estate transactions from 
$250,000 to $400,000. In determining the level of increase, the 
agencies considered the change in prices for commercial real estate 
measured by the Federal Reserve Commercial Real Estate Price Index 
(``CRE Index''). The CRE Index \42\ is a direct measure of the changes 
in commercial real estate prices in the United States.\43\ The CRE 
Index is comprised of data from the CoStar Commercial Repeat Sale 
Index,\44\ which uses repeat sale regression analysis of 1.7 million 
commercial property sales records to compare the change in price for 
the same property between its most recent and previous sale 
transactions.\45\ The data incorporated into this index covers 
properties across the country and across all price ranges,\46\ from 
before 1994 through the present.
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    \42\ The Board publishes data on the flow of funds and levels of 
financial assets and liabilities, by sector and financial 
instrument; full balance sheets, including net worth, for households 
and nonprofit organizations, nonfinancial corporate businesses, and 
nonfinancial noncorporate businesses; Integrated Macroeconomic 
Accounts; and additional supplemental detail. See, Board of 
Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Financial Accounts of the 
United States, https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/default.htm.
    \43\ The CRE Index is quarterly and not seasonally adjusted. See 
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Series analyzer 
for FL075035503.Q, https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/fof/SeriesAnalyzer.aspx?s=FL075035503&t=&bc=:FI075035503,FL075035503&suf=Q; Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Series 
Structure, https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/fof/SeriesStructure.aspx.
    \44\ Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Series 
analyzer for FL075035503.Q, https://www.federalreserve.gov/apps/fof/SeriesAnalyzer.aspx?s=FL075035503&t=&bc=:FI075035503,FL075035503&suf=Q. Data for years prior to 1996 are comprised of a weighted average 
of three appraisal-based commercial property series from National 
Real Estate Investor. Id.
    \45\ CoStar, Federal Reserve's Flow of Funds to Incorporate 
CoStar Group's Price Indices, CoStar (June 4, 2012), http://www.costar.com/News/Article/Federal-Reserves-Flow-of-Funds-To-Incorporate-CoStar-Groups-Price-Indices/138998.
    \46\ See id.
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    Based on a review of the CRE Index, prices for commercial real 
estate have increased since 1994, resulting in an increased proportion 
of commercial real estate transactions exceeding the threshold level 
today compared to 1994. Based on the change in the CRE Index, a 
commercial property that sold for $250,000 as of June 30, 1994 would be 
expected to sell for approximately $830,000 as of December 2016. 
However, as shown below in Table 1, the price of commercial real estate 
can be particularly volatile. For example, the CRE Index indicates a 
commercial property that sold for $250,000 in 1994 would be expected to 
sell for approximately $412,000 in December 2003, $711,000 in December 
2007, and $423,000 in March 2010, when commercial real estate prices 
were at their lowest point in the most recent downturn.
    In proposing to raise the commercial real estate threshold to 
$400,000 the agencies are approximating prices at the low point of the 
most recent cycle, which occurred in 2010. This more conservative 
approach is appropriate because it takes into consideration the

[[Page 35484]]

volatility in actual prices of commercial real estate over time.
    This figure is also consistent with general measures of inflation 
across the economy since 1994, when the current threshold of $250,000 
was set. The agencies considered general inflation indices, including 
the Consumer Price Index (CPI) \47\ and the Personal Consumption 
Expenditures Price Index (PCE).\48\ Certain price changes tracked by 
these general indices indirectly affect commercial real estate values. 
For example, the change in rents for multifamily housing affects the 
value of underlying properties, and the change in prices of consumer 
products affects the value of retail and warehouse space. While these 
indices are not directly based on changes in commercial real estate 
prices, general inflation is a component of the change in commercial 
real estate values.
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    \47\ The CPI, which is published by the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS), is a measure of the average change over time in 
the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of goods and 
services. This series is published monthly and is not seasonally 
adjusted. See U.S. Dept. of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, 
https://www.bls.gov/cpi/.
    \48\ The PCE, which is published by the Bureau of Economic 
Analysis within the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the broadest 
measure of the average change over time of the price of consumer 
goods and services. This series is published monthly and is 
seasonally adjusted. See U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of 
Economic Analysis, Consumer Spending, https://www.bea.gov/national/consumer_spending.htm; Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, PCE 
Inflation Dispersion, http://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/indicators-data/pce-personal-consumption-expenditure-price-index-pcepi/.
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    As indicated in the table below, when adjusting a $250,000 basket 
of goods under the CPI and PCE from 1994 dollars to 2017 dollars and 
using a lowest point in the cycle adjustment for the prices for 
commercial real estate under the CRE Index, each of the indices 
considered approximately tracks the $400,000 proposed threshold.

 Table 1--Inflation Adjustments of $250,000 at June 30, 1994, for the CRE Index; July 1994 for the CPI Index and
                                         July 1, 1994, for the PCE Index
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Adjusted
              Index source:                      Index series:             Dated adjusted to          amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CRE Index...............................  Flow of Funds.............  December 2016.............        $830,674
                                                                      March 2010................         423,659
                                                                      December 2007.............         711,367
                                                                      December 2003.............         412,194
CPI.....................................  All items, US.............  March 2017................         401,166
PCE.....................................  All products..............  March 2017................         373,706
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Question 5. The agencies invite comment on the proposed level of 
$400,000 for the threshold at or below which regulated institutions 
would not be required to obtain appraisals for commercial real estate 
transactions.
    Question 6. How would having three threshold levels ($250,000 for 
all transactions, $400,000 for commercial real estate transactions, and 
$1 million for qualifying business loans) rather than two threshold 
levels applicable to Title XI appraisals within the appraisal 
regulations affect burden to applicable institutions?
Safety and Soundness Considerations for Increasing the Threshold for 
Commercial Real Estate Transactions
    Under Title XI, the agencies may set a threshold at or below which 
an appraisal performed by a state certified or licensed appraiser is 
not required if they determine in writing that such a threshold level 
does not pose a threat to the safety and soundness of financial 
institutions.\49\ Analysis of supervisory experience and available data 
indicates that the proposed threshold level of $400,000 for commercial 
real estate transactions would not pose a threat to the safety and 
soundness of financial institutions.
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    \49\ 12 U.S.C. 3341(b).
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    Many variables, including changing market conditions and various 
loan underwriting practices, may affect an institution's loss 
experience. The $250,000 threshold has been applicable to commercial 
real estate transactions since 1994. Analysis of supervisory 
information concerning losses on commercial real estate transactions 
suggests that faulty valuations of the underlying real estate 
collateral have not been a material cause of losses in connection with 
transactions at or below $250,000. In the last three decades, the 
banking industry suffered two crises in which poorly underwritten and 
administered commercial real estate loans were a key feature in 
elevated levels of loan losses and bank failures.\50\ Supervisory 
experience and a review of material loss reviews \51\ covering those 
decades suggest that larger acquisition, construction, and development 
\52\ transactions were more likely to be troublesome due to the lack of 
appropriate underwriting and administration of issues unique to larger 
properties, such as longer construction periods, extended ``lease up'' 
periods (the time required to lease a building after construction), and 
the more complex nature of the construction of such properties. The 
agencies have no evidence that increasing the appraisal threshold to 
$400,000 for commercial real estate transactions would materially 
increase the risk of loss on such transactions.
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    \50\ See, e.g., FDIC, History of the Eighties--Lessons for the 
Future, Chapter 3: Commercial Real Estate and the Banking Crises of 
the 1980s and Early 1990s, available at https://www.fdic.gov/bank/historical/history/137_165.pdf; FDIC, Office of the Inspector 
General, EVAL-13-002, Comprehensive Study on the Impact of the 
Failure of Insured Depository Institutions 50, Table 6 (January 
2013), available at https://www.fdicig.gov/reports13/13-002EV.pdf.
    \51\ Section 38(k) of the FDI Act, as amended, provides that if 
the Deposit Insurance Fund incurs a ``material loss'' with respect 
to an IDI, the Inspector General of the appropriate regulator (which 
for the OCC is the Inspector General of the Department of the 
Treasury) shall prepare a report to that agency, identifying the 
cause of failure and reviewing the agency's supervision of the 
institution. 12 U.S.C. 1831o(k).
    \52\ Acquisition, development and construction refers to 
transactions that finance construction projects including land, site 
development, and vertical construction. This type of financing is 
typically recorded in the land or construction categories of the 
Call Report.
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Coverage of the Threshold
    The agencies' analysis of available data \53\ related to commercial 
real estate lending at financial institutions suggests that an increase 
in the threshold would not pose a safety and soundness risk to 
financial institutions.
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    \53\ The agencies have examined data from a number of different 
sources to evaluate the impact of the proposed change in the 
appraisal threshold on the safety and soundness of financial 
institutions, as no single data source is sufficient alone to fully 
analyze the impact.
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    In order to consider the potential impact of the proposed threshold

[[Page 35485]]

change on safety and soundness, the agencies considered how the 
coverage of transactions exempted by the threshold would change, both 
in terms of number of transactions and aggregate value. The agencies 
considered three different metrics to estimate the overall coverage of 
the existing threshold and the proposed threshold: The number of 
commercial real estate transactions at or under the threshold as a 
share of the number of all commercial real estate transactions; the 
dollar volume of commercial real estate transactions at or under the 
threshold as a share of the total dollar volume of all commercial real 
estate transactions; and the dollar volume of commercial real estate 
transactions at or under the threshold relative to IDIs' capital and 
the allowance for loan and lease losses, which act as a buffer to 
absorb losses, as explained below. The agencies examined data reported 
on the Call Report \54\ and data from the CoStar Comps database to 
estimate the volume of commercial real estate transactions covered by 
the existing threshold and increased thresholds.
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    \54\ The agencies used data reported on Schedule RC-C and RC-C 
Part II of the Call Report. Schedule RC-C includes the dollar volume 
of all loans secured by real estate, reported in the five 
categories: (1) For construction, land development, and other land 
loans (RCFD F158 and F159); (2) secured by farmland (RCFD 1420); (3) 
secured by residential properties with five or more units (RCFD 
1460); or (4) secured by nonfarm nonresidential properties (RCFD 
F160 and F161); and (5) secured by residential properties with fewer 
than five dwelling units (RCFD 1797, 5367, and 5368). As discussed 
earlier in this SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, the fifth category would 
not be included in the definition of commercial real estate 
transaction. Schedule RC-C Part II, Loans to Small Businesses and 
Farms, includes the number and amount currently outstanding in each 
case reported in groupings by loan amount of loans secured by 
nonfarm, nonresidential real estate (NFNR), with original amounts of 
$1,000,000 or less and loans secured by farmland with original 
amounts of $500,000 or less. Institutions do not report information 
on the size of land and construction or multifamily loans. See 
FFIEC, Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income for a Bank with 
Domestic and Foreign Offices--FFIEC 031, https://www.ffiec.gov/pdf/FFIEC_forms/FFIEC031_201703_f.pdf.
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Analysis of Call Report Data
    The agencies' analysis of data reported on the Call Report suggests 
that the threshold for commercial real estate transactions could be 
raised without exceeding the risk that these transactions posed when 
the thresholds were established in 1994.
    All FDIC-insured depository institutions report information about 
loans on their balance sheets by category of loan,\55\ but because IDIs 
do not report on loans in all of the categories that would be included 
in the definition of commercial real estate transaction by loan size, 
the agencies used loans secured by NFNR as a proxy for commercial real 
estate transactions in this analysis.\56\ Data on NFNR loans are an 
effective proxy because the vast majority of commercial real estate 
transactions are in the NFNR category. NFNR loans should mirror trends 
across all categories of commercial real estate transactions.
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    \55\ See FDIC, Bank Financial Reports, Consolidated Reports of 
Condition and Income, https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/call/index.html. (``Every national bank, state member bank, insured 
state nonmember bank, and savings association (`institution') is 
required to file a Call Report as of the close of business on the 
last day of each calendar quarter, i.e., the report date. The 
specific reporting requirements depend upon the size of the 
institution, the nature of its activities, and whether it has any 
foreign offices.'').
    \56\ Although farmland is reported by size of loan, such loans 
were also excluded from the analysis, because they comprise a very 
small percent of overall commercial real estate transactions and are 
unlikely to materially affect the analysis. Moreover, the majority 
of farmland loans are considered qualifying business loans and are 
eligible for the higher $1,000,000 threshold.
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    IDIs report information on NFNR loans in the Call Report by three 
separate size categories: (1) Loans with original amounts of $100,000 
or less; (2) loans with original amounts of more than $100,000, but 
$250,000 or less; and (3) loans with original amounts of more than 
$250,000, but $1,000,000 or less. They separately report the dollar 
amount of all NFNR loans, including those over $1,000,000. Using this 
data, the agencies calculated the dollar amount of NFNR loans at or 
under the current $250,000 threshold as a percentage of the dollar 
amount of all NFNR loans.
    According to Call Report data, when the threshold for real-estate 
related financial transactions was raised from $100,000 to $250,000 in 
1994, approximately 18 percent of the dollar volume of all NFNR loans 
reported by IDIs had original loan amounts of $250,000 or less. As of 
the fourth quarter of 2016, approximately 4 percent of the dollar 
volume of such loans had original loan amounts of $250,000 or less. 
This analysis suggests that a larger proportion of commercial real 
estate transactions now require appraisals than when the threshold was 
last raised.
    In contemplating an increase in the threshold for commercial real 
estate transactions, the agencies also used Call Report data to 
consider the transactions exempted from the appraisal threshold as a 
share of equity capital plus the allowance for loan and lease losses 
(the allowance), which is a measure of the potential concentration risk 
that these transactions could pose to the financial well-being of 
institutions as a whole. In 1994, NFNR loans with original loan amounts 
of $250,000 or less represented in the aggregate approximately 14 
percent of IDIs' equity capital plus the allowance. By the fourth 
quarter of 2016, such loans represented only about 3 percent of IDIs' 
equity capital plus the allowance.
    To determine whether concentration risk would be similar for small 
institutions, the agencies separately considered the percentage of NFNR 
transactions exempted from the appraisal threshold as a share of equity 
capital plus the allowance for IDIs with assets of less than $1 
billion. This analysis produced similar results. Approximately 30 
percent of the dollar volume of all NFNR loans in such smaller 
institutions had original loan amounts of $250,000 or less in 1994. By 
the fourth quarter of 2016, however, only about 11 percent of the 
dollar volume of such loans had original loan amounts of $250,000 or 
less. In 1994, the dollar volume of smaller IDIs' NFNR loans with 
original loan amounts of $250,000 or less represented approximately 33 
percent of equity capital plus the allowance. These loans represented 
only about 18 percent of IDIs' equity capital plus the allowance by the 
fourth quarter of 2016.
    Because IDIs report loans on the Call Report aggregated into only 
the three categories mentioned above (less than $100,000, $100,000 to 
$250,000, and $250,000 to $1,000,000), the agencies cannot use Call 
Report data to determine the precise percentage or number of 
transactions that would be exempted by the proposed $400,000 threshold 
or the precise impact of a $400,000 threshold on equity capital plus 
the allowance.
Analysis of CoStar Comps Data
    As described below, the agencies have used the CoStar Comps 
database to estimate this impact. The CoStar Comps database \57\ 
provides sales value data on specific commercial real estate 
transactions. While there are some limitations regarding use of the 
CoStar Comps database, as detailed below, the database contains 
information on sales values for individual transactions, so it can be 
used to estimate the number and

[[Page 35486]]

percentage of transactions that would become exempt under the proposed 
threshold change (i.e., those above $250,000, but less than 
$400,000).\58\
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    \57\ The CoStar Comps database is comprised of sales data 
involving commercial real estate properties. The agencies have 
limited their analysis to arms-length completed sales, where the 
price is provided. The agencies have also limited the sample to 
properties that were financed. Owner-occupied properties and sales 
of coops and condominiums were excluded. The sample was also limited 
to existing buildings. Land includes only raw land defined as land 
held for development or held for investment.
    \58\ This same analysis could not be performed using Call Report 
data because, as described above, transactions reported for purposes 
of the Call Report are either reported in groupings of large value 
ranges or not reported by size at all.
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    The CoStar Comps database contains data for transactions involving 
nonresidential commercial mortgages, multifamily and land. The CoStar 
Comps database is derived from sales data and reflects the total 
transaction amount, as opposed to the loan amount. For purposes of this 
analysis, the agencies included only financed transactions and assumed 
a loan-to-value ratio of 85 percent for nonresidential and multifamily 
commercial mortgages and a loan-to-value ratio of 65 percent for raw 
land transactions \59\ to arrive at an estimated loan amount which 
would be equivalent to the ``transaction value'' under the Title XI 
appraisal regulations. While the CoStar Comps database has some 
limitations for the purposes of evaluating the proposed increase,\60\ 
it provides information that can be used to estimate the dollar volume 
and number of commercial real estate transactions that would 
potentially be exempted by the proposed threshold increase.
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    \59\ The Interagency Guidelines for Real Estate Lending provides 
that institutions' loan-to-value limits should not exceed 85 percent 
for loans secured by improved property and 65 percent for loans 
secured by raw land. See OCC: 12 CFR part 34, subpart D, appendix A; 
Board: 12 CFR part 208, appendix C; FDIC: 12 CFR part 365, subpart 
A, appendix A.
    \60\ For example, the database tends to underrepresent sales of 
smaller properties and transactions in rural markets, and includes 
transactions that are not financed by depository institutions.
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    An analysis of the CoStar Comps database suggests that increasing 
the threshold to $400,000 would significantly increase the number of 
commercial real estate transactions exempted from the Title XI 
appraisal requirements, but the portion of the total dollar size of 
commercial real estate transactions that would remain exempted by the 
threshold would be minimal. The percentage of commercial properties 
with loans in the CoStar Comps database that would be exempted from the 
Title XI appraisal regulations by the threshold would increase from 17 
percent to 28 percent if the threshold were raised from $250,000 to 
$400,000. However, the total dollar volume of loans for commercial 
properties in the CoStar Comps database would only increase from 0.7 
percent to 1.5 percent.
    Exempting an additional 11 percent of commercial real estate 
transactions would provide burden relief as sought by some of the 
EGRPRA commenters. The 0.8 percentage point increase in the dollar 
volume of commercial real estate transactions that the CoStar data 
suggests would be exempted from the appraisal requirements under the 
proposed threshold is unlikely to expose financial institutions to 
increased safety and soundness risk.
Analysis of Charge-Off Rates
    In addition to assessing changes in the magnitude of transactions 
covered by the appraisal threshold, the agencies assessed trends in the 
loss rate experience of commercial real estate transactions.
    While the agencies do not regularly collect data on rates of loss 
for commercial real estate by the size of loans, they do collect net 
charge-off \61\ data for commercial real estate loans on the Call 
Report. The agencies considered aggregate net charge-off rates for 
commercial real estate loans in determining whether the threshold would 
pose a threat to the safety and soundness of financial 
institutions.\62\
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    \61\ Net charge-offs are charge-offs minus recoveries.
    \62\ Net charge-offs represent losses to financial institutions, 
which, in the aggregate, can pose a threat to safety and soundness.
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    In order to evaluate the impact of commercial real estate lending 
on the safety and soundness of the banking system generally, the 
agencies compared peak net charge-off rates for two periods: 1991 to 
1994 and 2007 to 2012. These periods represent two distress cycles when 
aggregate net charge-offs rose to their highest levels. The agencies 
separately examined charge-off rates on lending for all commercial real 
estate categories covering construction, multifamily, nonfarm, 
nonresidential, and farmland. In order to evaluate whether commercial 
real estate lending may have a disparate impact on the safety and 
soundness of IDIs of varying sizes, the agencies examined peak charge-
off rates on loans for all IDIs, IDIs under one billion dollars in 
total assets, IDIs with total assets between one billion dollars and 
ten billion dollars, and IDIs with total assets of more than ten 
billion dollars.
    The analysis showed that aggregate peak net charge-off rates for 
the most recent cycle were generally no worse than those recorded for 
the prior cycle, with the exception of construction loans. Moreover, 
aggregate commercial real estate loan loss rates for banks less than $1 
billion (which would reasonably be expected to have a larger proportion 
of small loans, given their lower legal lending limits due to their 
smaller size) were lower than for larger banks as a group.
    This data suggests that the loss experience associated with 
commercial real estate loans for the banking system as a whole has 
stayed at a relatively consistent rate through multiple credit cycles. 
Thus, banking system safety and soundness concerns associated with the 
commercial real estate loan loss rates have not increased. However, 
commercial real estate loan charge-off rates during periods of economic 
stress have and will continue to vary across individual IDIs based on 
location, collateral, quality of underwriting and risk management, and 
other factors. Thus commercial real estate loan concentration risk at 
individual institutions remains a focus for the banking agencies.
    Question 7. The agencies invite comment on the safety and soundness 
impact of the proposed $400,000 threshold for commercial real estate 
transactions.
    Question 8. The agencies invite comment on the data used in this 
analysis, and what alternative sources of data would be appropriate for 
this analysis.

B. Use of Evaluations

    The Title XI appraisal regulations require regulated institutions 
to obtain evaluations for three categories of real estate-related 
financial transactions that the agencies have determined do not require 
a Title XI appraisal, including real-estate related financial 
transactions at or below the $250,000 threshold and qualifying business 
loans at or below the $1,000,000 threshold. Similarly, the agencies 
propose to require that institutions entering into commercial real 
estate transactions at or below the proposed $400,000 threshold obtain 
evaluations that are consistent with safe and sound banking practices 
for such transactions.\63\
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    \63\ When a below-threshold transaction also qualifies for an 
exemption from the appraisal requirements for a reason other than 
being below one of the thresholds or a qualifying existing extension 
of credit, no evaluation is required.
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    An evaluation provides a general estimate of the value of real 
estate, but is not subject to the same requirements as a Title XI 
appraisal. An evaluation should provide appropriate information to 
enable the institution to make a prudent decision regarding the 
transaction. Through the Guidelines, the agencies have provided 
guidance to regulated institutions on their expectations regarding when 
and how evaluations should be used. The

[[Page 35487]]

Guidelines describe the transactions for which financial institutions 
are required to obtain an evaluation, and recommend that institutions 
develop policies and procedures for identifying when to obtain 
appraisals for such transactions.
    Institutions should conduct evaluations consistent with the 
provisions in the Guidelines.\64\ As described in the Guidelines, 
evaluations should be performed by persons who are competent and have 
the relevant experience and knowledge of the market, location, and type 
of real property being valued.\65\ Evaluations may be completed by a 
bank employee or by a third party, as explained by the Interagency 
Advisory on Use of Evaluations in Real Estate-Related Financial 
Transactions.\66\ Guidance on achieving independence in the collateral 
valuation program can be found in the Guidelines, among other 
sources.\67\ The Guidelines state that an evaluation should provide an 
estimate of the property's market value or sufficient information and 
analysis to support the credit decision. The Guidelines also describe 
the minimum content that an evaluation should contain.
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    \64\ Guidelines at 75 FR 77461.
    \65\ Interagency Appraisal and Evaluations Guidelines, 75 FR 
77450, at 77458 (December 10, 2010).
    \66\ Interagency Advisory on Use of Evaluations in Real Estate-
Related Financial Transactions, OCC Bulletin 2016-8 (March 4, 2016); 
Board SR Letter 16-05 (March 4, 2016); Supervisory Expectations for 
Evaluations, FDIC FIL-16-2016 (March 4, 2016).
    \67\ Guidelines at 75 FR 77457-58. See also Valuation 
Independence rules in Regulation Z, which apply to all creditors and 
cover extensions of consumer credit that are or will be secured by a 
consumer's principal dwelling: Board: 12 CFR 226.42; CFPB: 12 CFR 
1026.42.
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    In evaluating this proposal, the agencies considered the impact to 
the financial system of the proposal, and specifically the impact to 
financial institutions and borrowers of obtaining evaluations instead 
of Title XI appraisals. Based on information from industry 
participants, the cost of third-party evaluations of commercial real 
estate generally ranges from $500 to over $1,500, whereas the cost of 
appraisals of such properties generally ranges from $1,000 to over 
$3,000. Commercial real estate transactions with transaction values 
above $250,000 but at or below $400,000 (affected transactions), are 
likely to involve smaller and less complex properties, and appraisals 
and evaluations on such properties would likely be at the lower end of 
the cost range. This third-party pricing information suggests a savings 
of several hundred dollars per affected transaction.
    The agencies also considered the costs in terms of time to obtain 
and process appraisals and evaluations. There may be less delay in 
finding appropriate personnel to perform an evaluation than to perform 
a Title XI appraisal, particularly in rural areas. As described in the 
Guidelines, financial institutions should review the property valuation 
prior to entering into the transaction. Financial institutions require 
less time to review evaluations than to review appraisals, because 
evaluations contain less detailed information. The agencies estimate 
that, on average, the review process for an appraisal would take 
approximately forty minutes and the review process for an evaluation 
would take approximately ten minutes. Thus, for affected transactions, 
the proposed rule would alleviate approximately thirty minutes of 
employee time per transaction, in addition to the reduced delay and the 
cost savings of obtaining an evaluation instead of an appraisal.
    In considering the aggregate effect of this proposal, the agencies 
considered the number of affected transactions. As previously 
discussed, the agencies estimate that the number of commercial real 
estate transactions that would be exempted by the threshold is expected 
to increase by approximately 11 percent under the proposed rule. Thus, 
while the precise number of affected transactions and the precise cost 
reduction per transaction cannot be determined, the proposed rule is 
expected to lead to significant cost savings for institutions that 
engage in commercial real estate lending.
    Question 9. The agencies invite comment on the proposed requirement 
that regulated institutions obtain evaluations for commercial real 
estate transactions at or below the $400,000 threshold.
    Question 10. What type of additional guidance, if any, do 
institutions need to support the increased use of evaluations?
    Question 11. To what extent does the use of evaluations reduce 
burden and cost over the use of appraisals? To what extent are 
evaluations currently done by in-house staff versus outsourced to 
appraisers or other qualified professionals?

C. State Certified Appraiser Required

    The current Title XI appraisal regulations, require that ``[a]ll 
federally related transactions having a transaction value of $250,000 
or more, other than those involving appraisals of 1-to-4 family 
residential properties, shall require an appraisal prepared by a State 
certified appraiser.'' \68\ In order to make this paragraph consistent 
with the other proposed changes to the appraisal regulations, the 
agencies are proposing a change to its wording to introduce the 
$400,000 threshold and use the term ``commercial real estate 
transaction.'' The amendment to this provision would be a technical 
change that would not alter any substantive requirement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \68\ OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(d); Board: 12 CFR 225.63(d)(2); FDIC: 12 
CFR 323.3(d)(2).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Appraisal Threshold for Qualifying Business Loans

    As noted above, in the 2017 EGRPRA Report to Congress, the agencies 
stated their intention to gather more information about the 
appropriateness of increasing the $1 million threshold for qualifying 
business loans. The agencies are not proposing an increase in the 
business loan threshold at this time, but the agencies invite comment 
on the following questions concerning the qualifying business loan 
exemption:
    Question 12. The agencies invite comment and supporting data on the 
appropriateness of raising the current $1,000,000 threshold for 
qualifying business loans and the associated implications for safety 
and soundness.
    Question 13. What unique risks do institutions associate with 
qualifying business loans?
    Question 14. What percentage of total real estate lending at 
financial institutions, by number of loans and dollar volume of 
lending, are qualifying business loans?
    Question 15. What is the average size of a qualifying business loan 
at financial institutions? What are the incidences of default on 
qualifying business loans compared to other commercial real estate 
transactions that institutions have observed over time?
    Question 16. The agencies invite comment on the clarity of the 
application of the current threshold for qualifying business loans, and 
on any difficulty that financial institutions have experienced in 
interpreting the limitation on source of repayment.

IV. Request for Comments

    The Agencies invite comment on all aspects of the proposed 
rulemaking.
    Question 17. As discussed earlier, the agencies have articulated 
several bases for declining to propose an increase in the residential 
threshold. The agencies request comment on whether there are other 
factors that should be considered in evaluating the current appraisal 
threshold for 1-to-4 family residential properties.

[[Page 35488]]

V. Regulatory Analysis

A. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    OCC: The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., 
generally requires that, in connection with a rulemaking, an agency 
prepare and make available for public comment a regulatory flexibility 
analysis that describes the impact of the rule on small entities. 
However, the regulatory flexibility analysis otherwise required under 
the RFA is not required if an agency certifies that the rule will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities (defined in regulations promulgated by the Small Business 
Administration (SBA) to include commercial banks and savings 
institutions, and trust companies, with assets of $550 million or less 
and $38.5 million or less, respectively) and publishes its 
certification and a brief explanatory statement in the Federal Register 
together with the rule.
    The OCC currently supervises approximately 956 small entities. Data 
currently available to the OCC are not sufficient to estimate how many 
OCC-supervised small entities make CRE loans in amounts that fall 
between the current and proposed thresholds. Therefore, we cannot 
estimate how many small entities may be affected by the increase 
threshold. However, because the proposal does not contain any new 
recordkeeping, reporting, or compliance requirements, the proposal will 
not impose costs on any OCC-supervised institutions. Accordingly, the 
OCC certifies that the proposed rule will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
    Board: The RFA,\69\ requires an agency either to provide an initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis with a proposed rule or certify that 
the proposed rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. The proposed threshold increase 
applies to certain IDIs and non-bank entities that make loans secured 
by commercial real estate.\70\ The SBA establishes size standards that 
define which entities are small businesses for purposes of the RFA.\71\ 
The size standard to be considered a small business is: $550 million or 
less in assets for banks and other depository institutions; and $38.5 
million or less in annual revenues for the majority of non-bank 
entities that are likely to be subject to the proposed regulation.\72\ 
Based on the Board's analysis, and for the reasons stated below, the 
proposed rule may have a significant positive economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. Accordingly, the Board is 
publishing an initial regulatory flexibility analysis. The Board will 
conduct a final regulatory flexibility analysis after consideration of 
comments received during the public comment period.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \69\ 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
    \70\ For its RFA analysis, the Board considered all Board-
regulated creditors to which the proposed rule would apply.
    \71\ U.S. SBA, Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to 
North American Industry Classification System Codes, available at 
https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_Standards_Table.pdf.
    \72\ Asset size and annual revenues are calculated according to 
SBA regulations. See 13 CFR 121 et seq.
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    The Board requests public comment on all aspects of this analysis.
1. Reasons for the Proposed Rule
    In response to comments received in the EGRPRA process, the 
agencies are proposing to increase the threshold from $250,000 to 
$400,000 at or below which a Title XI appraisal is not required for 
commercial real estate transactions. Because commercial real estate 
prices have increased since 1994, when the current $250,000 threshold 
was established, a smaller percentage of commercial real estate 
transactions are currently exempted from the Title XI appraisal 
requirements than when the threshold was established. This threshold 
adjustment is intended to reduce the regulatory burden associated with 
extending credit secured by commercial real estate in a manner that is 
consistent with the safety and soundness of financial institutions.
2. Statement of Objectives and Legal Basis
    As discussed above, the agencies' objective in proposing this 
threshold increase is to reduce the regulatory burden associated with 
extending credit in a safe and sound manner by reducing the number of 
commercial real estate transactions that are subject to the Title XI 
appraisal requirements.
    Title XI explicitly authorizes the agencies to establish a 
threshold level at or below which a Title XI appraisal is not required 
if the agencies determine in writing that the threshold does not 
represent a threat to the safety and soundness of financial 
institutions and receive concurrence from the CFPB that such threshold 
level provides reasonable protection for consumers who purchase 1-to-4 
unit single-family homes.\73\ Based on available data and supervisory 
experience, the agencies tailored the size and scope of the proposed 
threshold increase to ensure that it would not pose a threat to the 
safety and soundness of financial institutions or erode protections for 
consumers who purchase 1-to-4 unit single-family homes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \73\ 12 U.S.C. 3341(b).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Board's proposed rule would apply to state chartered banks that 
are members of the Federal Reserve System (state member banks), as well 
as bank holding companies and nonbank subsidiaries of bank holding 
companies that engage in lending. There are approximately 601 state 
member banks and 35 nonbank lenders regulated by the Board that meet 
the SBA definition of small entities and would be subject to the 
proposed rule. Data currently available to the Board do not allow for a 
precise estimate of the number of small entities that would be affected 
by the proposed rule because the number of small entities that will 
engage in commercial real estate transactions within the proposed 
threshold is unknown.
3. Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping and Other Compliance Requirements
    The proposed rule would reduce reporting, recordkeeping, and other 
compliance requirements for small entities. For transactions at or 
below the proposed threshold, regulated institutions would be given the 
option to obtain an evaluation of the property instead of an appraisal. 
Unlike appraisals, evaluations may be performed by a lender's own 
employees and are not required to comply with USPAP. As discussed in 
detail in Section II.B of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, the cost of 
obtaining appraisals and evaluations can vary widely depending on the 
size and complexity of the property, the party performing the 
valuation, and market conditions where the property is located. 
Additionally, the costs of obtaining appraisals and evaluations may be 
passed on to borrowers. Because of this variation in cost and practice, 
it is not possible to precisely determine the cost savings that 
regulated institutions will experience due to the decreased cost of 
obtaining an evaluation rather than an appraisal. However, based on 
information available to the Board, it is likely that small entities 
and borrowers engaging in commercial real estate transactions could 
experience significant cost reductions.
    In addition to costing less to obtain than appraisals, evaluations 
also require less time to review than appraisals because they contain 
less detailed information. As discussed further in Section II.B of the 
SUPPLEMENTARY

[[Page 35489]]

INFORMATION, an appraisal takes approximately forty minutes to review 
and an evaluation takes approximately ten minutes to review. Thus, the 
proposed rule would alleviate approximately thirty minutes of employee 
time per affected transaction for which the lender obtains an 
evaluation instead of an appraisal.
    As previously discussed, the Board estimates that the percentage of 
commercial real estate transactions that would be exempted by the 
threshold is expected to increase by approximately 11 percent under the 
proposed rule. The Board expects this percentage to be higher for small 
entities, because a higher percentage of their loan portfolios are 
likely to be made up of small, below-threshold loans than those of 
larger entities. Thus, while the precise number of transactions that 
will be affected and the precise cost reduction per transaction cannot 
be determined, the proposed rule is expected to have a significant 
positive economic impact on small entities that engage in commercial 
real estate lending.
4. Identification of Duplicative, Overlapping, or Conflicting Federal 
Regulations
    The Board has not identified any federal statutes or regulations 
that would duplicate, overlap, or conflict with the proposed revisions.
5. Discussion of Significant Alternatives
    The agencies considered additional burden-reducing measures, such 
as increasing the commercial threshold to a higher dollar amount and 
increasing the residential and business loan thresholds, but have not 
proposed such measures at this time for the safety and soundness and 
consumer protection reasons previously discussed. For transactions 
exempted from the Title XI appraisal requirements, the proposed rule 
would require regulated institutions to get an evaluation if they do 
not get an appraisal. The agencies believe this requirement is 
necessary to protect the safety and soundness of financial 
institutions, which is a legal prerequisite to the establishment of any 
threshold. The Board is not aware of any other significant alternatives 
that would reduce burden on small entities without sacrificing the 
safety and soundness of financial institutions or consumer protections.
    FDIC: The RFA generally requires that, in connection with a notice 
of proposed rulemaking, an agency prepare and make available for public 
comment an initial regulatory flexibility analysis describing the 
impact of the proposed rule on small entities.\74\ A regulatory 
flexibility analysis is not required, however, if the agency certifies 
that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. The SBA has defined ``small 
entities'' to include banking organizations with total assets less than 
or equal to $550 million.\75\ For the reasons described below and 
pursuant to section 605(b) of the RFA, the FDIC certifies that the 
final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \74\ 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
    \75\ 13 CFR 121.201 (as amended, effective December 2, 2014).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FDIC supervises 3,744 depository institutions,\76\ of which, 
3,028 are defined as small banking entities by the terms of the 
RFA.\77\ According to the Call Report, 3,010 small entities reported 
holding some volume of real estate related financial transactions that 
meet the proposed rule's definition of a commercial real estate 
transaction.\78\ Therefore, 3,010 small entities could be affected by 
the proposed rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \76\ FDIC-supervised institutions are set forth in 12 U.S.C. 
1813(q)(2).
    \77\ FDIC Call Report, March 31, 2017.
    \78\ The proposed definition of ``Commercial Real Estate 
Transaction'' would largely capture the following four categories of 
loans secured by real estate in the Call Report (FFIEC 031; RCFD 
1410), namely loans that are: (1) For construction, land 
development, and other land loans; (2) secured by farmland; (3) 
secured by residential properties with five or more units; or (4) 
secured by nonfarm nonresidential properties. However, loans that 
provide both initial construction funding and permanent financing 
and are reported as construction, land development, and other land 
loans during the construction phase would be excluded from the 
definition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The proposed rule will raise the appraisal threshold for commercial 
real estate transactions from $250,000 to $400,000. Any commercial real 
estate transaction with a value in excess of the $400,000 threshold is 
required to have an appraisal by a state licensed or state certified 
appraiser. Any commercial real estate transaction at or below the 
$400,000 threshold requires an evaluation.
    To estimate the dollar volume of commercial real estate 
transactions the proposed change could potentially affect, the FDIC 
used information on the dollar volume and number of loans in the Call 
Report for small institutions from two categories of loans included in 
the definition of a commercial real estate transaction. The Call Report 
data reflect that 4.55 percent of the dollar volume of nonfarm, 
nonresidential loans secured by real estate has an original loan amount 
between $1 and $250,000, while 11.81 percent have an original loan 
amount between $250,000 and $1,000,000. The Call Report data also 
reflects that 8.85 percent of the dollar volume of agricultural loans 
secured by farmland has an original loan amount between $1 and 
$250,000, while 7.49 percent have an original loan amount between 
$250,000 and $500,000.\79\ Assuming that the original amount of 
nonfarm, nonresidential loans secured by real estate and the original 
amount of agricultural loans secured by farmland are normally 
distributed, the FDIC estimates that between 6.08 percent and 12.95 
percent of loan volume is at or below the $400,000 threshold for these 
categories, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \79\ FDIC Call Report data, March 31, 2017.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Therefore, raising the appraisal threshold from $250,000 to 
$400,000 for commercial real estate transactions could affect an 
estimated 1.53 percent to 4.10 percent of the dollar volume of all 
commercial real estate transactions originated each year. This estimate 
assumes that the distribution of loans for the other loan categories 
within the proposed definition of commercial real estate transactions 
is similar to those loans secured by nonfarm, nonresidential properties 
or farmland.
    The proposed rule is likely to reduce valuation review costs for 
covered institutions. The FDIC estimates that it takes a loan officer 
an average of 40 minutes to review an appraisal to ensure that it meets 
that standards set forth in Title XI, but 10 minutes to perform a 
similar review of an evaluation, which does not need to meet the Title 
XI standards for appraisals. The proposed rule increases the number of 
commercial real estate transactions that would require an evaluation by 
raising the appraisal threshold from $250,000 to $400,000. Assuming 
that 15 percent of the outstanding balance of commercial real estate 
transactions for small entities gets renewed or replaced by new 
originations each year, the FDIC estimates that small entities 
originate $31.9 billion in new commercial real estate transactions each 
year. Assuming that 1.53 percent to 4.10 percent of annual originations 
represent loans with an origination amount greater than $250,000 but 
not more than $400,000, the FDIC estimates that the proposed rule will 
affect approximately 1,504 to 4,040 loans per year,\80\ or 0.5 percent 
to 1.33 percent of loans on average for small FDIC-supervised 
institutions.

[[Page 35490]]

Therefore, based on an estimated hourly rate, the proposed rule would 
reduce loan review costs for small entities by $51,625 to $138,673, on 
average, each year.\81\ If lenders opt to not utilize an evaluation and 
require an appraisal on commercial real estate transaction greater than 
$250,000 but not more than $400,000 any reduction in costs would be 
smaller.
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    \80\ Multiplying $31.9 billion by 1.53 percent then dividing the 
product by an average loan amount of $325,000 equals 1,504 loans and 
multiplying $31.9 billion by 4.10 percent then dividing the product 
by an average loan amount of $325,000 equals 4,040 loans.
    \81\ The FDIC estimates that the average hourly compensation for 
a loan officer is $68.65 an hour. The hourly compensation estimate 
is based on published compensation rates for Credit Counselors and 
Loan Officers ($43.40). The estimate includes the March 2017 75th 
percentile hourly wage rate reported by the BLS, National Industry-
Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. The reported 
hourly wage rate is adjusted for changes in the CPI-U between May 
2016 and March 2017 (1.83 percent) and grossed up by 155.3 percent 
to account for non-monetary compensation as reported by the March 
2017 Employer Costs for Employee Compensation Data. Based on this 
estimate, loan review costs would decline between $51,625 (1,504 
loans multiplied by 30 minutes and multiplied by $68.65 per hour) 
and $138,673 (4,040 loans multiplied by 30 minutes and multiplied by 
$68.65 per hour).
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    Any associated recordkeeping costs are unlikely to change for small 
FDIC-supervised entities as the amount of labor required to satisfy 
documentation requirements for an evaluation or an appraisal is 
estimated to be the same at about five minutes for either an appraisal 
or evaluation.
    The proposed rule also is likely to reduce the loan origination 
costs associated with real estate appraisals for commercial real estate 
borrowers. The FDIC assumes that these costs are always paid by the 
borrower for this analysis. Anecdotal information from industry 
participants indicates that a commercial real estate appraisal costs 
between $1,000 to over $3,000, or about $2,000 on average, and a 
commercial real estate evaluation costs between $500 to over $1,500, or 
about $1,000 on average. Based on the prior assumptions, the FDIC 
estimates that the proposed rule will affect approximately 1,504 to 
4,040 transactions per year,\82\ or 0.5 percent to 1.33 percent of 
loans on average for small FDIC-supervised institutions. Therefore, the 
proposed rule could reduce loan origination costs for borrowers doing 
business with small entities by $1.5 to $4.0 million on average per 
year.\83\
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    \82\ Multiplying $31.9 billion by 1.53 percent then dividing the 
product by an average loan amount of $325,000 equals 1,504 loans and 
multiplying $31.9 billion by 4.10 percent then dividing the product 
by an average loan amount of $325,000 equals 4,040 loans.
    \83\ Multiplying 1,504 loans by $1,000 savings equals $1.5 
million and multiplying 4,040 loans by $1,000 savings equals $4.0 
million.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    By lowering valuation costs on commercial real estate transactions 
greater than $250,000 but less than or equal to $400,000 for small 
FDIC-supervised institutions, the proposed rule could marginally 
increase lending activity. As discussed previously, commenters in the 
EGRPRA review noted that appraisals can be costly and time consuming. 
By enabling small FDIC-supervised institutions to utilize evaluations 
for more commercial real estate transactions, the proposed rule will 
reduce transaction costs. The reduction in loan origination fees could 
marginally increase commercial real estate lending activity for loans 
with an origination value greater than $250,000 and not more than 
$400,000.

B. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Certain provisions of the proposed rule contain ``collection of 
information'' requirements within the meaning of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995.\84\ In accordance with the requirements of 
the PRA, the agencies may not conduct or sponsor, and the respondent is 
not required to respond to, an information collection unless it 
displays a currently-valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
control number. The OMB control number for the OCC is 1557-0190, the 
Board is 7100-0250, and the FDIC is 3064-0103, which would be extended, 
without revision. The agencies have concluded that the proposed rule 
does not contain any changes to the current information collections, 
however, the agencies are revising the methodology for calculating the 
burden estimates. The information collection requirements contained in 
this proposed rulemaking have been submitted by the OCC and FDIC to OMB 
for review and approval under section 3507(d) of the PRA \85\ and 
section 1320.11 of the OMB's implementing regulations.\86\ The Board 
reviewed the proposed rule under the authority delegated to the Board 
by OMB.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \84\ 44 U.S.C. 3501-3521.
    \85\ 44 U.S.C. 3507(d).
    \86\ 5 CFR 1320.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proposed Information Collection
    Title of Information Collection: Recordkeeping Requirements 
Associated with Real Estate Appraisals and Evaluations.
    Frequency of Response: Event generated.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit.
    Respondents:
    OCC: National banks, Federal savings associations.
    Board: State member banks (SMBs) and nonbank subsidiaries of bank 
holding companies (BHCs).
    FDIC: Insured state nonmember banks and state savings associations, 
insured state branches of foreign banks.
    General Description of Report: For federally related transactions, 
Title XI requires regulated institutions \87\ to obtain appraisals 
prepared in accordance with USPAP promulgated by the Appraisal 
Standards Board of the Appraisal Foundation. Generally, these standards 
include the methods and techniques used to estimate the market value of 
a property as well as the requirements for reporting such analysis and 
a market value conclusion in the appraisal. Regulated institutions are 
expected to maintain records that demonstrate that appraisals used in 
their real estate-related lending activities comply with these 
regulatory requirements. For commercial real estate transactions 
exempted from the Title XI appraisal requirements by the proposed rule, 
regulated institutions would still be required to obtain an evaluation 
to justify the transaction amount. The agencies estimate that the 
recordkeeping burden associated with evaluations would be the same as 
the recordkeeping burden associated with appraisals for such 
transactions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \87\ National banks, federal savings associations, SMBs and 
nonbank subsidiaries of BHCs, insured state nonmember banks and 
state savings associations, and insured state branches of foreign 
banks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Current Action: The threshold change in the proposed rule will 
result in lenders being able to use evaluations instead of appraisals 
for certain transactions. It is estimated that the time required to 
document the review of an appraisal or an evaluation is the same. While 
the rulemaking described in this proposed rule would not change the 
amount of time that institutions spend complying with the Title XI 
appraisal regulation, the agencies are using a more accurate 
methodology for calculating the burden of the information collections 
based on the experience of the agencies. Thus, the PRA burden estimates 
shown here are different from those previously reported. The agencies 
are (1) using the average number of loans per institution as the 
frequency and (2) using 5 minutes as the estimated time per response 
for the appraisals or evaluations.
PRA Burden Estimates
    Estimated average time per response: 5 minutes.
OCC
    Number of Respondents: 1,284.
    Annual Frequency: 1,488.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 159,216 hours.

[[Page 35491]]

Board
    Number of Respondents: 828 SMBs; 1,215 nonbank subsidiaries of 
BHCs.
    Annual Frequency: 419; 25.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 28,911 hours; 2,531 hours.
FDIC
    Number of Respondents: 3,744.
    Annual Frequency: 141.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 43,992 hours.
    Comments are invited on:
    (a) Whether the collections of information are necessary for the 
proper performance of the agencies' functions, including whether the 
information has practical utility;
    (b) The accuracy of the estimates of the burden of the information 
collections, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used;
    (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected;
    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of the information collections on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology; and
    (e) Estimates of capital or start-up costs and costs of operation, 
maintenance, and purchase of services to provide information.
    All comments will become a matter of public record. Comments on 
aspects of this notice that may affect reporting, recordkeeping, or 
disclosure requirements and burden estimates should be sent to the 
addresses listed in the ADDRESSES section of this document. A copy of 
the comments may also be submitted to the OMB desk officer for the 
agencies: by mail to U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th 
Street NW., #[thinsp]10235, Washington, DC 20503; by facsimile to (202) 
395-5806; or by email to: [email protected], Attention, 
Federal Banking Agency Desk Officer.

C. Riegle Act

    The Riegle Act requires that each of the agencies, in determining 
the effective date and administrative compliance requirements for new 
regulations that impose additional reporting, disclosure, or other 
requirements on IDIs, consider, consistent with principles of safety 
and soundness and the public interest, any administrative burdens that 
such regulations would place on depository institutions, including 
small depository institutions, and customers of depository 
institutions, as well as the benefits of such regulations.\88\ In 
addition, in order to provide an adequate transition period, new 
regulations that impose additional reporting, disclosures, or other new 
requirements on IDIs generally must take effect on the first day of a 
calendar quarter that begins on or after the date on which the 
regulations are published in final form.\89\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \88\ 12 U.S.C. 4802(a).
    \89\ 12 U.S.C. 4802(b).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The proposed rule would reduce burden and would not impose any 
reporting, disclosure, or other new requirements on IDIs. For 
transactions exempted from the Title XI appraisal requirements by the 
proposed rule (i.e., commercial real estate transactions between 
$250,000 and $400,000), lenders would be required to get an evaluation 
if they chose not to get an appraisal. However, the agencies do not 
view the option to obtain an evaluation instead of an appraisal as a 
new or additional requirement for purposes of the Riegle Act. First, 
the process of obtaining an evaluation is not new since IDIs already 
get evaluations for transactions at or below the current $250,000-
threshold. Second, for commercial real estate transactions between 
$250,000 and $400,000, IDIs could continue to get appraisals instead of 
evaluations. Because the proposed rule would impose no new requirements 
on IDIs, the agencies are not required by the Riegle Act to consider 
the administrative burdens and benefits of the rule or delay its 
effective date.
    Because delaying the effective date of the rule is not required and 
would serve no purpose, the agencies propose to make the threshold 
increase effective on the first day after publication of the final rule 
in the Federal Register. Additionally, although not required by the 
Riegle Act, the agencies did consider the administrative costs and 
benefits of the rule while developing the proposal. In designing the 
scope of the threshold increase, the agencies chose to align the 
definition of commercial real estate transaction with industry 
practice, regulatory guidance, and the categories used in the Call 
Report in order to reduce the administrative burden of determining 
which transactions were exempted by the rule. The agencies also 
considered the cost savings that IDIs would experience by obtaining 
evaluations instead of appraisals and set the proposed threshold at a 
level designed to provide significant burden relief without sacrificing 
safety and soundness. The agencies note that comment on these matters 
has been solicited in questions 2 through 14 in Section II, and in the 
RFA discussion in Section IV, of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, and 
that the requirements of the Riegle Act will be considered as part of 
the overall rulemaking process. In addition, the agencies invite any 
other comments that further will inform the agencies' consideration of 
the Riegle Act.

D. Solicitation of Comments on Use of Plain Language

    Section 722 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act \90\ requires the 
agencies to use plain language in all proposed and final rules 
published after January 1, 2000. Agencies invite comment on how to make 
these proposed rules easier to understand. For example:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \90\ Pub. L. 106-102, section 722, 113 Stat. 1338 1471 (1999).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Have the agencies organized the material to suit your 
needs? If not, how could this material be better organized?
     Are the requirements in the proposed rules clearly stated? 
If not, how could the proposed rules be stated more clearly?
     Do the proposed rules contain language or jargon that is 
not clear? If so, which language requires clarification?
     Would a different format (grouping and order of sections, 
use of headings, paragraphing) make the proposed rules easier to 
understand? If so, what changes to the format would make the proposed 
rules easier to understand?
     What else could the agencies do to make the regulation 
easier to understand?

E. Unfunded Mandates Act

OCC Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 Determination
    The OCC has analyzed the proposed rule under the factors in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) (2 U.S.C. 1532). Under this 
analysis, the OCC considered whether the proposed rule includes a 
federal mandate that may result in the expenditure by state, local, and 
tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 
million or more in any one year (adjusted annually for inflation).
    The proposed rule does not impose new requirements or include new 
mandates. Therefore, we conclude that the proposed rule will not result 
in an expenditure of $100 million or more by state, local, and tribal 
governments, or by the private sector, in any one year.

List of Subjects

12 CFR Part 34

    Appraisal, Appraiser, Banks, Banking, Consumer protection, Credit, 
Mortgages,

[[Page 35492]]

National banks, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Savings 
associations, Truth in lending.

12 CFR Part 225

    Administrative practice and procedure, Banks, banking, Federal 
Reserve System, Capital planning, Holding companies, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Securities, Stress testing

12 CFR Part 323

    Banks, banking, Mortgages, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Savings associations.

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 12 CFR Part 34

    For the reasons set forth in the joint preamble, the OCC proposes 
to amend part 34 of chapter I of title 12 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations as follows:

PART 34--REAL ESTATE LENDING AND APPRISALS

0
1. The authority citation for part 34 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1, 25b, 29, 93a, 371, 1462a, 1463, 1464, 
1465, 1701j-3, 1828(o), 3331 et seq., 5101 et seq., and 
5412(b)(2)(B), and 15 U.S.C. 1639h.

0
2. Section 34.42 is amended by redesignating paragraphs (e) through (m) 
as paragraphs (f) through (n), respectively, and by adding a new 
paragraph (e) to read as follows:


Sec.  34.42  Definitions.

* * * * *
    (e) Commercial real estate transaction means a real estate-related 
financial transaction that is not secured by a 1-to-4 family 
residential property. A real estate-related financial transaction to 
finance the initial construction of a 1-to-4 family residential 
property that does not include permanent financing is a commercial real 
estate transaction.
* * * * *
0
3. Section 34.43 is amended by:
0
a. Removing the word ``or'' at the end of paragraph (a)(11);
0
b. Revising paragraph (a)(12);
0
c. Adding paragraph (a)(13); and
0
d. Revising paragraphs (b) and (d)(2).
    The revisions and addition read as follows:


Sec.  34.43  Appraisals required; transactions requiring a State 
certified or licensed appraiser.

    (a) * * *
    (12) The OCC determines that the services of an appraiser are not 
necessary in order to protect Federal financial and public policy 
interests in real estate-related financial transactions or to protect 
the safety and soundness of the institution; or
    (13) The transaction is a commercial real estate transaction that 
has a transaction value of $400,000 or less.
    (b) Evaluations required. For a transaction that does not require 
the services of a State certified or licensed appraiser under paragraph 
(a)(1), (a)(5), (a)(7), or (a)(13) of this section, the institution 
shall obtain an appropriate evaluation of real property collateral that 
is consistent with safe and sound banking practices.
* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (2) Commercial real estate transactions of more than $400,000. All 
federally related transactions that are commercial real estate 
transactions having a transaction value of more than $400,000 shall 
require an appraisal prepared by a State certified appraiser.
* * * * *

Federal Reserve Board, 12 CFR Part 225

    For the reasons set forth in the joint preamble, the Board amends 
part 225 of chapter II of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
as follows:

PART 225--BANK HOLDING COMPANIES AND CHANGE IN BANK CONTROL 
(REGULATION Y)

0
4. The authority citation for part 225 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(13), 1818, 1828(o), 1831i, 1831p-1, 
1843(c)(8), 1844(b), 1972(l), 3106, 3108, 3310, 3331-3351, 3906, 
3907, and 3909; 15 U.S.C. 1681s, 1681w, 6801 and 6805.

0
5. Section 225.62 is amended by redesignating paragraphs (e) through 
(m) as paragraphs (f) through (n), respectively, and by adding a new 
paragraph (e) to read as follows:


Sec.  225.62  Definitions.

* * * * *
    (e) Commercial real estate transaction means a real estate-related 
financial transaction that is not secured by a 1-to-4 family 
residential property. A real estate-related financial transaction to 
finance the initial construction of a 1-to-4 family residential 
property that does not include permanent financing is a commercial real 
estate transaction.
* * * * *
0
6. Section 225.63 is amended by:
0
a. Removing the word ``or'' at the end of paragraph (a)(12);
0
b. Revising paragraph (a)(13);
0
c. Adding paragraph (a)(14);
0
d. Revising paragraph (b); and
0
e. Revising paragraph (d)(2).
    The revisions and addition read as follows:


Sec.  225.63  Appraisals required; transactions requiring a State 
certified or licensed appraiser.

    (a) * * *
    (13) The Board determines that the services of an appraiser are not 
necessary in order to protect Federal financial and public policy 
interests in real estate-related financial transactions or to protect 
the safety and soundness of the institution; or
    (14) The transaction is a commercial real estate transaction that 
has a transaction value of $400,000 or less.
    (b) Evaluations required. For a transaction that does not require 
the services of a State certified or licensed appraiser under paragraph 
(a)(1), (a)(5), (a)(7), or (a)(14) of this section, the institution 
shall obtain an appropriate evaluation of real property collateral that 
is consistent with safe and sound banking practices.
* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (2) Commercial real estate transactions of more than $400,000. All 
federally related transactions that are commercial real estate 
transactions having a transaction value of more than $400,000 shall 
require an appraisal prepared by a State certified appraiser.
* * * * *

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 12 CFR Part 323

    For the reasons set forth in the joint preamble, the FDIC amends 
part 323 of chapter III of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
as follows:

PART 323--APPRAISALS

0
7. Revise the authority citation for part 323 to read as follows:

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1818, 1819 [``Seventh'' and ``Tenth''], 
1831p-1 and 3331 et seq.

0
8. Revise the authority citation for subpart A of part 323 to read as 
follows:

    Authority: This subpart is issued under 12 U.S.C. 1818, 1819 
[``Seventh'' and ``Tenth''], 1831p-1 and title XI of the Financial 
Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 
(``FIRREA'') (Pub. L. 101-73, 103 Stat. 183, 12 U.S.C. 3331 et seq. 
(1989)).

0
9. Section 323.2 is amended by redesignating paragraphs (e) through (m) 
as paragraphs (f) through (n), respectively, and by adding a new 
paragraph (e) to read as follows:


Sec.  323.2  Definitions.

* * * * *
    (e) Commercial real estate transaction means a real estate-related 
financial transaction that is not secured by a 1-to-4 family 
residential property. A real

[[Page 35493]]

estate-related financial transaction to finance the initial 
construction of a 1-to-4 family residential property that does not 
include permanent financing is a commercial real estate transaction.
* * * * *
0
4. Section 323.3 is amended by:
0
a. Removing the word ``or'' at the end of paragraph (a)(11);
0
b. Revising paragraph (a)(12);
0
c. Adding paragraph (a)(13);
0
d. Revising paragraph (b); and
0
e. Revising paragraph (d)(2).
    The revisions and addition read as follows:


Sec.  323.3  Appraisals required; transactions requiring a State 
certified or licensed appraiser.

    (a) * * *
    (12) The FDIC determines that the services of an appraiser are not 
necessary in order to protect Federal financial and public policy 
interests in real estate-related financial transactions or to protect 
the safety and soundness of the institution; or
    (13) The transaction is a commercial real estate transaction that 
has a transaction value of $400,000 or less.
    (b) Evaluations required. For a transaction that does not require 
the services of a State certified or licensed appraiser under paragraph 
(a)(1), (a)(5), (a)(7), or (a)(13) of this section, the institution 
shall obtain an appropriate evaluation of real property collateral that 
is consistent with safe and sound banking practices.
* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (2) Commercial real estate transactions of more than $400,000. All 
federally related transactions that are commercial real estate 
transactions having a transaction value of more than $400,000 shall 
require an appraisal prepared by a State certified appraiser.
* * * * *

    Dated: July 18, 2017.
Keith A. Noreika,
Acting Comptroller of the Currency.

    By order of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 
System, July 18, 2017.
Margaret McCloskey Shanks,
Deputy Secretary of the Board.

    Dated at Washington, DC, this 18th of July, 2017.

    By order of the Board of Directors.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Robert E. Feldman,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-15748 Filed 7-28-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P



                                                  35478                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                  technical difficulties and cannot contact                   Comments, data, and other                          and interaction of the public during the
                                                  you for clarification, DOE may not be                    information submitted to DOE                          comment period in each stage of the
                                                  able to consider your comment.                           electronically should be provided in                  rulemaking process. Interactions with
                                                     However, your contact information                     PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or                    and between members of the public
                                                  will be publicly viewable if you include                 Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file              provide a balanced discussion of the
                                                  it in the comment or in any documents                    format. Provide documents that are not                issues and assist DOE in the rulemaking
                                                  attached to your comment. Any                            secured, written in English and free of               process. Anyone who wishes to be
                                                  information that you do not want to be                   any defects or viruses. Documents                     added to the DOE mailing list to receive
                                                  publicly viewable should not be                          should not contain special characters or              future notices and information about
                                                  included in your comment, nor in any                     any form of encryption and, if possible,              this rulemaking should contact
                                                  document attached to your comment.                       they should carry the electronic                      Appliance and Equipment Standards
                                                  Persons viewing comments will see only                   signature of the author.                              Program staff at (202) 586–6636 or via
                                                  first and last names, organization                          Campaign form letters. Please submit               email at
                                                  names, correspondence containing                         campaign form letters by the originating              ApplianceStandardsQuestions@
                                                  comments, and any documents                              organization in batches of between 50 to              ee.doe.gov.
                                                  submitted with the comments.                             500 form letters per PDF or as one form
                                                                                                                                                                   Issued in Washington, DC, on July 14,
                                                     Do not submit to http://                              letter with a list of supporters’ names               2017.
                                                  www.regulations.gov information for                      compiled into one or more PDFs. This
                                                                                                                                                                 Kathleen B. Hogan,
                                                  which disclosure is restricted by statute,               reduces comment processing and
                                                                                                           posting time.                                         Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy
                                                  such as trade secrets and commercial or                                                                        Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Renewable
                                                  financial information (hereinafter                          Confidential Business Information.
                                                                                                                                                                 Energy.
                                                  referred to as Confidential Business                     According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any
                                                                                                           person submitting information that he                 [FR Doc. 2017–15848 Filed 7–28–17; 8:45 am]
                                                  Information (CBI)). Comments
                                                                                                           or she believes to be confidential and                BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
                                                  submitted through http://
                                                                                                           exempt by law from public disclosure
                                                  www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed
                                                                                                           should submit via email, postal mail, or
                                                  as CBI. Comments received through the
                                                                                                           hand delivery two well-marked copies:                 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
                                                  Web site will waive any CBI claims for
                                                                                                           one copy of the document marked
                                                  the information submitted. For                                                                                 Office of the Comptroller of the
                                                                                                           confidential including all the
                                                  information on submitting CBI, see the                                                                         Currency
                                                                                                           information believed to be confidential,
                                                  Confidential Business Information
                                                                                                           and one copy of the document marked
                                                  section.                                                                                                       12 CFR Part 34
                                                                                                           ‘‘non-confidential’’ with the information
                                                     DOE processes submissions made                        believed to be confidential deleted.
                                                  through http://www.regulations.gov                                                                             [Docket No. OCC–2017–0011]
                                                                                                           Submit these documents via email or on
                                                  before posting. Normally, comments                       a CD, if feasible. DOE will make its own              RIN 1557–AE18
                                                  will be posted within a few days of                      determination about the confidential
                                                  being submitted. However, if large                       status of the information and treat it                FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
                                                  volumes of comments are being                            according to its determination.
                                                  processed simultaneously, your                              Factors of interest to DOE when                    12 CFR Part 225
                                                  comment may not be viewable for up to                    evaluating requests to treat submitted                [Docket No. R–1568; RIN 7100 AE–81]
                                                  several weeks. Please keep the comment                   information as confidential include (1) a
                                                  tracking number that http://                             description of the items, (2) whether                 FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
                                                  www.regulations.gov provides after you                   and why such items are customarily                    CORPORATION
                                                  have successfully uploaded your                          treated as confidential within the
                                                  comment.                                                 industry, (3) whether the information is              12 CFR Part 323
                                                     Submitting comments via email, hand                   generally known by or available from
                                                  delivery, or mail. Comments and                                                                                RIN 3064 AE–56
                                                                                                           other sources, (4) whether the
                                                  documents submitted via email, hand                      information has previously been made                  Real Estate Appraisals
                                                  delivery, or mail also will be posted to                 available to others without obligation
                                                  http://www.regulations.gov. If you do                    concerning its confidentiality, (5) an                AGENCY: Office of the Comptroller of the
                                                  not want your personal contact                           explanation of the competitive injury to              Currency, Treasury (OCC); Board of
                                                  information to be publicly viewable, do                  the submitting person which would                     Governors of the Federal Reserve
                                                  not include it in your comment or any                    result from public disclosure, (6) when               System (Board); and Federal Deposit
                                                  accompanying documents. Instead,                         such information might lose its                       Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
                                                  provide your contact information on a                    confidential character due to the                     ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking
                                                  cover letter. Include your first and last                passage of time, and (7) why disclosure               and request for comment.
                                                  names, email address, telephone                          of the information would be contrary to
                                                  number, and optional mailing address.                    the public interest.                                  SUMMARY:   The OCC, Board, and FDIC
                                                  The cover letter will not be publicly                       It is DOE’s policy that all comments               (collectively, the agencies) are inviting
                                                  viewable as long as it does not include                  may be included in the public docket,                 comment on a proposed rule to amend
                                                  any comments.                                            without change and as received,                       the agencies’ regulations requiring
sradovich on DSKBCFCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS




                                                     Include contact information each time                 including any personal information                    appraisals of real estate for certain
                                                  you submit comments, data, documents,                    provided in the comments (except                      transactions. The proposal would
                                                  and other information to DOE. If you                     information deemed to be exempt from                  increase the threshold level at or below
                                                  submit via mail or hand delivery, please                 public disclosure).                                   which appraisals would not be required
                                                  provide all items on a CD, if feasible. It                  DOE considers public participation to              for commercial real estate transactions
                                                  is not necessary to submit printed                       be a very important part of the process               from $250,000 to $400,000. This
                                                  copies. No facsimiles (faxes) will be                    for developing test procedures. DOE                   proposed change to the appraisal
                                                  accepted.                                                actively encourages the participation                 threshold reflects comments the


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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                           35479

                                                  agencies received through the regulatory                 numbers. Comments received, including                    All public comments will be made
                                                  review process required by the                           attachments and other supporting                      available on the Board’s Web site at
                                                  Economic Growth and Regulatory                           materials, are part of the public record              http://www.federalreserve.gov/
                                                  Paperwork Reduction Act (EGRPRA)                         and subject to public disclosure. Do not              generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm as
                                                  and completed in early 2017. For                         enclose any information in your                       submitted, unless modified for technical
                                                  commercial real estate transactions with                 comment or supporting materials that                  reasons. Accordingly, comments will
                                                  a value at or below the proposed                         you consider confidential or                          not be edited to remove any identifying
                                                  threshold, the amended rule would                        inappropriate for public disclosure.                  or contact information. Public
                                                  require institutions to obtain an                           You may review comments and other                  comments may also be viewed
                                                  evaluation of the real property collateral               related materials that pertain to this                electronically or in paper form in Room
                                                  that is consistent with safe and sound                   proposed rule by any of the following                 3515, 1801 K Street NW. (between 18th
                                                  banking practices if the institution does                methods:                                              and 19th Streets NW.), Washington, DC
                                                  not obtain an appraisal by a state                          • Viewing Comments Electronically:                 20006 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
                                                  certified or licensed appraiser.                         Go to www.regulations.gov. Enter                      on weekdays.
                                                  DATES: Comments must be received by                      ‘‘Docket ID OCC–2017–0011’’ in the                       Federal Deposit Insurance
                                                  September 29, 2017.                                      Search box and click ‘‘Search.’’ Click on             Corporation: You may submit
                                                                                                           ‘‘Open Docket Folder’’ on the right side              comments, identified by RIN 3064–
                                                  ADDRESSES: Interested parties are
                                                                                                           of the screen and then ‘‘Comments.’’                  AE56, by any of the following methods:
                                                  encouraged to submit written comments
                                                  jointly to all of the agencies.
                                                                                                           Comments can be filtered by clicking on                  • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
                                                                                                           ‘‘View All’’ and then using the filtering             www.regulations.gov. Follow the
                                                  Commenters should use the title ‘‘Real
                                                                                                           tools on the left side of the screen.                 instructions for submitting comments.
                                                  Estate Appraisals’’ to facilitate the                       • Click on the ‘‘Help’’ tab on the                    • Agency Web site: http://
                                                  organization and distribution of                         Regulations.gov home page to get                      www.FDIC.gov/regulations/laws/
                                                  comments among the agencies.                             information on using Regulations.gov.                 federal/propose.html.
                                                  Interested parties are invited to submit                 Supporting materials may be viewed by                    • Mail: Robert E. Feldman, Executive
                                                  written comments to:                                     clicking on ‘‘Open Docket Folder’’ and                Secretary, Attention: Comments/Legal
                                                     Office of the Comptroller of the                      then clicking on ‘‘Supporting                         ESS, Federal Deposit Insurance
                                                  Currency: Because paper mail in the                      Documents.’’ The docket may be viewed                 Corporation, 550 17th Street NW.,
                                                  Washington, DC area and at the OCC is                    after the close of the comment period in              Washington, DC 20429.
                                                  subject to delay, commenters are                         the same manner as during the comment                    • Hand Delivered/Courier: The guard
                                                  encouraged to submit comments by the                     period.                                               station at the rear of the 550 17th Street
                                                  Federal eRulemaking Portal or email, if                     • Viewing Comments Personally: You                 Building (located on F Street) on
                                                  possible. Please use the title ‘‘Real                    may personally inspect and photocopy                  business days between 7:00 a.m. and
                                                  Estate Appraisals’’ to facilitate the                    comments at the OCC, 400 7th Street                   5:00 p.m.
                                                  organization and distribution of the                     SW., Washington, DC. For security                        • Email: Comments@FDIC.gov.
                                                  comments. You may submit comments                        reasons, the OCC requires that visitors               Comments submitted must include
                                                  by any of the following methods:                         make an appointment to inspect                        ‘‘FDIC’’ and ‘‘Real Estate Appraisals.’’
                                                     • Federal eRulemaking Portal—                         comments. You may do so by calling                    Comments received will be posted
                                                  Regulations.gov: Go to                                   (202) 649–6700 or, for persons who are                without change to http://www.fdic.gov/
                                                  www.regulations.gov. Enter ‘‘Docket ID                   deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649–              regulations/laws/federal/propose.html
                                                  OCC–2017–0011’’ in the Search Box and                    5597. Upon arrival, visitors will be                  including any personal information
                                                  click ‘‘Search.’’ Click on ‘‘Comment                     required to present valid government-                 provided.
                                                  Now’’ to submit public comments.                         issued photo identification and to
                                                     • Click on the ‘‘Help’’ tab on the                    submit to security screening in order to              FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                  Regulations.gov home page to get                                                                                 OCC: G. Kevin Lawton, Appraiser
                                                                                                           inspect and photocopy comments.
                                                  information on using Regulations.gov,                       Board of Governors of the Federal                  (Real Estate Specialist), (202) 649–7152,
                                                  including instructions for submitting                    Reserve System: You may submit                        Mitchell E. Plave, Special Counsel,
                                                  public comments.                                         comments, identified by [Docket No. R–                Legislative and Regulatory Activities
                                                     • Email: regs.comments@                               1568 and RIN 7100 AE–81], by any of                   Division, (202) 649–5490, for persons
                                                  occ.treas.gov.                                           the following methods:                                who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY,
                                                     • Mail: Legislative and Regulatory                       • Agency Web site: http://                         (202) 649–5597, or Christopher
                                                  Activities Division, Office of the                       www.federalreserve.gov. Follow the                    Manthey, Special Counsel, or Joanne
                                                  Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th                     instructions for submitting comments at               Phillips, Attorney, Bank Activities and
                                                  Street SW., Suite 3E–218, Mail Stop                      http://www.federalreserve.gov/                        Structure Division, (202) 649–5500,
                                                  9W–11, Washington, DC 20219.                             generalinfo/foia/ProposedRegs.cfm.                    Office of the Comptroller of the
                                                     • Fax: (571) 465–4326.                                   • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://              Currency, 400 7th Street SW.,
                                                     • Hand Delivery/Courier: 400 7th                      www.regulations.gov. Follow the                       Washington, DC 20219.
                                                  Street SW., Suite 3E–218, Mail Stop                      instructions for submitting comments.                   Board: Anna Lee Hewko, Associate
                                                  9W–11, Washington, DC 20219.                                • Email: regs.comments@                            Director, (202) 530–6260, or Carmen
                                                     Instructions: You must include                        federalreserve.gov. Include the docket                Holly, Senior Supervisory Financial
                                                  ‘‘OCC’’ as the agency name and ‘‘Docket                                                                        Analyst, (202) 973–6122, Division of
sradovich on DSKBCFCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS




                                                                                                           number and RIN number in the subject
                                                  ID OCC–2017–0011’’ in your comment.                      line of the message.                                  Supervision and Regulation; or Gillian
                                                  In general, OCC will enter all comments                     • Fax: (202) 452–3819 or (202) 452–                Burgess, Senior Counsel, (202) 736–
                                                  received into the docket and publish                     3102.                                                 5564, Matthew Suntag, Senior Attorney,
                                                  them on the Regulations.gov Web site                        • Mail: Address to Ann E. Misback,                 (202) 452–3694, or Kirin Walsh,
                                                  without change, including any business                   Secretary, Board of Governors of the                  Attorney, (202) 452–3058, Legal
                                                  or personal information that you                         Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and               Division, Board of Governors of the
                                                  provide such as name and address                         Constitution Avenue NW., Washington,                  Federal Reserve System, 20th and C
                                                  information, email addresses, or phone                   DC 20551.                                             Streets NW., Washington, DC 20551.


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                                                  35480                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                     FDIC: Beverlea S. Gardner, Senior                     written appraisals, as defined by the                   soundness of financial institutions.11 In
                                                  Examination Specialist, Division of Risk                 statute; and (3) subject to appropriate                 the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and
                                                  Management and Supervision, at (202)                     review for compliance with USPAP. All                   Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-
                                                  898–3640, Mark Mellon, Counsel, Legal                    federally related transactions must have                Frank Act),12 Congress amended the
                                                  Division, at (202) 898–3884, Kimberly                    Title XI appraisals.                                    threshold provision to require
                                                  Stock, Counsel, Legal Division, at (202)                    Title XI defines a ‘‘federally related               concurrence ‘‘from the Bureau of
                                                  898–3815, Benjamin K. Gibbs, Counsel,                    transaction’’ as a real estate-related                  Consumer Financial Protection that
                                                  at (202) 898–6726, or Lauren Whitaker,                   financial transaction that is regulated or              such threshold level provides
                                                  Senior Attorney, at (202) 898–3872,                      engaged in by a federal financial                       reasonable protection for consumers
                                                  Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,                   institutions regulatory agency and                      who purchase 1–4 unit single-family
                                                  550 17th Street NW., Washington, DC                      requires the services of an appraiser.7 A               residences.’’ 13 As noted above,
                                                  20429.                                                   real estate-related financial transaction               transactions at or below the threshold
                                                  SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                               is defined as any transaction that                      level are exempt from the Title XI
                                                                                                           involves: (i) The sale, lease, purchase,                appraisal requirements and thus are not
                                                  I. Introduction                                          investment in or exchange of real                       federally related transactions.
                                                                                                           property, including interests in                           Under the current thresholds, which
                                                  A. Background                                                                                                    were established by rulemaking in
                                                                                                           property, or financing thereof; (ii) the
                                                     Title XI of the Financial Institutions                                                                        1994,14 all real estate-related financial
                                                                                                           refinancing of real property or interests
                                                  Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act                                                                            transactions with a transaction value 15
                                                                                                           in real property; and (iii) the use of real
                                                  of 1989 (Title XI) 1 directs each federal                                                                        of $250,000 or less, as well as certain
                                                                                                           property or interests in real property as
                                                  financial institutions regulatory agency 2                                                                       real estate-secured business loans
                                                                                                           security for a loan or investment,
                                                  to publish appraisal regulations for                                                                             (qualifying business loans) with a
                                                                                                           including mortgage-backed securities.8
                                                  federally related transactions within its                                                                        transaction value of $1 million or less,
                                                  jurisdiction. The purpose of Title XI is                    The agencies have authority to                       do not require appraisals.16 Qualifying
                                                  to protect federal financial and public                  determine those real estate-related                     business loans are business loans that
                                                  policy interests 3 in real estate-related                financial transactions that do not                      are real estate-related financial
                                                  transactions by requiring that real estate               require the services of a certified or                  transactions and that are not dependent
                                                  appraisals used in connection with                       licensed appraiser and are therefore                    on the sale of, or rental income derived
                                                  federally related transactions (Title XI                 exempt from the appraisal requirements                  from, real estate as the primary source
                                                  appraisals) be performed in accordance                   of Title XI. These real estate-related                  of repayment.17
                                                  with uniform standards, by individuals                   financial transactions are not federally                   For real estate-related financial
                                                  whose competency has been                                related transactions under the statutory                transactions that are exempt from the
                                                  demonstrated and whose professional                      or regulatory definitions because they                  appraisal requirement because they are
                                                  conduct will be subject to effective                     are not required to have Title XI                       within the applicable thresholds or
                                                  supervision.4                                            appraisals.9                                            qualify for the exemption for certain
                                                     Title XI directs the agencies to                         The agencies have exercised this                     existing extensions of credit,18 the
                                                  prescribe appropriate standards for Title                authority by exempting several
                                                  XI appraisals under the agencies’                        categories of real estate-related financial                11 Housing and Community Development Act of

                                                  respective jurisdictions,5 including, at a               transactions from the appraisal                         1992, Public Law 102–550, sec. 954, 106 Stat. 3894
                                                                                                           requirements.10 The agencies have                       (amending 12 U.S.C. 3341).
                                                  minimum, that Title XI appraisals be:                                                                               12 Public Law 111–203, 124 Stat.1376.
                                                  (1) Performed in accordance with the                     determined that these categories of                        13 Dodd-Frank Act, sec. 1473, 124 Stat. 2190

                                                  Uniform Standards of Professional                        transactions do not require appraisals by               (amending 12 U.S.C. 3341(b)).
                                                  Appraisal Practice (USPAP); 6 (2)                        state certified or licensed appraisers in                  14 See 59 FR 29482 (June 7, 1994). The NCUA

                                                                                                           order to protect federal financial and                  promulgated a similar rule with similar thresholds
                                                    1 12                                                   public policy interests or to satisfy                   in 1995. 60 FR 51889 (October 4, 1995).
                                                          U.S.C. 3331 et seq.                                                                                         15 For loans and extensions of credit, the
                                                    2 ‘‘Federal financial institutions regulatory          principles of safe and sound banking.                   transaction value is the amount of the loan or
                                                  agency’’ means the Board, the FDIC, the OCC, the            In 1992, Congress amended Title XI,                  extension of credit. For sales, leases, purchases,
                                                  National Credit Union Association (NCUA), and,                                                                   investments in or exchanges of real property, the
                                                  formerly, the Office of Thrift Supervision. 12 U.S.C.    expressly authorizing the agencies to
                                                                                                                                                                   transaction value is the market value of the real
                                                  3350(6).                                                 establish a threshold level at or below                 property. For the pooling of loans or interests in
                                                     3 These interests include those stemming from the     which an appraisal by a state certified                 real property for resale or purchase, the transaction
                                                  federal government’s roles as regulator and deposit      or licensed appraiser is not required in                value is the amount of each such loan or the market
                                                  insurer of financial institutions that engage in real                                                            value of each such real property, respectively. See
                                                  estate lending and investment, guarantor or lender
                                                                                                           connection with federally related
                                                                                                                                                                   OCC: 12 CFR 34.42(m); Board: 12 CFR 225.62(m);
                                                  on mortgage loans, and as a direct party in real         transactions if the agencies determine in               FDIC: CFR 323.2(m).
                                                  estate-related financial transactions. These federal     writing that the threshold does not                        16 See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a)(1) and (5); Board: 12
                                                  financial and public policy interests have been          represent a threat to the safety and                    CFR 225.63(a)(1) and (5); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(a)(1)
                                                  described in predecessor legislation and                                                                         and (5).
                                                  accompanying Congressional reports. See Real                                                                        17 OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a)(5); Board: 12 CFR
                                                  Estate Appraisal Reform Act of 1988, H.R. Rep. No.       contains generally recognized ethical and
                                                                                                                                                                   225.63(a)(5); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(a)(5).
                                                  100–1001, pt. 1, at 19 (1988); 133 Cong. Rec. 33047–     performance standards for the appraisal profession         18 Transactions that involve an existing extension
                                                  33048 (1987).                                            in the United States, including real estate, personal
                                                     4 12 U.S.C. 3331.                                     property, and business appraisals. See http://          of credit at the lending institution are exempt from
                                                                                                           www.appraisalfoundation.org/imis/TAF/Standards/         the Title XI appraisal requirements, but are required
                                                     5 12 U.S.C. 3339. The agencies’ Title XI appraisal
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                                                                                                           Appraisal_Standards/Uniform_Standards_of_               to have evaluations, provided that there has been
                                                  regulations apply to transactions entered into by the                                                            no obvious and material change in market
                                                  agencies or by institutions regulated by the agencies    Professional_Appraisal_Practice/TAF/
                                                                                                           USPAP.aspx?hkey=a6420a67-dbfa-41b3-9878-                conditions or physical aspects of the property that
                                                  that are depository institutions or bank holding                                                                 threatens the adequacy of the institution’s real
                                                  companies or subsidiaries of depository institutions     fac35923d2af.
                                                                                                              7 12 U.S.C. 3350(4) (defining ‘‘federally related
                                                                                                                                                                   estate collateral protection after the transaction,
                                                  or bank holding companies. OCC: 12 CFR part 34,                                                                  even with the advancement of new monies; or there
                                                  subpart C; Board: 12 CFR 225.61(b); 12 CFR part          transaction’’).                                         is no advancement of new monies, other than funds
                                                                                                              8 12 U.S.C. 3350(5).
                                                  208, subpart E; FDIC: 12 CFR part 323.                                                                           necessary to cover reasonable closing costs. See
                                                     6 USPAP is written and interpreted by the                9 See 59 FR 29482 (June 7, 1994).
                                                                                                                                                                   OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a)(7) and (b); Board: 12 CFR
                                                  Appraisal Standards Board of the Appraisal                  10 See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(a); Board: 12 CFR           225.63(a)(7) and (b); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(a)(7) and
                                                  Foundation. Adopted by Congress in 1989, USPAP           225.63(a); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(a).                       (b).



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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                                         35481

                                                  appraisal regulations require financial                  though property values have increased,                     (GSEs).25 As reflected in the 2015 Home
                                                  institutions to obtain an evaluation of                  and that the time and cost associated                      Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA)
                                                  the real property collateral that is                     with the appraisal process impose an                       data,26 at least 90 percent of residential
                                                  consistent with safe and sound banking                   unnecessary burden in the completion                       mortgage loan originations had loan
                                                  practices.19 An evaluation should                        of smaller-dollar amount real estate-                      amounts at or below the threshold, were
                                                  contain sufficient information and                       related transactions. Some commenters                      eligible for sale to GSEs, or were insured
                                                  analysis to support the financial                        also argued that the time and financial                    by the Federal Housing Administration
                                                  institution’s decision to engage in the                  costs attributed to meeting the appraisal                  or the United States Department of
                                                  transaction. However, evaluations need                   requirements at the current threshold                      Veterans Affairs. Those transactions are
                                                  not be performed in accordance with                      levels particularly affect banks in rural                  not subject to the Title XI appraisal
                                                  USPAP or by certified or licensed                        markets. These commenters contended                        regulations, but the majority of those
                                                  appraisers. The agencies have provided                   that it is often difficult to find state                   transactions are subject to the appraisal
                                                  supervisory guidance for conducting                      certified and licensed appraisers to                       requirements of other government
                                                  evaluations in a safe and sound manner                   complete assignments for properties in                     agencies or the GSEs. Therefore, raising
                                                  in the Interagency Appraisal and                         rural areas.22                                             the appraisal threshold for residential
                                                  Evaluation Guidelines (Guidelines).20                       In March 2017, the agencies                             transactions in the Title XI appraisal
                                                                                                           submitted a joint EGRPRA report to                         regulations would have limited impact
                                                  B. The EGRPRA Process                                                                                               on burden.
                                                                                                           Congress (EGRPRA Report) that
                                                     In early 2017, the agencies completed                 identified potential initiatives to reduce                    Second, appraisals can provide
                                                  a review of their regulations pursuant to                regulatory burden.23 In the EGRPRA                         protection to consumers by helping to
                                                  EGRPRA, which requires that, not less                    Report, the agencies addressed                             assure the residential purchaser that the
                                                  than once every 10 years, the Federal                    comments received concerning the                           value of the property supports the
                                                  Financial Institutions Examination                       appraisal thresholds and stated that the                   purchase price and the mortgage
                                                  Council (FFIEC), Board, OCC, and FDIC                    agencies would propose an increase to                      amount.27 The consumer protection role
                                                  conduct a review of their regulations to                 the threshold for commercial real estate                   of appraisals is reflected in amendments
                                                  identify outdated or otherwise                           transactions from $250,000 to                              made to Title XI and the Truth in
                                                  unnecessary regulatory requirements                      $400,000.24 Section II of this                             Lending Act (TILA) 28 through the
                                                  imposed on insured depository                            SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION invites                          Dodd-Frank Act governing the scope of
                                                  institutions (IDIs).21                                   comments on this proposed increase.                        transactions requiring the services of a
                                                     As part of the EGRPRA review, the                     The agencies also stated their intention                   certified or licensed appraiser. These
                                                  agencies received numerous comments                      to gather more information about the                       include the addition of the CFPB to the
                                                  from bankers, banking trade                              appropriateness of increasing the $1                       group of agencies assigned a role in the
                                                  associations, associations of appraisers,                million threshold for qualifying                           appraisal threshold-setting process for
                                                  and other commenters related to the                      business loans, which is being done                        Title XI,29 and a new TILA provision
                                                  Title XI appraisal regulations. These                    through a request for comment in                           requiring appraisals for loans involving
                                                  comments included recommendations                        Section III of the SUPPLEMENTARY                           ‘‘higher-risk mortgages.’’ 30
                                                  to increase the thresholds at or below                   INFORMATION.                                                  25 Other Federal Government agencies involved
                                                  which real estate-related financial                         In the EGRPRA Report, the agencies                      in the residential mortgage market include the U.S.
                                                  transactions are exempt from the Title                   also addressed whether it would be                         Department of Housing and Urban Development
                                                  XI appraisal requirements. Some                          appropriate to increase the current                        (HUD), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and
                                                  commenters noted that the current                        $250,000 threshold for transactions                        the Rural Housing Service of the U.S. Department
                                                                                                                                                                      of Agriculture. These agencies, along with the GSEs
                                                  thresholds have not been adjusted since                  secured by residential real estate. The                    (which are regulated by the Federal Housing
                                                  they were established in 1994, even                      agencies determined that it would not                      Finance Agency (FHFA)), have the authority to set
                                                                                                           be appropriate to increase the threshold                   separate appraisal requirements for loans they
                                                     19 See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(b); Board: 12 CFR                                                                       originate, acquire, or guarantee, and generally
                                                                                                           for this category of transactions at this                  require an appraisal by a certified or licensed
                                                  225.63(b); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(b).
                                                     20 75 FR 77450 (Dec. 10, 2010). See also
                                                                                                           time based on three considerations.                        appraiser for residential mortgages regardless of the
                                                  Interagency Advisory on the Use of Evaluations in        First, the agencies observed that any                      loan amount.
                                                  Real Estate-Related Financial Transactions, OCC          increase in the threshold for residential                     26 See FFIEC, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act,

                                                  Bulletin 2016–8 (March 4, 2016); Board SR Letter         transactions would have a limited                          www.ffiec.gov/hmda/.
                                                                                                                                                                         27 The agencies posited in the 1994 amendments
                                                  16–5 (March 4, 2016); Supervisory Expectations for       impact on burden, as appraisals would
                                                  Evaluations, FDIC FIL–16–2016 (March 4, 2016).                                                                      to the Title XI appraisal regulations that the timing
                                                     21 Public Law 104–208, Div. A, Title II, sec. 2222,   still be required for the vast majority of                 of the appraisal may provide limited consumer
                                                  110 Stat. 3009–414, (1996) (codified at 12 U.S.C.        these transactions pursuant to rules of                    protection. Changes to consumer protection
                                                  3311). The FFIEC is an interagency body comprised        other federal government agencies and                      regulations since 1994 now ensure that a consumer
                                                  of the Board, OCC, FDIC, NCUA, Bureau of                                                                            receives a copy of appraisals and other valuations
                                                                                                           the government-sponsored enterprises                       used by a creditor to make a credit decision at least
                                                  Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) and State
                                                  Liaison Committee. Of these, only the Board, OCC                                                                    three business days before consummation of the
                                                  and FDIC are statutorily required to undertake the
                                                                                                              22 Earlier this year, the agencies and the NCUA         transaction (for closed-end credit) or account
                                                  EGRPRA review. The FFIEC does not issue                  issued an advisory on appraiser availability that          opening (for open-end credit). See 12 CFR 1002.14
                                                  regulations that impose burden on financial              points to alternatives that may help in areas facing       (for business or consumer credit secured by a first
                                                  institutions and therefore its regulations were not      a shortage of appraisers. Interagency Advisory on          lien on a dwelling).
                                                  included in the EGRPRA review. The NCUA is not           the Availability of Appraisers. See OCC Bulletin              28 15 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.

                                                                                                           2017–19 (May 31, 2017); Board SR Letter 17–4 (May             29 Dodd-Frank Act, Public Law 111–203, Title
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                                                  required to participate in the EGRPRA review, but
                                                  elected to review its regulations pursuant to the        31, 2017); FDIC FIL–19–2017 (May 31, 2017).                XIV, sec. 1473(a), 124 Stat. 2190 (2010), (codified
                                                                                                              23 FFIEC, Joint Report to Congress: Economic            at 12 U.S.C. 3341(b)), as discussed earlier in this
                                                  goals of EGRPRA, as it did during the agencies’ first
                                                  EGRPRA review 10 years ago. Accordingly, the             Growth and Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act,             SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
                                                  NCUA participated in the recent EGRPRA review            (March 2017), (EGRPRA Report), available at                   30 ‘‘Higher-risk mortgages’’ are certain mortgages

                                                  process with the Board, OCC and FDIC. The results        https://www.ffiec.gov/pdf/2017_FFIEC_EGRPRA_               with an annual percentage rate that exceeds the
                                                  of the NCUA’s review are included in Part II of the      Joint-Report_to_Congress.pdf.                              average prime offer rate by a specified percentage.
                                                  EGRPRA Report, described below. The CFPB is                 24 The $250,000 threshold in the current Title XI       See Dodd-Frank Act, Public Law 111–203, Title
                                                  required to review its significant rules and publish     appraisal regulations applies, by its terms, to all real   XIV, sec. 1471, 124 Stat. 2185 (2010), which added
                                                  a report of its review no later than five years after    estate-related financial transactions, whether or not      section 129H to TILA, (codified at 15 U.S.C. 1639h).
                                                  the rules takes effect. See 12 U.S.C. 5512(d).           the borrower is a consumer.                                                                           Continued




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                                                  35482                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                     During the EGRPRA process, the staff                  $400,000, which represents an increase                 Definition of Commercial Real Estate
                                                  of the agencies conferred with the CFPB                  from the current threshold of $250,000                 Transaction
                                                  regarding comments the agencies                          for all real estate-related financial                     The proposed $400,000 threshold
                                                  received supporting an increase in the                   transactions.                                          would apply only to transactions
                                                  threshold for 1-to-4 family residential                     In considering whether to propose an                defined as ‘‘commercial real estate
                                                  transactions. CFPB staff shared the view                 increased threshold for commercial real                transactions.’’ Under the proposed
                                                  that appraisals can provide consumer                     estate transactions, the agencies                      definition, a commercial real estate
                                                  protection benefits and their concern                    considered the comments received                       transaction would include any ‘‘real
                                                  about potential risks to consumers                       through the EGRPRA process, and took                   estate-related financial transaction,’’ as
                                                  resulting from an expansion of the                       into account whether changes to the                    defined in the Title XI appraisal
                                                  number of residential mortgage                           threshold would be appropriate to                      regulations, excluding any loans
                                                  transactions that would be exempt from                   reduce regulatory burden consistent                    secured by a 1-to-4 family residential
                                                  the Title XI appraisal requirement.                      with the federal financial and public                  property,33 but including loans that
                                                     Third, the agencies considered safety                 policy interests in real estate-related                finance the construction of buildings
                                                  and soundness concerns that could                        financial transactions and the safety and              with 1-to-4 dwelling units and that do
                                                  result from a threshold increase for                     soundness of regulated institutions.                   not include permanent financing.34
                                                  residential transactions. As the EGRPRA                     As stated, the threshold for exempt                 Accordingly, the definition would
                                                  Report noted, the 2008 financial crisis                  transactions was last modified in 1994.                include a loan extended to a consumer
                                                  showed that, like other asset classes,                   Given increases in commercial property                 to finance the initial construction 35 of
                                                  imprudent residential mortgage lending                   values since that time, the current                    the consumer’s dwelling, but exclude
                                                  can pose significant risks to financial                  threshold requires institutions to obtain              loans that provide both initial
                                                  institutions.                                            Title XI appraisals on a larger                        construction funding and permanent
                                                     For these reasons, the agencies                       proportion of commercial real estate                   financing.36
                                                  concluded in the EGRPRA Report that a                    transactions than in 1994. This increase                  The proposed definition would
                                                  change to the current $250,000                           in the number of appraisals required                   largely capture the following four
                                                  threshold for residential mortgage loans                 may contribute to the increased burden                 categories of loans secured by real estate
                                                  would not be appropriate at the present                  in time and cost described by the                      in the Consolidated Reports of
                                                  time. The agencies are interested in                     EGRPRA commenters.                                     Condition and Income (Call Report) 37
                                                  comment on whether there are other                          Based on supervisory experience and                 (FFIEC 031; RCFD 1410), namely loans
                                                  factors that should be considered in                     available data, the agencies propose to                that are: (1) For construction, land
                                                  evaluating the current threshold for 1-                  increase the threshold for commercial                  development, and other land loans; (2)
                                                  to-4 family residential transactions and                 real estate transactions, as defined                   secured by farmland; (3) secured by
                                                  whether the threshold can and should                     below, to $400,000. This proposal                      residential properties with five or more
                                                  be raised, consistent with consumer                      would reduce burden for both rural and                 units; or (4) secured by nonfarm
                                                  protection, safety and soundness, and                    non-rural institutions and, as discussed               nonresidential properties. However,
                                                  reduction of unnecessary regulatory                      below, would not pose a threat to the                  loans that provide both initial
                                                  burden. The agencies will also continue                  safety and soundness of financial                      construction funding and permanent
                                                  to consider possibilities for relieving                  institutions. The agencies are consulting              financing and are reported as
                                                  burden related to appraisals for                         with the CFPB regarding this proposal                  construction, land development, and
                                                  residential mortgage loans, such as                      and will continue this consultation in                 other land loans during the construction
                                                  coordination of the agencies’ Title XI                   developing a final rule.                               phase would be excluded from the
                                                  appraisal regulations with the practices                    The agencies propose to make the                    definition.
                                                  of HUD, the GSEs, and other federal                                                                                The definition generally aligns with
                                                                                                           proposal, if adopted, effective on
                                                  participants in the residential real estate                                                                     the categories of transactions to which
                                                                                                           publication of the final rule in the
                                                  market.                                                  Federal Register.32                                       33 A 1-to-4 family residential property is a
                                                  II. Revisions to the Title XI Appraisal                     Question 1. The agencies invite                     property containing one, two, three, or four
                                                  Regulations                                              comment on the proposed effective date,                individual dwelling units, including manufactured
                                                                                                           including whether this time period is                  homes permanently affixed to the underlying land
                                                  A. Threshold Increase for Commercial                     appropriate and, if not, why.
                                                                                                                                                                  (when deemed to be real property under state law).
                                                  Real Estate Transactions                                                                                        See OCC: 12 CFR part 34, subpart D, appendix A;
                                                                                                                                                                  Board: 12 CFR part 208, appendix C; FDIC: 12 CFR
                                                  Overview of Proposal                                        32 The Riegle Community Development and             part 365, subpart A, appendix A.
                                                                                                                                                                     34 The second part of the definition is intended
                                                                                                           Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, Public Law
                                                    The agencies propose to amend the                      103–325, 108 Stat. 2163 (Riegle Act) provides that     to clarify, not be an exception to, the first part.
                                                  Title XI appraisal regulations to increase               rules imposing additional reporting, disclosures, or      35 ‘‘Initial construction’’ refers to construction of

                                                  the monetary threshold for commercial                    other new requirements on IDIs generally must take     a new dwelling, as opposed to improvements on an
                                                                                                           effect on the first day of a calendar quarter that     existing dwelling. This is intended to be consistent
                                                  real estate transactions at or below                     begins on or after the date on which the regulations   with the meaning of this phrase in provisions of
                                                  which a Title XI appraisal would not be                  are published in final form. 12 U.S.C. 4802(b). As     TILA and its implementing regulation, Regulation
                                                  required.31 The proposal would                           discussed further in the Section IV of the             Z. See, e.g., 15 U.S.C. 1602(x); 12 CFR 1026.2(a)(24).
                                                  establish a separate threshold for                       SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, the proposed rule              36 The agencies propose to exclude consumer

                                                                                                           does not impose any new requirements on IDIs,          ‘‘construction-to-permanent’’ loans because these
                                                  commercial real estate transactions of
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                                                                                                           and, as such, the effective date requirement of the    loans are, in effect, for the purchase of 1-to-4 family
                                                                                                           Riegle Act is inapplicable. Additionally, the 30-day   residential property, which would otherwise be
                                                  See also Appraisals for Higher-Priced Mortgage           delayed effective date required under the              subject to the $250,000 threshold. This carve-out for
                                                  Loans, 78 FR 78520 (December 26, 2013)                   Administrative Procedure Act (APA) is waived           construction-to-permanent financing would avoid
                                                  (interagency rule implementing appraisal                 pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(1), which provides a       the anomaly of requiring appraisals for permanent
                                                  requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans).          waiver when a substantive rule grants or recognizes    financing of 1-to-4 family residential properties
                                                     31 The agencies have coordinated with the NCUA        an exception or relieves a restriction. The proposed   above $250,000 while allowing an evaluation for
                                                  in developing this proposal. The agencies                rule would exempt certain transactions from the        permanent financing (at or below $400,000) that is
                                                  understand that the NCUA is evaluating options to        Title XI appraisal requirements. Consequently, the     preceded by a construction phrase.
                                                  develop a separate proposal to provide comparable        proposed rule meets the requirements for waiver set       37 See https://www.ffiec.gov/pdf/FFIEC_forms/

                                                  relief for federally insured credit unions.              forth in the APA.                                      FFIEC031_201703_f.pdf.



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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                                    35483

                                                  agency guidance on commercial real                          As discussed further below, financial                direct measure of the changes in
                                                  estate lending applies.38 The agencies                   institutions report information about                   commercial real estate prices in the
                                                  are treating construction-only loans to                  consumer construction loans aggregated                  United States.43 The CRE Index is
                                                  consumers as commercial real estate                      with other construction loans through                   comprised of data from the CoStar
                                                  transactions to maintain consistency                     the Call Report.41 Thus, much of the                    Commercial Repeat Sale Index,44 which
                                                  with other regulations and guidance that                 supervisory information that the                        uses repeat sale regression analysis of
                                                  address construction loans to consumers                  agencies receive, including the basis for               1.7 million commercial property sales
                                                  in other contexts.                                       the analysis presented below, aggregates                records to compare the change in price
                                                     Supervisory experience indicates that                 consumer construction loans with other                  for the same property between its most
                                                  financial institutions generally                         construction loans secured by 1-to-4                    recent and previous sale transactions.45
                                                  administer construction loans to                         residential properties.                                 The data incorporated into this index
                                                  consumers in a way similar to                               Question 2. The agencies invite                      covers properties across the country and
                                                  construction loans to businesses.                        comment on the proposed definition of                   across all price ranges,46 from before
                                                  Therefore, subjecting most construction                  commercial real estate transaction.                     1994 through the present.
                                                  loans to the same threshold would                           Question 3. The proposed definition                    Based on a review of the CRE Index,
                                                  minimize regulatory burden. This                         of commercial real estate transaction                   prices for commercial real estate have
                                                  treatment would also be consistent with                  would include loans to consumers for                    increased since 1994, resulting in an
                                                  other mortgage-related rules, which                      the initial construction of their dwelling              increased proportion of commercial real
                                                  exempt consumer construction loans                       or transactions financing the                           estate transactions exceeding the
                                                  from various consumer protection                         construction of any building with 1-to-                 threshold level today compared to 1994.
                                                  requirements.39 The agencies believe                     4 dwelling units, so long as the loan                   Based on the change in the CRE Index,
                                                  that promoting consistency in                            does not include permanent financing,                   a commercial property that sold for
                                                  definitions and structure across                         with the effect of permitting these loans               $250,000 as of June 30, 1994 would be
                                                  different regulations can reduce                         to qualify for the higher $400,000                      expected to sell for approximately
                                                  confusion and regulatory burden for                      threshold. The agencies invite comment                  $830,000 as of December 2016.
                                                  financial institutions.                                  on the consumer, regulatory burden,                     However, as shown below in Table 1,
                                                     Moreover, including all 1-to-4 family                 and other implications of the proposal.                 the price of commercial real estate can
                                                  residential construction-only loans in                   What would be the implications of not                   be particularly volatile. For example,
                                                  the proposed definition of commercial                    including these loans in the definition,                the CRE Index indicates a commercial
                                                  real estate transactions is consistent                   which would leave the current $250,000                  property that sold for $250,000 in 1994
                                                  with the agencies’ longstanding practice                 threshold in place?                                     would be expected to sell for
                                                  under the Title XI appraisal regulations                    Question 4. The agencies invite                      approximately $412,000 in December
                                                  of treating construction loans for 1-to-4                comment on the consumer, regulatory                     2003, $711,000 in December 2007, and
                                                  family residential properties as                         burden, and other implications of the                   $423,000 in March 2010, when
                                                  ‘‘nonresidential’’ for purposes of the                   proposed exclusion of construction-to-                  commercial real estate prices were at
                                                  requirement that certified appraisers be                 permanent loans from the definition of                  their lowest point in the most recent
                                                  used for ‘‘nonresidential’’ federally                    commercial real estate transaction,
                                                  related transactions.40                                                                                          downturn.
                                                                                                           meaning that the current $250,000                         In proposing to raise the commercial
                                                                                                           threshold would apply. What would be                    real estate threshold to $400,000 the
                                                     38 Real Estate Lending: Interagency Statement on
                                                                                                           the implications of including                           agencies are approximating prices at the
                                                  Prudent Risk Management for Commercial Real
                                                  Estate Lending, OCC Bulletin 2015–51 (December           construction-to-permanent loans in the                  low point of the most recent cycle,
                                                  18, 2015); Statement on Prudent Risk Management          definition of commercial real estate                    which occurred in 2010. This more
                                                  for Commercial Real Estate Lending, Board SR             transaction, thus allowing these loans to               conservative approach is appropriate
                                                  Letter 15–17 (December 18, 2015); Statement on           qualify for the higher $400,000
                                                  Prudent Risk Management for CRE Lending, FDIC                                                                    because it takes into consideration the
                                                  FIL–62–2015 (December 18, 2015); Guidance on             threshold?
                                                  Prudent Loan Workouts, OCC Bulletin 2009–32
                                                  (October 30, 2009); Policy Statement on Prudent
                                                                                                           Threshold Increase                                      Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Financial
                                                  Commercial Real Estate Loan Workouts, Board SR                                                                   Accounts of the United States, https://
                                                                                                              The agencies propose to increase the                 www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/current/
                                                  Letter 09–07 (October 30, 2009); Policy Statement
                                                  on Prudent Commercial Real Estate Loan Workouts,
                                                                                                           threshold in the Title XI appraisal                     default.htm.
                                                  FDIC FIL–61–2009 (October 30, 2009);                     regulations for commercial real estate                     43 The CRE Index is quarterly and not seasonally

                                                  Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending,        transactions from $250,000 to $400,000.                 adjusted. See Board of Governors of the Federal
                                                  Sound Risk Management Practices, 71 FR 74580                                                                     Reserve System, Series analyzer for
                                                                                                           In determining the level of increase, the               FL075035503.Q, https://www.federalreserve.gov/
                                                  (December 12, 2006).
                                                     39 78 FR 10368 (February 13, 2013) (exempting
                                                                                                           agencies considered the change in                       apps/fof/SeriesAnalyzer
                                                  transactions to finance the initial construction of a    prices for commercial real estate                       .aspx?s=FL075035503&t=&bc=:FI075035503,
                                                  dwelling from the higher-priced mortgage appraisal       measured by the Federal Reserve                         FL075035503&suf=Q; Board of Governors of the
                                                  rule); 78 FR 4725 (January 22, 2013) (exempting                                                                  Federal Reserve System, Series Structure, https://
                                                                                                           Commercial Real Estate Price Index                      www.federalreserve.gov/apps/fof/
                                                  transactions to finance the initial construction of a
                                                  dwelling from the higher-priced mortgage escrow
                                                                                                           (‘‘CRE Index’’). The CRE Index 42 is a                  SeriesStructure.aspx.
                                                                                                                                                                      44 Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
                                                  requirements); 78 FR 6408 (January 30, 2013)
                                                  (exempting transactions to finance the initial           agencies have long subjected such loans to this         System, Series analyzer for FL075035503.Q, https://
                                                  construction of a dwelling from the ability-to-repay     requirement, as opposed to permitting licensed          www.federalreserve.gov/apps/fof/SeriesAnalyzer
                                                  requirements); 78 FR 6856 (January 31, 2013)             appraisers, which is the case for typical 1-to-4        .aspx?s=FL075035503&t=&bc=:FI075035503,
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                                                  (exempting transactions to finance the initial           family residential properties.                          FL075035503&suf=Q. Data for years prior to 1996
                                                  construction of a dwelling from the high-cost              41 See series RCFD F158 and F159.                     are comprised of a weighted average of three
                                                  mortgage loan term restrictions and disclosure             42 The Board publishes data on the flow of funds      appraisal-based commercial property series from
                                                  requirements in the Home Ownership and Equity            and levels of financial assets and liabilities, by      National Real Estate Investor. Id.
                                                  Protections Act); 76 FR 79772 (December 22, 2011)                                                                   45 CoStar, Federal Reserve’s Flow of Funds to
                                                                                                           sector and financial instrument; full balance sheets,
                                                  (exempting loans with maturity of 12 months or less      including net worth, for households and nonprofit       Incorporate CoStar Group’s Price Indices, CoStar
                                                  for the construction primary dwelling from the           organizations, nonfinancial corporate businesses,       (June 4, 2012), http://www.costar.com/News/
                                                  balloon payment limitations).                            and nonfinancial noncorporate businesses;               Article/Federal-Reserves-Flow-of-Funds-To-
                                                     40 See OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(d); Board: 12 CFR            Integrated Macroeconomic Accounts; and                  Incorporate-CoStar-Groups-Price-Indices/138998.
                                                  225.63(d)(2); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(d)(2). The              additional supplemental detail. See, Board of              46 See id.




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                                                  35484                             Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                  volatility in actual prices of commercial                               by these general indices indirectly affect                            component of the change in commercial
                                                  real estate over time.                                                  commercial real estate values. For                                    real estate values.
                                                    This figure is also consistent with                                   example, the change in rents for                                        As indicated in the table below, when
                                                  general measures of inflation across the                                multifamily housing affects the value of                              adjusting a $250,000 basket of goods
                                                  economy since 1994, when the current                                    underlying properties, and the change                                 under the CPI and PCE from 1994
                                                  threshold of $250,000 was set. The                                      in prices of consumer products affects                                dollars to 2017 dollars and using a
                                                  agencies considered general inflation                                   the value of retail and warehouse space.                              lowest point in the cycle adjustment for
                                                  indices, including the Consumer Price                                   While these indices are not directly                                  the prices for commercial real estate
                                                  Index (CPI) 47 and the Personal                                         based on changes in commercial real                                   under the CRE Index, each of the
                                                  Consumption Expenditures Price Index                                    estate prices, general inflation is a                                 indices considered approximately tracks
                                                  (PCE).48 Certain price changes tracked                                                                                                        the $400,000 proposed threshold.
                                                      TABLE 1—INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS OF $250,000 AT JUNE 30, 1994, FOR THE CRE INDEX; JULY 1994 FOR THE CPI
                                                                                   INDEX AND JULY 1, 1994, FOR THE PCE INDEX
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Adjusted
                                                  Index source:                                        Index series:                                                                          Dated adjusted to                              amount

                                                  CRE Index ..................................         Flow of Funds ................................................      December 2016 .............................................         $830,674
                                                                                                                                                                           March 2010 ....................................................      423,659
                                                                                                                                                                           December 2007 .............................................          711,367
                                                                                                                                                                           December 2003 .............................................          412,194
                                                  CPI ..............................................   All items, US ..................................................    March 2017 ....................................................      401,166
                                                  PCE ............................................     All products ....................................................   March 2017 ....................................................      373,706



                                                     Question 5. The agencies invite                                      experience and available data indicates                               decades suggest that larger acquisition,
                                                  comment on the proposed level of                                        that the proposed threshold level of                                  construction, and development 52
                                                  $400,000 for the threshold at or below                                  $400,000 for commercial real estate                                   transactions were more likely to be
                                                  which regulated institutions would not                                  transactions would not pose a threat to                               troublesome due to the lack of
                                                  be required to obtain appraisals for                                    the safety and soundness of financial                                 appropriate underwriting and
                                                  commercial real estate transactions.                                    institutions.                                                         administration of issues unique to larger
                                                     Question 6. How would having three                                      Many variables, including changing                                 properties, such as longer construction
                                                  threshold levels ($250,000 for all                                      market conditions and various loan                                    periods, extended ‘‘lease up’’ periods
                                                  transactions, $400,000 for commercial                                   underwriting practices, may affect an                                 (the time required to lease a building
                                                  real estate transactions, and $1 million                                institution’s loss experience. The                                    after construction), and the more
                                                  for qualifying business loans) rather                                   $250,000 threshold has been applicable                                complex nature of the construction of
                                                  than two threshold levels applicable to                                 to commercial real estate transactions                                such properties. The agencies have no
                                                  Title XI appraisals within the appraisal                                since 1994. Analysis of supervisory                                   evidence that increasing the appraisal
                                                  regulations affect burden to applicable                                 information concerning losses on                                      threshold to $400,000 for commercial
                                                  institutions?                                                           commercial real estate transactions                                   real estate transactions would materially
                                                                                                                          suggests that faulty valuations of the                                increase the risk of loss on such
                                                  Safety and Soundness Considerations                                                                                                           transactions.
                                                  for Increasing the Threshold for                                        underlying real estate collateral have
                                                  Commercial Real Estate Transactions                                     not been a material cause of losses in                                Coverage of the Threshold
                                                                                                                          connection with transactions at or
                                                     Under Title XI, the agencies may set                                 below $250,000. In the last three                                        The agencies’ analysis of available
                                                  a threshold at or below which an                                        decades, the banking industry suffered                                data 53 related to commercial real estate
                                                  appraisal performed by a state certified                                two crises in which poorly underwritten                               lending at financial institutions suggests
                                                  or licensed appraiser is not required if                                and administered commercial real estate                               that an increase in the threshold would
                                                  they determine in writing that such a                                   loans were a key feature in elevated                                  not pose a safety and soundness risk to
                                                  threshold level does not pose a threat to                               levels of loan losses and bank failures.50                            financial institutions.
                                                  the safety and soundness of financial                                   Supervisory experience and a review of                                   In order to consider the potential
                                                  institutions.49 Analysis of supervisory                                 material loss reviews 51 covering those                               impact of the proposed threshold
                                                     47 The CPI, which is published by the Bureau of                      www.frbsf.org/economic-research/indicators-data/                      (which for the OCC is the Inspector General of the
                                                  Labor Statistics (BLS), is a measure of the average                     pce-personal-consumption-expenditure-price-                           Department of the Treasury) shall prepare a report
                                                  change over time in the prices paid by urban                            index-pcepi/.                                                         to that agency, identifying the cause of failure and
                                                  consumers for a market basket of goods and                                 49 12 U.S.C. 3341(b).
                                                                                                                                                                                                reviewing the agency’s supervision of the
                                                  services. This series is published monthly and is                          50 See, e.g., FDIC, History of the Eighties—Lessons                institution. 12 U.S.C. 1831o(k).
                                                  not seasonally adjusted. See U.S. Dept. of Labor                        for the Future, Chapter 3: Commercial Real Estate                       52 Acquisition, development and construction
                                                  Statistics, Consumer Price Index, https://                              and the Banking Crises of the 1980s and Early                         refers to transactions that finance construction
                                                  www.bls.gov/cpi/.
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                                                                                                                          1990s, available at https://www.fdic.gov/bank/                        projects including land, site development, and
                                                     48 The PCE, which is published by the Bureau of                      historical/history/137_165.pdf; FDIC, Office of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                vertical construction. This type of financing is
                                                  Economic Analysis within the U.S. Department of                         Inspector General, EVAL–13–002, Comprehensive
                                                                                                                                                                                                typically recorded in the land or construction
                                                  Commerce, is the broadest measure of the average                        Study on the Impact of the Failure of Insured
                                                  change over time of the price of consumer goods                         Depository Institutions 50, Table 6 (January 2013),                   categories of the Call Report.
                                                                                                                                                                                                  53 The agencies have examined data from a
                                                  and services. This series is published monthly and                      available at https://www.fdicig.gov/reports13/13-
                                                  is seasonally adjusted. See U.S. Department of                          002EV.pdf.                                                            number of different sources to evaluate the impact
                                                  Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis,                                     51 Section 38(k) of the FDI Act, as amended,                       of the proposed change in the appraisal threshold
                                                  Consumer Spending, https://www.bea.gov/national/                        provides that if the Deposit Insurance Fund incurs                    on the safety and soundness of financial
                                                  consumer_spending.htm; Federal Reserve Bank of                          a ‘‘material loss’’ with respect to an IDI, the                       institutions, as no single data source is sufficient
                                                  San Francisco, PCE Inflation Dispersion, http://                        Inspector General of the appropriate regulator                        alone to fully analyze the impact.



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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                                      35485

                                                  change on safety and soundness, the                      not report on loans in all of the                        well-being of institutions as a whole. In
                                                  agencies considered how the coverage of                  categories that would be included in the                 1994, NFNR loans with original loan
                                                  transactions exempted by the threshold                   definition of commercial real estate                     amounts of $250,000 or less represented
                                                  would change, both in terms of number                    transaction by loan size, the agencies                   in the aggregate approximately 14
                                                  of transactions and aggregate value. The                 used loans secured by NFNR as a proxy                    percent of IDIs’ equity capital plus the
                                                  agencies considered three different                      for commercial real estate transactions                  allowance. By the fourth quarter of
                                                  metrics to estimate the overall coverage                 in this analysis.56 Data on NFNR loans                   2016, such loans represented only about
                                                  of the existing threshold and the                        are an effective proxy because the vast                  3 percent of IDIs’ equity capital plus the
                                                  proposed threshold: The number of                        majority of commercial real estate                       allowance.
                                                  commercial real estate transactions at or                transactions are in the NFNR category.                      To determine whether concentration
                                                  under the threshold as a share of the                    NFNR loans should mirror trends across                   risk would be similar for small
                                                  number of all commercial real estate                     all categories of commercial real estate                 institutions, the agencies separately
                                                  transactions; the dollar volume of                       transactions.                                            considered the percentage of NFNR
                                                  commercial real estate transactions at or                   IDIs report information on NFNR                       transactions exempted from the
                                                  under the threshold as a share of the                    loans in the Call Report by three                        appraisal threshold as a share of equity
                                                  total dollar volume of all commercial                    separate size categories: (1) Loans with                 capital plus the allowance for IDIs with
                                                  real estate transactions; and the dollar                 original amounts of $100,000 or less; (2)                assets of less than $1 billion. This
                                                  volume of commercial real estate                         loans with original amounts of more                      analysis produced similar results.
                                                  transactions at or under the threshold                   than $100,000, but $250,000 or less; and                 Approximately 30 percent of the dollar
                                                  relative to IDIs’ capital and the                        (3) loans with original amounts of more                  volume of all NFNR loans in such
                                                  allowance for loan and lease losses,                     than $250,000, but $1,000,000 or less.                   smaller institutions had original loan
                                                  which act as a buffer to absorb losses,                  They separately report the dollar                        amounts of $250,000 or less in 1994. By
                                                  as explained below. The agencies                         amount of all NFNR loans, including                      the fourth quarter of 2016, however,
                                                  examined data reported on the Call                       those over $1,000,000. Using this data,                  only about 11 percent of the dollar
                                                  Report 54 and data from the CoStar                       the agencies calculated the dollar                       volume of such loans had original loan
                                                  Comps database to estimate the volume                    amount of NFNR loans at or under the                     amounts of $250,000 or less. In 1994,
                                                  of commercial real estate transactions                   current $250,000 threshold as a                          the dollar volume of smaller IDIs’ NFNR
                                                  covered by the existing threshold and                    percentage of the dollar amount of all                   loans with original loan amounts of
                                                  increased thresholds.                                    NFNR loans.                                              $250,000 or less represented
                                                                                                              According to Call Report data, when                   approximately 33 percent of equity
                                                  Analysis of Call Report Data                             the threshold for real-estate related                    capital plus the allowance. These loans
                                                     The agencies’ analysis of data                        financial transactions was raised from                   represented only about 18 percent of
                                                  reported on the Call Report suggests that                $100,000 to $250,000 in 1994,                            IDIs’ equity capital plus the allowance
                                                  the threshold for commercial real estate                 approximately 18 percent of the dollar                   by the fourth quarter of 2016.
                                                  transactions could be raised without                     volume of all NFNR loans reported by                        Because IDIs report loans on the Call
                                                  exceeding the risk that these                            IDIs had original loan amounts of                        Report aggregated into only the three
                                                  transactions posed when the thresholds                   $250,000 or less. As of the fourth                       categories mentioned above (less than
                                                  were established in 1994.                                quarter of 2016, approximately 4                         $100,000, $100,000 to $250,000, and
                                                     All FDIC-insured depository                           percent of the dollar volume of such                     $250,000 to $1,000,000), the agencies
                                                  institutions report information about                    loans had original loan amounts of                       cannot use Call Report data to
                                                  loans on their balance sheets by                         $250,000 or less. This analysis suggests                 determine the precise percentage or
                                                  category of loan,55 but because IDIs do                  that a larger proportion of commercial                   number of transactions that would be
                                                                                                           real estate transactions now require                     exempted by the proposed $400,000
                                                     54 The agencies used data reported on Schedule
                                                                                                           appraisals than when the threshold was                   threshold or the precise impact of a
                                                  RC–C and RC–C Part II of the Call Report. Schedule       last raised.
                                                  RC–C includes the dollar volume of all loans
                                                                                                                                                                    $400,000 threshold on equity capital
                                                  secured by real estate, reported in the five
                                                                                                              In contemplating an increase in the                   plus the allowance.
                                                  categories: (1) For construction, land development,      threshold for commercial real estate
                                                  and other land loans (RCFD F158 and F159); (2)           transactions, the agencies also used Call                Analysis of CoStar Comps Data
                                                  secured by farmland (RCFD 1420); (3) secured by          Report data to consider the transactions                    As described below, the agencies have
                                                  residential properties with five or more units (RCFD
                                                  1460); or (4) secured by nonfarm nonresidential
                                                                                                           exempted from the appraisal threshold                    used the CoStar Comps database to
                                                  properties (RCFD F160 and F161); and (5) secured         as a share of equity capital plus the                    estimate this impact. The CoStar Comps
                                                  by residential properties with fewer than five           allowance for loan and lease losses (the                 database 57 provides sales value data on
                                                  dwelling units (RCFD 1797, 5367, and 5368). As           allowance), which is a measure of the                    specific commercial real estate
                                                  discussed earlier in this SUPPLEMENTARY
                                                  INFORMATION, the fifth category would not be
                                                                                                           potential concentration risk that these                  transactions. While there are some
                                                  included in the definition of commercial real estate     transactions could pose to the financial                 limitations regarding use of the CoStar
                                                  transaction. Schedule RC–C Part II, Loans to Small                                                                Comps database, as detailed below, the
                                                  Businesses and Farms, includes the number and            index.html. (‘‘Every national bank, state member         database contains information on sales
                                                  amount currently outstanding in each case reported       bank, insured state nonmember bank, and savings
                                                  in groupings by loan amount of loans secured by
                                                                                                                                                                    values for individual transactions, so it
                                                                                                           association (‘institution’) is required to file a Call
                                                  nonfarm, nonresidential real estate (NFNR), with         Report as of the close of business on the last day       can be used to estimate the number and
                                                  original amounts of $1,000,000 or less and loans         of each calendar quarter, i.e., the report date. The
                                                  secured by farmland with original amounts of             specific reporting requirements depend upon the
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                                                                                                                                                                      57 The CoStar Comps database is comprised of
                                                  $500,000 or less. Institutions do not report             size of the institution, the nature of its activities,   sales data involving commercial real estate
                                                  information on the size of land and construction or      and whether it has any foreign offices.’’).              properties. The agencies have limited their analysis
                                                  multifamily loans. See FFIEC, Consolidated Reports         56 Although farmland is reported by size of loan,      to arms-length completed sales, where the price is
                                                  of Condition and Income for a Bank with Domestic         such loans were also excluded from the analysis,         provided. The agencies have also limited the
                                                  and Foreign Offices—FFIEC 031, https://                  because they comprise a very small percent of            sample to properties that were financed. Owner-
                                                  www.ffiec.gov/pdf/FFIEC_forms/FFIEC031_201703_           overall commercial real estate transactions and are      occupied properties and sales of coops and
                                                  f.pdf.                                                   unlikely to materially affect the analysis. Moreover,    condominiums were excluded. The sample was also
                                                     55 See FDIC, Bank Financial Reports,                  the majority of farmland loans are considered            limited to existing buildings. Land includes only
                                                  Consolidated Reports of Condition and Income,            qualifying business loans and are eligible for the       raw land defined as land held for development or
                                                  https://www.fdic.gov/regulations/resources/call/         higher $1,000,000 threshold.                             held for investment.



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                                                  35486                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                  percentage of transactions that would                       Exempting an additional 11 percent of              proportion of small loans, given their
                                                  become exempt under the proposed                         commercial real estate transactions                   lower legal lending limits due to their
                                                  threshold change (i.e., those above                      would provide burden relief as sought                 smaller size) were lower than for larger
                                                  $250,000, but less than $400,000).58                     by some of the EGRPRA commenters.                     banks as a group.
                                                     The CoStar Comps database contains                    The 0.8 percentage point increase in the                 This data suggests that the loss
                                                  data for transactions involving                          dollar volume of commercial real estate               experience associated with commercial
                                                  nonresidential commercial mortgages,                     transactions that the CoStar data                     real estate loans for the banking system
                                                  multifamily and land. The CoStar                         suggests would be exempted from the                   as a whole has stayed at a relatively
                                                  Comps database is derived from sales                     appraisal requirements under the                      consistent rate through multiple credit
                                                  data and reflects the total transaction                  proposed threshold is unlikely to                     cycles. Thus, banking system safety and
                                                  amount, as opposed to the loan amount.                   expose financial institutions to                      soundness concerns associated with the
                                                  For purposes of this analysis, the                       increased safety and soundness risk.                  commercial real estate loan loss rates
                                                  agencies included only financed                                                                                have not increased. However,
                                                                                                           Analysis of Charge-Off Rates                          commercial real estate loan charge-off
                                                  transactions and assumed a loan-to-
                                                                                                              In addition to assessing changes in the            rates during periods of economic stress
                                                  value ratio of 85 percent for
                                                                                                           magnitude of transactions covered by                  have and will continue to vary across
                                                  nonresidential and multifamily
                                                                                                           the appraisal threshold, the agencies                 individual IDIs based on location,
                                                  commercial mortgages and a loan-to-
                                                                                                           assessed trends in the loss rate                      collateral, quality of underwriting and
                                                  value ratio of 65 percent for raw land
                                                                                                           experience of commercial real estate                  risk management, and other factors.
                                                  transactions 59 to arrive at an estimated
                                                                                                           transactions.                                         Thus commercial real estate loan
                                                  loan amount which would be equivalent                       While the agencies do not regularly
                                                  to the ‘‘transaction value’’ under the                                                                         concentration risk at individual
                                                                                                           collect data on rates of loss for                     institutions remains a focus for the
                                                  Title XI appraisal regulations. While the                commercial real estate by the size of
                                                  CoStar Comps database has some                                                                                 banking agencies.
                                                                                                           loans, they do collect net charge-off 61                 Question 7. The agencies invite
                                                  limitations for the purposes of                          data for commercial real estate loans on              comment on the safety and soundness
                                                  evaluating the proposed increase,60 it                   the Call Report. The agencies                         impact of the proposed $400,000
                                                  provides information that can be used to                 considered aggregate net charge-off rates             threshold for commercial real estate
                                                  estimate the dollar volume and number                    for commercial real estate loans in                   transactions.
                                                  of commercial real estate transactions                   determining whether the threshold                        Question 8. The agencies invite
                                                  that would potentially be exempted by                    would pose a threat to the safety and                 comment on the data used in this
                                                  the proposed threshold increase.                         soundness of financial institutions.62                analysis, and what alternative sources of
                                                     An analysis of the CoStar Comps                          In order to evaluate the impact of                 data would be appropriate for this
                                                  database suggests that increasing the                    commercial real estate lending on the                 analysis.
                                                  threshold to $400,000 would                              safety and soundness of the banking
                                                  significantly increase the number of                     system generally, the agencies compared               B. Use of Evaluations
                                                  commercial real estate transactions                      peak net charge-off rates for two                        The Title XI appraisal regulations
                                                  exempted from the Title XI appraisal                     periods: 1991 to 1994 and 2007 to 2012.               require regulated institutions to obtain
                                                  requirements, but the portion of the                     These periods represent two distress                  evaluations for three categories of real
                                                  total dollar size of commercial real                     cycles when aggregate net charge-offs                 estate-related financial transactions that
                                                  estate transactions that would remain                    rose to their highest levels. The agencies            the agencies have determined do not
                                                  exempted by the threshold would be                       separately examined charge-off rates on               require a Title XI appraisal, including
                                                  minimal. The percentage of commercial                    lending for all commercial real estate                real-estate related financial transactions
                                                  properties with loans in the CoStar                      categories covering construction,                     at or below the $250,000 threshold and
                                                  Comps database that would be                             multifamily, nonfarm, nonresidential,                 qualifying business loans at or below
                                                  exempted from the Title XI appraisal                     and farmland. In order to evaluate                    the $1,000,000 threshold. Similarly, the
                                                  regulations by the threshold would                       whether commercial real estate lending                agencies propose to require that
                                                  increase from 17 percent to 28 percent                   may have a disparate impact on the                    institutions entering into commercial
                                                  if the threshold were raised from                        safety and soundness of IDIs of varying               real estate transactions at or below the
                                                  $250,000 to $400,000. However, the                       sizes, the agencies examined peak                     proposed $400,000 threshold obtain
                                                  total dollar volume of loans for                         charge-off rates on loans for all IDIs, IDIs          evaluations that are consistent with safe
                                                  commercial properties in the CoStar                      under one billion dollars in total assets,            and sound banking practices for such
                                                  Comps database would only increase                       IDIs with total assets between one                    transactions.63
                                                  from 0.7 percent to 1.5 percent.                         billion dollars and ten billion dollars,                 An evaluation provides a general
                                                                                                           and IDIs with total assets of more than               estimate of the value of real estate, but
                                                     58 This same analysis could not be performed          ten billion dollars.                                  is not subject to the same requirements
                                                  using Call Report data because, as described above,         The analysis showed that aggregate                 as a Title XI appraisal. An evaluation
                                                  transactions reported for purposes of the Call           peak net charge-off rates for the most                should provide appropriate information
                                                  Report are either reported in groupings of large         recent cycle were generally no worse                  to enable the institution to make a
                                                  value ranges or not reported by size at all.
                                                     59 The Interagency Guidelines for Real Estate
                                                                                                           than those recorded for the prior cycle,              prudent decision regarding the
                                                  Lending provides that institutions’ loan-to-value        with the exception of construction                    transaction. Through the Guidelines, the
                                                  limits should not exceed 85 percent for loans            loans. Moreover, aggregate commercial                 agencies have provided guidance to
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                                                  secured by improved property and 65 percent for          real estate loan loss rates for banks less            regulated institutions on their
                                                  loans secured by raw land. See OCC: 12 CFR part          than $1 billion (which would
                                                  34, subpart D, appendix A; Board: 12 CFR part 208,
                                                                                                                                                                 expectations regarding when and how
                                                  appendix C; FDIC: 12 CFR part 365, subpart A,            reasonably be expected to have a larger               evaluations should be used. The
                                                  appendix A.
                                                     60 For example, the database tends to                   61 Net charge-offs are charge-offs minus              63 When a below-threshold transaction also

                                                  underrepresent sales of smaller properties and           recoveries.                                           qualifies for an exemption from the appraisal
                                                  transactions in rural markets, and includes                62 Net charge-offs represent losses to financial    requirements for a reason other than being below
                                                  transactions that are not financed by depository         institutions, which, in the aggregate, can pose a     one of the thresholds or a qualifying existing
                                                  institutions.                                            threat to safety and soundness.                       extension of credit, no evaluation is required.



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                                                                             Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                                    35487

                                                  Guidelines describe the transactions for                     The agencies also considered the costs             certified appraiser.’’ 68 In order to make
                                                  which financial institutions are required                 in terms of time to obtain and process                this paragraph consistent with the other
                                                  to obtain an evaluation, and recommend                    appraisals and evaluations. There may                 proposed changes to the appraisal
                                                  that institutions develop policies and                    be less delay in finding appropriate                  regulations, the agencies are proposing
                                                  procedures for identifying when to                        personnel to perform an evaluation than               a change to its wording to introduce the
                                                  obtain appraisals for such transactions.                  to perform a Title XI appraisal,                      $400,000 threshold and use the term
                                                     Institutions should conduct                            particularly in rural areas. As described             ‘‘commercial real estate transaction.’’
                                                  evaluations consistent with the                           in the Guidelines, financial institutions             The amendment to this provision would
                                                  provisions in the Guidelines.64 As                        should review the property valuation                  be a technical change that would not
                                                  described in the Guidelines, evaluations                  prior to entering into the transaction.               alter any substantive requirement.
                                                  should be performed by persons who                        Financial institutions require less time
                                                  are competent and have the relevant                                                                             III. Appraisal Threshold for Qualifying
                                                                                                            to review evaluations than to review
                                                  experience and knowledge of the                                                                                 Business Loans
                                                                                                            appraisals, because evaluations contain
                                                  market, location, and type of real                        less detailed information. The agencies                 As noted above, in the 2017 EGRPRA
                                                  property being valued.65 Evaluations                      estimate that, on average, the review                 Report to Congress, the agencies stated
                                                  may be completed by a bank employee                       process for an appraisal would take                   their intention to gather more
                                                  or by a third party, as explained by the                  approximately forty minutes and the                   information about the appropriateness
                                                  Interagency Advisory on Use of                            review process for an evaluation would                of increasing the $1 million threshold
                                                  Evaluations in Real Estate-Related                        take approximately ten minutes. Thus,                 for qualifying business loans. The
                                                  Financial Transactions.66 Guidance on                     for affected transactions, the proposed               agencies are not proposing an increase
                                                  achieving independence in the                             rule would alleviate approximately                    in the business loan threshold at this
                                                  collateral valuation program can be                       thirty minutes of employee time per                   time, but the agencies invite comment
                                                  found in the Guidelines, among other                      transaction, in addition to the reduced               on the following questions concerning
                                                  sources.67 The Guidelines state that an                   delay and the cost savings of obtaining               the qualifying business loan exemption:
                                                  evaluation should provide an estimate                     an evaluation instead of an appraisal.                  Question 12. The agencies invite
                                                  of the property’s market value or                            In considering the aggregate effect of             comment and supporting data on the
                                                  sufficient information and analysis to                    this proposal, the agencies considered                appropriateness of raising the current
                                                  support the credit decision. The                          the number of affected transactions. As               $1,000,000 threshold for qualifying
                                                  Guidelines also describe the minimum                      previously discussed, the agencies                    business loans and the associated
                                                  content that an evaluation should                         estimate that the number of commercial                implications for safety and soundness.
                                                  contain.                                                  real estate transactions that would be                  Question 13. What unique risks do
                                                     In evaluating this proposal, the                                                                             institutions associate with qualifying
                                                                                                            exempted by the threshold is expected
                                                  agencies considered the impact to the                                                                           business loans?
                                                                                                            to increase by approximately 11 percent
                                                  financial system of the proposal, and                                                                             Question 14. What percentage of total
                                                                                                            under the proposed rule. Thus, while
                                                  specifically the impact to financial                                                                            real estate lending at financial
                                                                                                            the precise number of affected
                                                  institutions and borrowers of obtaining                                                                         institutions, by number of loans and
                                                                                                            transactions and the precise cost
                                                  evaluations instead of Title XI                                                                                 dollar volume of lending, are qualifying
                                                                                                            reduction per transaction cannot be
                                                  appraisals. Based on information from                                                                           business loans?
                                                                                                            determined, the proposed rule is
                                                  industry participants, the cost of third-
                                                                                                            expected to lead to significant cost                    Question 15. What is the average size
                                                  party evaluations of commercial real
                                                                                                            savings for institutions that engage in               of a qualifying business loan at financial
                                                  estate generally ranges from $500 to
                                                                                                            commercial real estate lending.                       institutions? What are the incidences of
                                                  over $1,500, whereas the cost of
                                                                                                               Question 9. The agencies invite                    default on qualifying business loans
                                                  appraisals of such properties generally
                                                                                                            comment on the proposed requirement                   compared to other commercial real
                                                  ranges from $1,000 to over $3,000.
                                                                                                            that regulated institutions obtain                    estate transactions that institutions have
                                                  Commercial real estate transactions with
                                                                                                            evaluations for commercial real estate                observed over time?
                                                  transaction values above $250,000 but at
                                                                                                            transactions at or below the $400,000                   Question 16. The agencies invite
                                                  or below $400,000 (affected
                                                                                                            threshold.                                            comment on the clarity of the
                                                  transactions), are likely to involve
                                                                                                               Question 10. What type of additional               application of the current threshold for
                                                  smaller and less complex properties,
                                                                                                            guidance, if any, do institutions need to             qualifying business loans, and on any
                                                  and appraisals and evaluations on such
                                                                                                            support the increased use of                          difficulty that financial institutions have
                                                  properties would likely be at the lower
                                                                                                            evaluations?                                          experienced in interpreting the
                                                  end of the cost range. This third-party
                                                                                                                                                                  limitation on source of repayment.
                                                  pricing information suggests a savings of                    Question 11. To what extent does the
                                                  several hundred dollars per affected                      use of evaluations reduce burden and                  IV. Request for Comments
                                                  transaction.                                              cost over the use of appraisals? To what                The Agencies invite comment on all
                                                                                                            extent are evaluations currently done by              aspects of the proposed rulemaking.
                                                    64 Guidelines at 75 FR 77461.                           in-house staff versus outsourced to                     Question 17. As discussed earlier, the
                                                    65 Interagency Appraisal and Evaluations
                                                                                                            appraisers or other qualified                         agencies have articulated several bases
                                                  Guidelines, 75 FR 77450, at 77458 (December 10,
                                                  2010).                                                    professionals?                                        for declining to propose an increase in
                                                    66 Interagency Advisory on Use of Evaluations in
                                                                                                                                                                  the residential threshold. The agencies
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                                                                                                            C. State Certified Appraiser Required
                                                  Real Estate-Related Financial Transactions, OCC
                                                  Bulletin 2016–8 (March 4, 2016); Board SR Letter
                                                                                                                                                                  request comment on whether there are
                                                                                                              The current Title XI appraisal                      other factors that should be considered
                                                  16–05 (March 4, 2016); Supervisory Expectations
                                                  for Evaluations, FDIC FIL–16–2016 (March 4, 2016).        regulations, require that ‘‘[a]ll federally           in evaluating the current appraisal
                                                    67 Guidelines at 75 FR 77457–58. See also               related transactions having a transaction             threshold for 1-to-4 family residential
                                                  Valuation Independence rules in Regulation Z,             value of $250,000 or more, other than                 properties.
                                                  which apply to all creditors and cover extensions         those involving appraisals of 1-to-4
                                                  of consumer credit that are or will be secured by
                                                  a consumer’s principal dwelling: Board: 12 CFR
                                                                                                            family residential properties, shall                    68 OCC: 12 CFR 34.43(d); Board: 12 CFR

                                                  226.42; CFPB: 12 CFR 1026.42.                             require an appraisal prepared by a State              225.63(d)(2); FDIC: 12 CFR 323.3(d)(2).



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                                                  35488                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                  V. Regulatory Analysis                                   other depository institutions; and $38.5              proposed threshold increase to ensure
                                                                                                           million or less in annual revenues for                that it would not pose a threat to the
                                                  A. Regulatory Flexibility Act
                                                                                                           the majority of non-bank entities that                safety and soundness of financial
                                                     OCC: The Regulatory Flexibility Act                   are likely to be subject to the proposed              institutions or erode protections for
                                                  (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., generally                   regulation.72 Based on the Board’s                    consumers who purchase 1-to-4 unit
                                                  requires that, in connection with a                      analysis, and for the reasons stated                  single-family homes.
                                                  rulemaking, an agency prepare and                        below, the proposed rule may have a                      The Board’s proposed rule would
                                                  make available for public comment a                      significant positive economic impact on               apply to state chartered banks that are
                                                  regulatory flexibility analysis that                     a substantial number of small entities.               members of the Federal Reserve System
                                                  describes the impact of the rule on small                Accordingly, the Board is publishing an               (state member banks), as well as bank
                                                  entities. However, the regulatory                        initial regulatory flexibility analysis.              holding companies and nonbank
                                                  flexibility analysis otherwise required                  The Board will conduct a final                        subsidiaries of bank holding companies
                                                  under the RFA is not required if an                      regulatory flexibility analysis after                 that engage in lending. There are
                                                  agency certifies that the rule will not                  consideration of comments received                    approximately 601 state member banks
                                                  have a significant economic impact on                    during the public comment period.                     and 35 nonbank lenders regulated by
                                                  a substantial number of small entities                      The Board requests public comment                  the Board that meet the SBA definition
                                                  (defined in regulations promulgated by                   on all aspects of this analysis.                      of small entities and would be subject
                                                  the Small Business Administration                                                                              to the proposed rule. Data currently
                                                  (SBA) to include commercial banks and                    1. Reasons for the Proposed Rule                      available to the Board do not allow for
                                                  savings institutions, and trust                             In response to comments received in                a precise estimate of the number of
                                                  companies, with assets of $550 million                   the EGRPRA process, the agencies are                  small entities that would be affected by
                                                  or less and $38.5 million or less,                       proposing to increase the threshold from              the proposed rule because the number
                                                  respectively) and publishes its                          $250,000 to $400,000 at or below which                of small entities that will engage in
                                                  certification and a brief explanatory                    a Title XI appraisal is not required for              commercial real estate transactions
                                                  statement in the Federal Register                        commercial real estate transactions.                  within the proposed threshold is
                                                  together with the rule.                                  Because commercial real estate prices                 unknown.
                                                     The OCC currently supervises                          have increased since 1994, when the                   3. Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping
                                                  approximately 956 small entities. Data                   current $250,000 threshold was                        and Other Compliance Requirements
                                                  currently available to the OCC are not                   established, a smaller percentage of
                                                  sufficient to estimate how many OCC-                     commercial real estate transactions are                  The proposed rule would reduce
                                                  supervised small entities make CRE                       currently exempted from the Title XI                  reporting, recordkeeping, and other
                                                  loans in amounts that fall between the                   appraisal requirements than when the                  compliance requirements for small
                                                  current and proposed thresholds.                                                                               entities. For transactions at or below the
                                                                                                           threshold was established. This
                                                  Therefore, we cannot estimate how                                                                              proposed threshold, regulated
                                                                                                           threshold adjustment is intended to
                                                  many small entities may be affected by                                                                         institutions would be given the option
                                                                                                           reduce the regulatory burden associated
                                                  the increase threshold. However,                                                                               to obtain an evaluation of the property
                                                                                                           with extending credit secured by
                                                  because the proposal does not contain                                                                          instead of an appraisal. Unlike
                                                                                                           commercial real estate in a manner that
                                                  any new recordkeeping, reporting, or                                                                           appraisals, evaluations may be
                                                                                                           is consistent with the safety and
                                                  compliance requirements, the proposal                                                                          performed by a lender’s own employees
                                                                                                           soundness of financial institutions.
                                                  will not impose costs on any OCC-                                                                              and are not required to comply with
                                                  supervised institutions. Accordingly,                    2. Statement of Objectives and Legal                  USPAP. As discussed in detail in
                                                  the OCC certifies that the proposed rule                 Basis                                                 Section II.B of the SUPPLEMENTARY
                                                                                                                                                                 INFORMATION, the cost of obtaining
                                                  will not have a significant economic                        As discussed above, the agencies’
                                                  impact on a substantial number of small                                                                        appraisals and evaluations can vary
                                                                                                           objective in proposing this threshold
                                                  entities.                                                                                                      widely depending on the size and
                                                                                                           increase is to reduce the regulatory
                                                     Board: The RFA,69 requires an agency                                                                        complexity of the property, the party
                                                                                                           burden associated with extending credit
                                                  either to provide an initial regulatory                                                                        performing the valuation, and market
                                                                                                           in a safe and sound manner by reducing
                                                  flexibility analysis with a proposed rule                                                                      conditions where the property is
                                                                                                           the number of commercial real estate
                                                  or certify that the proposed rule will not                                                                     located. Additionally, the costs of
                                                                                                           transactions that are subject to the Title
                                                  have a significant economic impact on                                                                          obtaining appraisals and evaluations
                                                                                                           XI appraisal requirements.
                                                  a substantial number of small entities.                                                                        may be passed on to borrowers. Because
                                                                                                              Title XI explicitly authorizes the
                                                  The proposed threshold increase applies                                                                        of this variation in cost and practice, it
                                                                                                           agencies to establish a threshold level at
                                                  to certain IDIs and non-bank entities                                                                          is not possible to precisely determine
                                                                                                           or below which a Title XI appraisal is
                                                  that make loans secured by commercial                                                                          the cost savings that regulated
                                                                                                           not required if the agencies determine in
                                                  real estate.70 The SBA establishes size                                                                        institutions will experience due to the
                                                                                                           writing that the threshold does not
                                                  standards that define which entities are                                                                       decreased cost of obtaining an
                                                                                                           represent a threat to the safety and
                                                  small businesses for purposes of the                                                                           evaluation rather than an appraisal.
                                                                                                           soundness of financial institutions and
                                                  RFA.71 The size standard to be                                                                                 However, based on information
                                                                                                           receive concurrence from the CFPB that
                                                  considered a small business is: $550                                                                           available to the Board, it is likely that
                                                                                                           such threshold level provides
                                                  million or less in assets for banks and                                                                        small entities and borrowers engaging in
                                                                                                           reasonable protection for consumers
                                                                                                                                                                 commercial real estate transactions
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                                                                                                           who purchase 1-to-4 unit single-family
                                                    69 5U.S.C. 601 et seq.                                                                                       could experience significant cost
                                                                                                           homes.73 Based on available data and
                                                    70 For its RFA analysis, the Board considered all                                                            reductions.
                                                                                                           supervisory experience, the agencies                     In addition to costing less to obtain
                                                  Board-regulated creditors to which the proposed
                                                  rule would apply.                                        tailored the size and scope of the                    than appraisals, evaluations also require
                                                    71 U.S. SBA, Table of Small Business Size
                                                                                                             72 Asset size and annual revenues are calculated
                                                                                                                                                                 less time to review than appraisals
                                                  Standards Matched to North American Industry
                                                  Classification System Codes, available at https://       according to SBA regulations. See 13 CFR 121 et       because they contain less detailed
                                                  www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_              seq.                                                  information. As discussed further in
                                                  Standards_Table.pdf.                                       73 12 U.S.C. 3341(b).                               Section II.B of the SUPPLEMENTARY


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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                                      35489

                                                  INFORMATION,   an appraisal takes                        rule on small entities.74 A regulatory                   original loan amount between $250,000
                                                  approximately forty minutes to review                    flexibility analysis is not required,                    and $1,000,000. The Call Report data
                                                  and an evaluation takes approximately                    however, if the agency certifies that the                also reflects that 8.85 percent of the
                                                  ten minutes to review. Thus, the                         rule will not have a significant                         dollar volume of agricultural loans
                                                  proposed rule would alleviate                            economic impact on a substantial                         secured by farmland has an original
                                                  approximately thirty minutes of                          number of small entities. The SBA has                    loan amount between $1 and $250,000,
                                                  employee time per affected transaction                   defined ‘‘small entities’’ to include                    while 7.49 percent have an original loan
                                                  for which the lender obtains an                          banking organizations with total assets                  amount between $250,000 and
                                                  evaluation instead of an appraisal.                      less than or equal to $550 million.75 For                $500,000.79 Assuming that the original
                                                    As previously discussed, the Board                     the reasons described below and                          amount of nonfarm, nonresidential
                                                  estimates that the percentage of                         pursuant to section 605(b) of the RFA,                   loans secured by real estate and the
                                                  commercial real estate transactions that                 the FDIC certifies that the final rule will              original amount of agricultural loans
                                                  would be exempted by the threshold is                    not have a significant economic impact                   secured by farmland are normally
                                                  expected to increase by approximately                    on a substantial number of small                         distributed, the FDIC estimates that
                                                  11 percent under the proposed rule. The                  entities.                                                between 6.08 percent and 12.95 percent
                                                  Board expects this percentage to be                         The FDIC supervises 3,744 depository                  of loan volume is at or below the
                                                  higher for small entities, because a                     institutions,76 of which, 3,028 are                      $400,000 threshold for these categories,
                                                  higher percentage of their loan                          defined as small banking entities by the                 respectively.
                                                  portfolios are likely to be made up of                   terms of the RFA.77 According to the                       Therefore, raising the appraisal
                                                  small, below-threshold loans than those                  Call Report, 3,010 small entities                        threshold from $250,000 to $400,000 for
                                                  of larger entities. Thus, while the                      reported holding some volume of real                     commercial real estate transactions
                                                  precise number of transactions that will                 estate related financial transactions that               could affect an estimated 1.53 percent to
                                                  be affected and the precise cost                         meet the proposed rule’s definition of a                 4.10 percent of the dollar volume of all
                                                  reduction per transaction cannot be                      commercial real estate transaction.78                    commercial real estate transactions
                                                  determined, the proposed rule is                         Therefore, 3,010 small entities could be                 originated each year. This estimate
                                                  expected to have a significant positive                  affected by the proposed rule.                           assumes that the distribution of loans
                                                  economic impact on small entities that                      The proposed rule will raise the                      for the other loan categories within the
                                                  engage in commercial real estate                         appraisal threshold for commercial real                  proposed definition of commercial real
                                                  lending.                                                 estate transactions from $250,000 to                     estate transactions is similar to those
                                                                                                           $400,000. Any commercial real estate                     loans secured by nonfarm,
                                                  4. Identification of Duplicative,
                                                                                                           transaction with a value in excess of the                nonresidential properties or farmland.
                                                  Overlapping, or Conflicting Federal                                                                                 The proposed rule is likely to reduce
                                                  Regulations                                              $400,000 threshold is required to have
                                                                                                           an appraisal by a state licensed or state                valuation review costs for covered
                                                     The Board has not identified any                      certified appraiser. Any commercial real                 institutions. The FDIC estimates that it
                                                  federal statutes or regulations that                     estate transaction at or below the                       takes a loan officer an average of 40
                                                  would duplicate, overlap, or conflict                    $400,000 threshold requires an                           minutes to review an appraisal to ensure
                                                  with the proposed revisions.                             evaluation.                                              that it meets that standards set forth in
                                                                                                              To estimate the dollar volume of                      Title XI, but 10 minutes to perform a
                                                  5. Discussion of Significant Alternatives
                                                                                                           commercial real estate transactions the                  similar review of an evaluation, which
                                                     The agencies considered additional                    proposed change could potentially                        does not need to meet the Title XI
                                                  burden-reducing measures, such as                        affect, the FDIC used information on the                 standards for appraisals. The proposed
                                                  increasing the commercial threshold to                   dollar volume and number of loans in                     rule increases the number of
                                                  a higher dollar amount and increasing                    the Call Report for small institutions                   commercial real estate transactions that
                                                  the residential and business loan                        from two categories of loans included in                 would require an evaluation by raising
                                                  thresholds, but have not proposed such                   the definition of a commercial real                      the appraisal threshold from $250,000 to
                                                  measures at this time for the safety and                 estate transaction. The Call Report data                 $400,000. Assuming that 15 percent of
                                                  soundness and consumer protection                        reflect that 4.55 percent of the dollar                  the outstanding balance of commercial
                                                  reasons previously discussed. For                        volume of nonfarm, nonresidential                        real estate transactions for small entities
                                                  transactions exempted from the Title XI                  loans secured by real estate has an                      gets renewed or replaced by new
                                                  appraisal requirements, the proposed                     original loan amount between $1 and                      originations each year, the FDIC
                                                  rule would require regulated                             $250,000, while 11.81 percent have an                    estimates that small entities originate
                                                  institutions to get an evaluation if they                                                                         $31.9 billion in new commercial real
                                                  do not get an appraisal. The agencies                         74 5
                                                                                                                  U.S.C. 601 et seq.                                estate transactions each year. Assuming
                                                  believe this requirement is necessary to                      75 13
                                                                                                                   CFR 121.201 (as amended, effective               that 1.53 percent to 4.10 percent of
                                                  protect the safety and soundness of                      December 2, 2014).                                       annual originations represent loans with
                                                  financial institutions, which is a legal                    76 FDIC-supervised institutions are set forth in 12
                                                                                                                                                                    an origination amount greater than
                                                  prerequisite to the establishment of any                 U.S.C. 1813(q)(2).
                                                                                                              77 FDIC Call Report, March 31, 2017.
                                                                                                                                                                    $250,000 but not more than $400,000,
                                                  threshold. The Board is not aware of any                    78 The proposed definition of ‘‘Commercial Real
                                                                                                                                                                    the FDIC estimates that the proposed
                                                  other significant alternatives that would                Estate Transaction’’ would largely capture the           rule will affect approximately 1,504 to
                                                  reduce burden on small entities without                  following four categories of loans secured by real       4,040 loans per year,80 or 0.5 percent to
                                                  sacrificing the safety and soundness of
sradovich on DSKBCFCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS




                                                                                                           estate in the Call Report (FFIEC 031; RCFD 1410),        1.33 percent of loans on average for
                                                  financial institutions or consumer                       namely loans that are: (1) For construction, land
                                                                                                           development, and other land loans; (2) secured by
                                                                                                                                                                    small FDIC-supervised institutions.
                                                  protections.                                             farmland; (3) secured by residential properties with
                                                     FDIC: The RFA generally requires                      five or more units; or (4) secured by nonfarm              79 FDIC  Call Report data, March 31, 2017.
                                                  that, in connection with a notice of                     nonresidential properties. However, loans that             80 Multiplying  $31.9 billion by 1.53 percent then
                                                  proposed rulemaking, an agency prepare                   provide both initial construction funding and            dividing the product by an average loan amount of
                                                                                                           permanent financing and are reported as                  $325,000 equals 1,504 loans and multiplying $31.9
                                                  and make available for public comment                    construction, land development, and other land           billion by 4.10 percent then dividing the product
                                                  an initial regulatory flexibility analysis               loans during the construction phase would be             by an average loan amount of $325,000 equals 4,040
                                                  describing the impact of the proposed                    excluded from the definition.                            loans.



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                                                  35490                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                  Therefore, based on an estimated hourly                  greater than $250,000 but less than or                      FDIC: Insured state nonmember banks
                                                  rate, the proposed rule would reduce                     equal to $400,000 for small FDIC-                        and state savings associations, insured
                                                  loan review costs for small entities by                  supervised institutions, the proposed                    state branches of foreign banks.
                                                  $51,625 to $138,673, on average, each                    rule could marginally increase lending                      General Description of Report: For
                                                  year.81 If lenders opt to not utilize an                 activity. As discussed previously,                       federally related transactions, Title XI
                                                  evaluation and require an appraisal on                   commenters in the EGRPRA review                          requires regulated institutions 87 to
                                                  commercial real estate transaction                       noted that appraisals can be costly and                  obtain appraisals prepared in
                                                  greater than $250,000 but not more than                  time consuming. By enabling small                        accordance with USPAP promulgated
                                                  $400,000 any reduction in costs would                    FDIC-supervised institutions to utilize                  by the Appraisal Standards Board of the
                                                  be smaller.                                              evaluations for more commercial real                     Appraisal Foundation. Generally, these
                                                     Any associated recordkeeping costs                    estate transactions, the proposed rule                   standards include the methods and
                                                  are unlikely to change for small FDIC-                   will reduce transaction costs. The                       techniques used to estimate the market
                                                  supervised entities as the amount of                     reduction in loan origination fees could                 value of a property as well as the
                                                  labor required to satisfy documentation                  marginally increase commercial real                      requirements for reporting such analysis
                                                  requirements for an evaluation or an                     estate lending activity for loans with an                and a market value conclusion in the
                                                  appraisal is estimated to be the same at                 origination value greater than $250,000                  appraisal. Regulated institutions are
                                                  about five minutes for either an                         and not more than $400,000.                              expected to maintain records that
                                                  appraisal or evaluation.                                                                                          demonstrate that appraisals used in
                                                     The proposed rule also is likely to                   B. Paperwork Reduction Act                               their real estate-related lending
                                                  reduce the loan origination costs                          Certain provisions of the proposed                     activities comply with these regulatory
                                                  associated with real estate appraisals for               rule contain ‘‘collection of information’’               requirements. For commercial real
                                                  commercial real estate borrowers. The                    requirements within the meaning of the                   estate transactions exempted from the
                                                  FDIC assumes that these costs are                        Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of                         Title XI appraisal requirements by the
                                                  always paid by the borrower for this                     1995.84 In accordance with the                           proposed rule, regulated institutions
                                                  analysis. Anecdotal information from                     requirements of the PRA, the agencies                    would still be required to obtain an
                                                  industry participants indicates that a                   may not conduct or sponsor, and the                      evaluation to justify the transaction
                                                  commercial real estate appraisal costs                   respondent is not required to respond                    amount. The agencies estimate that the
                                                  between $1,000 to over $3,000, or about                  to, an information collection unless it                  recordkeeping burden associated with
                                                  $2,000 on average, and a commercial                      displays a currently-valid Office of                     evaluations would be the same as the
                                                  real estate evaluation costs between                     Management and Budget (OMB) control                      recordkeeping burden associated with
                                                  $500 to over $1,500, or about $1,000 on                  number. The OMB control number for                       appraisals for such transactions.
                                                  average. Based on the prior                              the OCC is 1557–0190, the Board is                          Current Action: The threshold change
                                                  assumptions, the FDIC estimates that                     7100–0250, and the FDIC is 3064–0103,                    in the proposed rule will result in
                                                  the proposed rule will affect                            which would be extended, without                         lenders being able to use evaluations
                                                  approximately 1,504 to 4,040                             revision. The agencies have concluded                    instead of appraisals for certain
                                                  transactions per year,82 or 0.5 percent to               that the proposed rule does not contain                  transactions. It is estimated that the time
                                                  1.33 percent of loans on average for                     any changes to the current information                   required to document the review of an
                                                  small FDIC-supervised institutions.                      collections, however, the agencies are                   appraisal or an evaluation is the same.
                                                  Therefore, the proposed rule could                       revising the methodology for calculating                 While the rulemaking described in this
                                                  reduce loan origination costs for                        the burden estimates. The information                    proposed rule would not change the
                                                  borrowers doing business with small                      collection requirements contained in                     amount of time that institutions spend
                                                  entities by $1.5 to $4.0 million on                      this proposed rulemaking have been                       complying with the Title XI appraisal
                                                  average per year.83                                      submitted by the OCC and FDIC to OMB                     regulation, the agencies are using a more
                                                     By lowering valuation costs on                        for review and approval under section                    accurate methodology for calculating
                                                  commercial real estate transactions                      3507(d) of the PRA 85 and section                        the burden of the information
                                                                                                           1320.11 of the OMB’s implementing                        collections based on the experience of
                                                    81 The FDIC estimates that the average hourly
                                                                                                           regulations.86 The Board reviewed the                    the agencies. Thus, the PRA burden
                                                  compensation for a loan officer is $68.65 an hour.
                                                  The hourly compensation estimate is based on             proposed rule under the authority                        estimates shown here are different from
                                                  published compensation rates for Credit Counselors       delegated to the Board by OMB.                           those previously reported. The agencies
                                                  and Loan Officers ($43.40). The estimate includes                                                                 are (1) using the average number of
                                                  the March 2017 75th percentile hourly wage rate          Proposed Information Collection                          loans per institution as the frequency
                                                  reported by the BLS, National Industry-Specific
                                                  Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates.                Title of Information Collection:                       and (2) using 5 minutes as the estimated
                                                  The reported hourly wage rate is adjusted for            Recordkeeping Requirements                               time per response for the appraisals or
                                                  changes in the CPI–U between May 2016 and March          Associated with Real Estate Appraisals                   evaluations.
                                                  2017 (1.83 percent) and grossed up by 155.3 percent      and Evaluations.
                                                  to account for non-monetary compensation as                                                                       PRA Burden Estimates
                                                  reported by the March 2017 Employer Costs for              Frequency of Response: Event
                                                  Employee Compensation Data. Based on this                generated.                                                 Estimated average time per response:
                                                  estimate, loan review costs would decline between          Affected Public: Businesses or other                   5 minutes.
                                                  $51,625 (1,504 loans multiplied by 30 minutes and        for-profit.
                                                  multiplied by $68.65 per hour) and $138,673 (4,040                                                                OCC
                                                  loans multiplied by 30 minutes and multiplied by
                                                                                                             Respondents:
                                                                                                                                                                      Number of Respondents: 1,284.
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                                                  $68.65 per hour).                                          OCC: National banks, Federal savings
                                                    82 Multiplying $31.9 billion by 1.53 percent then      associations.                                              Annual Frequency: 1,488.
                                                  dividing the product by an average loan amount of          Board: State member banks (SMBs)                         Total Estimated Annual Burden:
                                                  $325,000 equals 1,504 loans and multiplying $31.9        and nonbank subsidiaries of bank                         159,216 hours.
                                                  billion by 4.10 percent then dividing the product
                                                  by an average loan amount of $325,000 equals 4,040
                                                                                                           holding companies (BHCs).                                  87 National banks, federal savings associations,
                                                  loans.                                                                                                            SMBs and nonbank subsidiaries of BHCs, insured
                                                    83 Multiplying 1,504 loans by $1,000 savings                84 44 U.S.C. 3501–3521.                             state nonmember banks and state savings
                                                                                                                85 44 U.S.C. 3507(d).
                                                  equals $1.5 million and multiplying 4,040 loans by                                                                associations, and insured state branches of foreign
                                                  $1,000 savings equals $4.0 million.                           86 5 CFR 1320.                                      banks.



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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                                        35491

                                                  Board                                                    benefits of such regulations.88 In                        Section II, and in the RFA discussion in
                                                                                                           addition, in order to provide an                          Section IV, of the SUPPLEMENTARY
                                                    Number of Respondents: 828 SMBs;
                                                                                                           adequate transition period, new                           INFORMATION, and that the requirements
                                                  1,215 nonbank subsidiaries of BHCs.
                                                                                                           regulations that impose additional                        of the Riegle Act will be considered as
                                                    Annual Frequency: 419; 25.                             reporting, disclosures, or other new                      part of the overall rulemaking process.
                                                    Total Estimated Annual Burden:                         requirements on IDIs generally must                       In addition, the agencies invite any
                                                  28,911 hours; 2,531 hours.                               take effect on the first day of a calendar                other comments that further will inform
                                                  FDIC                                                     quarter that begins on or after the date                  the agencies’ consideration of the Riegle
                                                                                                           on which the regulations are published                    Act.
                                                    Number of Respondents: 3,744.                          in final form.89
                                                    Annual Frequency: 141.                                    The proposed rule would reduce                         D. Solicitation of Comments on Use of
                                                    Total Estimated Annual Burden:                         burden and would not impose any                           Plain Language
                                                  43,992 hours.                                            reporting, disclosure, or other new                         Section 722 of the Gramm-Leach-
                                                    Comments are invited on:                               requirements on IDIs. For transactions                    Bliley Act 90 requires the agencies to use
                                                    (a) Whether the collections of                         exempted from the Title XI appraisal                      plain language in all proposed and final
                                                  information are necessary for the proper                 requirements by the proposed rule (i.e.,                  rules published after January 1, 2000.
                                                  performance of the agencies’ functions,                  commercial real estate transactions                       Agencies invite comment on how to
                                                  including whether the information has                    between $250,000 and $400,000),                           make these proposed rules easier to
                                                  practical utility;                                       lenders would be required to get an                       understand. For example:
                                                    (b) The accuracy of the estimates of                   evaluation if they chose not to get an                      • Have the agencies organized the
                                                  the burden of the information                            appraisal. However, the agencies do not                   material to suit your needs? If not, how
                                                  collections, including the validity of the               view the option to obtain an evaluation                   could this material be better organized?
                                                  methodology and assumptions used;                        instead of an appraisal as a new or                         • Are the requirements in the
                                                    (c) Ways to enhance the quality,                       additional requirement for purposes of                    proposed rules clearly stated? If not,
                                                                                                           the Riegle Act. First, the process of                     how could the proposed rules be stated
                                                  utility, and clarity of the information to
                                                                                                           obtaining an evaluation is not new since                  more clearly?
                                                  be collected;
                                                                                                           IDIs already get evaluations for                            • Do the proposed rules contain
                                                    (d) Ways to minimize the burden of                                                                               language or jargon that is not clear? If
                                                  the information collections on                           transactions at or below the current
                                                                                                           $250,000-threshold. Second, for                           so, which language requires
                                                  respondents, including through the use                                                                             clarification?
                                                  of automated collection techniques or                    commercial real estate transactions
                                                                                                           between $250,000 and $400,000, IDIs                         • Would a different format (grouping
                                                  other forms of information technology;                                                                             and order of sections, use of headings,
                                                  and                                                      could continue to get appraisals instead
                                                                                                           of evaluations. Because the proposed                      paragraphing) make the proposed rules
                                                    (e) Estimates of capital or start-up                                                                             easier to understand? If so, what
                                                  costs and costs of operation,                            rule would impose no new requirements
                                                                                                           on IDIs, the agencies are not required by                 changes to the format would make the
                                                  maintenance, and purchase of services                                                                              proposed rules easier to understand?
                                                                                                           the Riegle Act to consider the
                                                  to provide information.                                                                                              • What else could the agencies do to
                                                                                                           administrative burdens and benefits of
                                                    All comments will become a matter of                                                                             make the regulation easier to
                                                                                                           the rule or delay its effective date.
                                                  public record. Comments on aspects of                       Because delaying the effective date of                 understand?
                                                  this notice that may affect reporting,                   the rule is not required and would serve                  E. Unfunded Mandates Act
                                                  recordkeeping, or disclosure                             no purpose, the agencies propose to
                                                  requirements and burden estimates                        make the threshold increase effective on                  OCC Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of
                                                  should be sent to the addresses listed in                the first day after publication of the final              1995 Determination
                                                  the ADDRESSES section of this document.                  rule in the Federal Register.                               The OCC has analyzed the proposed
                                                  A copy of the comments may also be                       Additionally, although not required by                    rule under the factors in the Unfunded
                                                  submitted to the OMB desk officer for                    the Riegle Act, the agencies did consider                 Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA)
                                                  the agencies: by mail to U.S. Office of                  the administrative costs and benefits of                  (2 U.S.C. 1532). Under this analysis, the
                                                  Management and Budget, 725 17th                          the rule while developing the proposal.                   OCC considered whether the proposed
                                                  Street NW., # 10235, Washington, DC                      In designing the scope of the threshold                   rule includes a federal mandate that
                                                  20503; by facsimile to (202) 395–5806;                   increase, the agencies chose to align the                 may result in the expenditure by state,
                                                  or by email to: oira_submission@                         definition of commercial real estate                      local, and tribal governments, in the
                                                  omb.eop.gov, Attention, Federal                          transaction with industry practice,                       aggregate, or by the private sector, of
                                                  Banking Agency Desk Officer.                             regulatory guidance, and the categories                   $100 million or more in any one year
                                                  C. Riegle Act                                            used in the Call Report in order to                       (adjusted annually for inflation).
                                                                                                           reduce the administrative burden of                         The proposed rule does not impose
                                                     The Riegle Act requires that each of                  determining which transactions were                       new requirements or include new
                                                  the agencies, in determining the                         exempted by the rule. The agencies also                   mandates. Therefore, we conclude that
                                                  effective date and administrative                        considered the cost savings that IDIs                     the proposed rule will not result in an
                                                  compliance requirements for new                          would experience by obtaining                             expenditure of $100 million or more by
                                                  regulations that impose additional                       evaluations instead of appraisals and set                 state, local, and tribal governments, or
                                                  reporting, disclosure, or other                                                                                    by the private sector, in any one year.
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                                                                                                           the proposed threshold at a level
                                                  requirements on IDIs, consider,                          designed to provide significant burden
                                                  consistent with principles of safety and                                                                           List of Subjects
                                                                                                           relief without sacrificing safety and
                                                  soundness and the public interest, any                   soundness. The agencies note that                         12 CFR Part 34
                                                  administrative burdens that such                         comment on these matters has been                           Appraisal, Appraiser, Banks, Banking,
                                                  regulations would place on depository                    solicited in questions 2 through 14 in                    Consumer protection, Credit, Mortgages,
                                                  institutions, including small depository
                                                  institutions, and customers of                                88 12   U.S.C. 4802(a).                                90 Pub. L. 106–102, section 722, 113 Stat. 1338
                                                  depository institutions, as well as the                       89 12   U.S.C. 4802(b).                              1471 (1999).



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                                                  35492                     Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules

                                                  National banks, Reporting and                            or to protect the safety and soundness                § 225.63 Appraisals required; transactions
                                                  recordkeeping requirements, Savings                      of the institution; or                                requiring a State certified or licensed
                                                  associations, Truth in lending.                             (13) The transaction is a commercial               appraiser.
                                                                                                           real estate transaction that has a                       (a) * * *
                                                  12 CFR Part 225                                          transaction value of $400,000 or less.                   (13) The Board determines that the
                                                    Administrative practice and                               (b) Evaluations required. For a                    services of an appraiser are not
                                                  procedure, Banks, banking, Federal                       transaction that does not require the                 necessary in order to protect Federal
                                                  Reserve System, Capital planning,                        services of a State certified or licensed             financial and public policy interests in
                                                  Holding companies, Reporting and                         appraiser under paragraph (a)(1), (a)(5),             real estate-related financial transactions
                                                  recordkeeping requirements, Securities,                  (a)(7), or (a)(13) of this section, the               or to protect the safety and soundness
                                                  Stress testing                                           institution shall obtain an appropriate               of the institution; or
                                                                                                           evaluation of real property collateral                   (14) The transaction is a commercial
                                                  12 CFR Part 323                                          that is consistent with safe and sound                real estate transaction that has a
                                                    Banks, banking, Mortgages, Reporting                   banking practices.                                    transaction value of $400,000 or less.
                                                  and recordkeeping requirements,                          *      *     *     *      *                              (b) Evaluations required. For a
                                                  Savings associations.                                       (d) * * *                                          transaction that does not require the
                                                                                                              (2) Commercial real estate                         services of a State certified or licensed
                                                  Office of the Comptroller of the                                                                               appraiser under paragraph (a)(1), (a)(5),
                                                                                                           transactions of more than $400,000. All
                                                  Currency, 12 CFR Part 34                                 federally related transactions that are               (a)(7), or (a)(14) of this section, the
                                                    For the reasons set forth in the joint                 commercial real estate transactions                   institution shall obtain an appropriate
                                                  preamble, the OCC proposes to amend                      having a transaction value of more than               evaluation of real property collateral
                                                  part 34 of chapter I of title 12 of the                  $400,000 shall require an appraisal                   that is consistent with safe and sound
                                                  Code of Federal Regulations as follows:                  prepared by a State certified appraiser.              banking practices.
                                                                                                           *      *     *     *      *                           *      *     *     *      *
                                                  PART 34—REAL ESTATE LENDING                                                                                       (d) * * *
                                                  AND APPRISALS                                            Federal Reserve Board, 12 CFR Part                       (2) Commercial real estate
                                                                                                           225                                                   transactions of more than $400,000. All
                                                  ■ 1. The authority citation for part 34                    For the reasons set forth in the joint              federally related transactions that are
                                                  continues to read as follows:                            preamble, the Board amends part 225 of                commercial real estate transactions
                                                    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1, 25b, 29, 93a, 371,             chapter II of title 12 of the Code of                 having a transaction value of more than
                                                  1462a, 1463, 1464, 1465, 1701j–3, 1828(o),               Federal Regulations as follows:                       $400,000 shall require an appraisal
                                                  3331 et seq., 5101 et seq., and 5412(b)(2)(B),                                                                 prepared by a State certified appraiser.
                                                  and 15 U.S.C. 1639h.                                     PART 225—BANK HOLDING                                 *      *     *     *      *
                                                  ■ 2. Section 34.42 is amended by                         COMPANIES AND CHANGE IN BANK
                                                  redesignating paragraphs (e) through (m)                 CONTROL (REGULATION Y)                                Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
                                                  as paragraphs (f) through (n),                                                                                 12 CFR Part 323
                                                                                                           ■ 4. The authority citation for part 225
                                                  respectively, and by adding a new                        continues to read as follows:                           For the reasons set forth in the joint
                                                  paragraph (e) to read as follows:                                                                              preamble, the FDIC amends part 323 of
                                                                                                             Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(13), 1818,
                                                                                                           1828(o), 1831i, 1831p–1, 1843(c)(8), 1844(b),         chapter III of title 12 of the Code of
                                                  § 34.42   Definitions.
                                                                                                           1972(l), 3106, 3108, 3310, 3331–3351, 3906,           Federal Regulations as follows:
                                                  *      *    *     *     *                                3907, and 3909; 15 U.S.C. 1681s, 1681w,
                                                     (e) Commercial real estate transaction                6801 and 6805.                                        PART 323—APPRAISALS
                                                  means a real estate-related financial
                                                  transaction that is not secured by a 1-                  ■ 5. Section 225.62 is amended by                     ■ 7. Revise the authority citation for part
                                                  to-4 family residential property. A real                 redesignating paragraphs (e) through (m)              323 to read as follows:
                                                  estate-related financial transaction to                  as paragraphs (f) through (n),                           Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1818, 1819
                                                  finance the initial construction of a 1-to-              respectively, and by adding a new                     [‘‘Seventh’’ and ‘‘Tenth’’], 1831p–1 and 3331
                                                                                                           paragraph (e) to read as follows:                     et seq.
                                                  4 family residential property that does
                                                  not include permanent financing is a                     § 225.62   Definitions.                               ■ 8. Revise the authority citation for
                                                  commercial real estate transaction.                      *      *    *     *     *                             subpart A of part 323 to read as follows:
                                                  *      *    *     *     *                                   (e) Commercial real estate transaction               Authority: This subpart is issued under 12
                                                  ■ 3. Section 34.43 is amended by:                        means a real estate-related financial                 U.S.C. 1818, 1819 [‘‘Seventh’’ and ‘‘Tenth’’],
                                                  ■ a. Removing the word ‘‘or’’ at the end                 transaction that is not secured by a 1-               1831p–1 and title XI of the Financial
                                                  of paragraph (a)(11);                                    to-4 family residential property. A real              Institutions Reform, Recovery, and
                                                  ■ b. Revising paragraph (a)(12);                         estate-related financial transaction to               Enforcement Act of 1989 (‘‘FIRREA’’) (Pub. L.
                                                  ■ c. Adding paragraph (a)(13); and                       finance the initial construction of a 1-to-           101–73, 103 Stat. 183, 12 U.S.C. 3331 et seq.
                                                                                                                                                                 (1989)).
                                                  ■ d. Revising paragraphs (b) and (d)(2).                 4 family residential property that does
                                                     The revisions and addition read as                    not include permanent financing is a                  ■ 9. Section 323.2 is amended by
                                                  follows:                                                 commercial real estate transaction.                   redesignating paragraphs (e) through (m)
                                                                                                           *      *    *     *     *                             as paragraphs (f) through (n),
                                                  § 34.43 Appraisals required; transactions
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                                                                                                           ■ 6. Section 225.63 is amended by:                    respectively, and by adding a new
                                                  requiring a State certified or licensed                                                                        paragraph (e) to read as follows:
                                                                                                           ■ a. Removing the word ‘‘or’’ at the end
                                                  appraiser.
                                                                                                           of paragraph (a)(12);
                                                     (a) * * *                                                                                                   § 323.2    Definitions.
                                                                                                           ■ b. Revising paragraph (a)(13);
                                                     (12) The OCC determines that the                      ■ c. Adding paragraph (a)(14);                        *      *   *      *     *
                                                  services of an appraiser are not                         ■ d. Revising paragraph (b); and                         (e) Commercial real estate transaction
                                                  necessary in order to protect Federal                    ■ e. Revising paragraph (d)(2).                       means a real estate-related financial
                                                  financial and public policy interests in                    The revisions and addition read as                 transaction that is not secured by a 1-
                                                  real estate-related financial transactions               follows:                                              to-4 family residential property. A real


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                                                                            Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 145 / Monday, July 31, 2017 / Proposed Rules                                            35493

                                                  estate-related financial transaction to                  Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.                   • Email: Address to regcomments@
                                                  finance the initial construction of a 1-to-              Robert E. Feldman,                                    ncua.gov. Include ‘‘[Your name]
                                                  4 family residential property that does                  Executive Secretary.                                  Comments on Proposed Rule 701, In
                                                  not include permanent financing is a                     [FR Doc. 2017–15748 Filed 7–28–17; 8:45 am]           Danger of Insolvency Definition’’ in the
                                                  commercial real estate transaction.                      BILLING CODE P
                                                                                                                                                                 email subject line.
                                                  *     *     *     *    *                                                                                          • Fax: (703) 518–6319. Use the
                                                  ■ 4. Section 323.3 is amended by:
                                                                                                                                                                 subject line described above for email.
                                                                                                           NATIONAL CREDIT UNION                                    • Mail: Address to Gerard S. Poliquin,
                                                  ■ a. Removing the word ‘‘or’’ at the end
                                                                                                           ADMINISTRATION                                        Secretary of the Board, National Credit
                                                  of paragraph (a)(11);
                                                                                                                                                                 Union Administration, 1775 Duke
                                                  ■ b. Revising paragraph (a)(12);                                                                               Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314–
                                                                                                           12 CFR Part 701
                                                  ■ c. Adding paragraph (a)(13);                                                                                 3428.
                                                  ■ d. Revising paragraph (b); and                         RIN 3133–AE76                                            • Hand Delivery/Courier: Same as
                                                  ■ e. Revising paragraph (d)(2).                                                                                mail address.
                                                                                                           Emergency Mergers—Chartering and
                                                     The revisions and addition read as                                                                             Public inspection: You may view all
                                                                                                           Field of Membership
                                                  follows:                                                                                                       public comments on NCUA’s Web site
                                                                                                           AGENCY:  National Credit Union                        at https://www.ncua.gov/regulation-
                                                  § 323.3 Appraisals required; transactions                Administration (NCUA).                                supervision/Pages/rules/proposed.aspx
                                                  requiring a State certified or licensed                                                                        as submitted, except for those we cannot
                                                                                                           ACTION: Proposed rule.
                                                  appraiser.                                                                                                     post for technical reasons. NCUA will
                                                     (a) * * *                                             SUMMARY:    The NCUA Board (Board)                    not edit or remove any identifying or
                                                     (12) The FDIC determines that the                     proposes to amend in its Chartering and               contact information from the public
                                                  services of an appraiser are not                         Field of Membership Manual the                        comments submitted. You may inspect
                                                  necessary in order to protect Federal                    definition of the term ‘‘in danger of                 paper copies of comments in NCUA’s
                                                  financial and public policy interests in                 insolvency’’ for emergency merger                     law library at 1775 Duke Street,
                                                  real estate-related financial transactions               purposes. The current definition                      Alexandria, Virginia 22314, by
                                                  or to protect the safety and soundness                   requires a credit union to fall into at               appointment weekdays between 9 a.m.
                                                  of the institution; or                                   least one of three net worth categories               and 3 p.m. To make an appointment,
                                                     (13) The transaction is a commercial                  over a period of time to be ‘‘in danger               call (703) 518–6546 or send an email to
                                                  real estate transaction that has a                       of insolvency.’’ For two of the three                 OGCMail@ncua.gov.
                                                  transaction value of $400,000 or less.                   categories, the Board proposes to                     FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                                                                           lengthen by six months the forecast                   Thomas I. Zells, Staff Attorney, Office of
                                                     (b) Evaluations required. For a
                                                                                                           horizons, the time period in which                    General Counsel, or Amanda Parkhill,
                                                  transaction that does not require the
                                                                                                           NCUA projects a credit union’s net                    Loss/Risk Analysis Officer, Office of
                                                  services of a State certified or licensed
                                                                                                           worth will decline to the point that it               Examination and Insurance, at 1775
                                                  appraiser under paragraph (a)(1), (a)(5),
                                                                                                           falls into one of the categories. This will           Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 or
                                                  (a)(7), or (a)(13) of this section, the
                                                                                                           extend the time period in which a credit              telephone: (703) 548–2478 (Mr. Zells) or
                                                  institution shall obtain an appropriate
                                                                                                           union’s net worth is projected to either              (703) 518–6385 (Ms. Parkhill).
                                                  evaluation of real property collateral
                                                                                                           render it insolvent or drop below two                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                                                  that is consistent with safe and sound
                                                                                                           percent from 24 to 30 months and from
                                                  banking practices.                                                                                             I. Background
                                                                                                           12 to 18 months, respectively.
                                                  *      *     *     *      *                                                                                    II. Summary of the Proposed Rule
                                                                                                           Additionally, the Board proposes to add
                                                     (d) * * *                                                                                                   III. Regulatory Procedures
                                                                                                           a fourth category to the three existing
                                                     (2) Commercial real estate                            net worth categories to include credit                I. Background
                                                  transactions of more than $400,000. All                  unions that have been granted or                         Credit unions that experience a sharp
                                                  federally related transactions that are                  received assistance under section 208 of              decline in net worth have a much higher
                                                  commercial real estate transactions                      the Federal Credit Union Act (FCU Act)                likelihood of failing. From the second
                                                  having a transaction value of more than                  in the 15 months prior to the Region’s                quarter of 1996 through the second
                                                  $400,000 shall require an appraisal                      determination that the credit union is in             quarter of 2016, there were 11,734
                                                  prepared by a State certified appraiser.                 danger of insolvency.                                 federally insured credit unions. As
                                                  *      *     *     *      *                              DATES: Comments must be received on                   shown by the table below, 2,502 of these
                                                    Dated: July 18, 2017.                                  or before September 29, 2017.                         credit unions fell below the well-
                                                  Keith A. Noreika,                                        ADDRESSES: You may submit comments                    capitalized threshold (7 percent net
                                                  Acting Comptroller of the Currency.                      by any of the following methods (Please               worth ratio) after having a net worth
                                                                                                           send comments by one method only):                    ratio above that threshold for at least
                                                    By order of the Board of Governors of the                 • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://              one quarter. The net worth ratio of 490
                                                  Federal Reserve System, July 18, 2017.
                                                                                                           www.regulations.gov. Follow the                       of these 2,502 credit unions eventually
                                                  Margaret McCloskey Shanks,                               instructions for submitting comments.                 fell below two percent. Importantly,
                                                  Deputy Secretary of the Board.                              • NCUA Web site: https://                          only 15 percent of those credit unions
sradovich on DSKBCFCHB2PROD with PROPOSALS




                                                    Dated at Washington, DC, this 18th of July,            www.ncua.gov/regulation-supervision/                  whose net worth dropped below two
                                                  2017.                                                    Pages/rules/proposed.aspx. Follow the                 percent sometime in this period remain
                                                    By order of the Board of Directors.                    instructions for submitting comments.                 active.




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Document Created: 2017-07-29 00:21:22
Document Modified: 2017-07-29 00:21:22
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionNotice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment.
DatesComments must be received by September 29, 2017.
ContactOCC: G. Kevin Lawton, Appraiser (Real Estate Specialist), (202) 649-7152, Mitchell E. Plave, Special Counsel, Legislative and Regulatory Activities Division, (202) 649-5490, for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, TTY, (202) 649-5597, or Christopher Manthey, Special Counsel, or Joanne Phillips, Attorney, Bank Activities and Structure Division, (202) 649-5500, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.
FR Citation82 FR 35478 
RIN Number1557-AE18 and 3064 AE56
CFR Citation12 CFR 225
12 CFR 323
12 CFR 34
CFR AssociatedAdministrative Practice and Procedure; Banking; Federal Reserve System; Capital Planning; Holding Companies; Securities; Stress Testing; Appraisal; Appraiser; Banks; Banking; Consumer Protection; Credit; Mortgages; National Banks; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements; Savings Associations and Truth in Lending

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