Transactions That Require Evaluations
A formal opinion of market value prepared by a State licensed or certified appraiser is not always necessary. Instead, less formal evaluations of the real estate may suffice for transactions that are exempt from the agencies' appraisal requirements. The agencies'
{{8-31-98 p.5467}}appraisal regulations allow an institution to use an appropriate evaluation of the real estate rather than an appraisal when the transaction:
• Has a value of $250,000 or less;
• Is a business loan of $1,000,000 or less, and the transaction is not dependent on the sale of, or rental income derived from, real estate as the primary source of repayment; or
• Involves an existing extension of credit at the lending institution, provided that: (i) there has been no obvious and material change in the market conditions or physical aspects of the property that threaten the adequacy of the institution's real estate collateral protection after the transaction, even with the advancement of new monies; or (ii) there is no advancement of new monies other than funds necessary to cover reasonable closing costs.
Institutions should also establish criteria for obtaining appraisals or evaluations for safety and soundness reasons for transactions that are otherwise exempt from the agencies' appraisal regulations.
Evaluation Content
An institution should establish prudent standards for the preparation of evaluations. At a minimum, an evaluation should:
• Be written;
• Include the preparer's name, address, and signature, and the effective date of the evaluation;
• Describe the real estate collateral, its condition, its current and projected use;
• Describe the source(s) of information used in the analysis;
• Describe the analysis and supporting information, and;
• Provide an estimate of the real estate's market value, with any limiting conditions.
An evaluation report should include calculations, supporting assumptions, and, if utilized, a discussion of comparable sales. Documentation should be sufficient to allow an institution to understand the analysis, assumptions, and conclusions. An institution's own real estate loan portfolio experience and value estimates prepared for recent loans on comparable properties might provide a basis for evaluations.
An evaluation should provide an estimate of value to assist the institution in assessing the soundness of the transaction. Prudent practices also require that as an institution engages in more complex real estate-related financial transactions, or as it overall exposure increases, a more detailed evaluation should be performed. For example, an evaluation for a home equity loan might be based primarily on information derived from a sales data services organization or current tax assessment information, while an evaluation for an income-producing real estate property should fully describe the current and expected use of the property and include an analysis of the property's rental income and expenses.
Qualifications of Individuals Who Perform Evaluations
Individuals who prepare evaluations should have real estate-related training or experience and knowledge of the market relevant to the subject property. Based upon their experience and training, professionals from several fields may be qualified to prepare evaluations of certain types of real estate collateral. Examples include individuals with appraisal experience, real estate lenders, consultants or sales persons, agricultural extension agents, or foresters. Institutions should document the qualifications and experience level of individuals whom the institution deems acceptable to perform evaluations. An institution might also augment its in-house expertise and hire an outside party familiar with a certain market or a particular type of property. Although not required, an institution may use State licensed or certified appraisers to prepare evaluations. As such, Limited Appraisals reported in a Summary or Restricted format may be appropriate for evaluations of real estate-related financial transactions exempt from the agencies' appraisal requirements.
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