In the midst of trying to maintain workflow with a smaller staff, there remains an increasing focus on effective appraisal analysis. Regulatory requirements, investor demands, corporate management, and now disclosure to the borrower have elevated the collateral analysis to the same level of scrutiny as financial analysis. Fortunately, great progress has been made in automated tools and services for appraisal analysis.

Fifty-four Senate Democrats and Independents issued a letter to the president last week defending the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and pledging to support the re-appointment of current director Richard Cordray. In their letter, Cordray's Senate supporters decried the opposition's efforts as an attempt to "weaken the CFPB through structural changes" from "a minority of Senators [who] do not support the existence of the agency." The issue of Cordray's nomination comes at a pivotal time for CFPB.