H.R. 7735

Improving Access to the VA Home Loan Benefit Act of 2022

This act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to update regulations, requirements, and guidance related to appraisals for housing loans guaranteed by the VA.

Specifically, such regulations or requirements must specify when an appraisal is required, how an appraisal is to be conducted, and who is eligible to conduct an appraisal for such loans. The act also requires the VA to submit to Congress recommendations for improving the delivery times for appraisals for VA loans and to take such recommendations into consideration in prescribing its updated regulations or requirements.

The VA must also provide additional guidance for desktop appraisals, which are performed remotely using information gathered by third parties with whom a VA-approved appraiser has entered into an agreement for such appraisal. In updating such guidance, the VA must specifically take into account situations where (1) desktop appraisals provide cost savings for borrowers, and (2) a traditional appraisal requirement could cause time delays and jeopardize the completion of a transaction.