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Government-sponsored enterprise Fannie Mae announced it would make its appraisal analysis tool available to lenders in early 2015, which will allow lenders to use Fannie's database of appraisal and market data.

Fannie built the tool – Collateral Underwriter – to appraise data from the first electronic lender appraisals in 2012. It will give lenders an overall risk score for appraisals, with details about which aspects of the appraisal may be suspect or need attention.

Andrew Bonn Salle, the executive vice president of single-family underwriting, pricing, and capital markets for Fannie, said, "Our goal is to provide relief on appraisal representations and warranties in the future, and we will work with [the Federal Housing Finance Administration] to do so. We want to be the business partner of choice for lenders by providing the tools and products lenders need. Collateral Underwriter will help lenders build their businesses safely and strongly."

Mel Watt, the director of Fannie Mae's conservator FHFA, recently spoke about proposals that would allow Fannie and Freddie Mac to expand mortgage credit and protect lenders from penalties, offering mortgages with down payments as low as 3 percent. NAFCU continues to advocate housing reform that would guarantee access for credit unions to the secondary mortgage market and ensure fair pricing based on loan quality instead of volume.