Members of Congress from both sides of the political divide remain concerned about the cost of real estate appraisals and consumer access to the people who perform them, as well as the overall effectiveness of the regulatory regime that oversees it all. “I believe that the appraisal process is absolutely essential and so important to the mortgage process because we know a sound regulatory structure in which the industry can operate and serve the consumer is of prime importance,” said Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, R-WV, during a hearing this week of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity. Capito is questioning whether the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council can...