Consumers and small business are being significantly harmed by the Interim Final Rule on Appraiser Independence. Consumer costs have increased by over 2.8 Billion dollars a year; thousands of small business residential appraisers have gone out of business, as the rule diverts appraisal orders to often unregulated middlemen-owned by the large banks and others. Since the rule was implemented, valuation fraud has increased over 50% and it has led to the continuing depreciation of home values.