(a) Appraisal
Upon receiving notice of intent regarding an eligible low-income housing project indicating an intent to extend the low-income affordability restrictions under section 4109 of this title or transfer the housing under section 4110 of this title, the Secretary shall provide for determination of the preservation value of the housing, as follows:

(1) Appraisers
The preservation value shall be determined by 2 independent appraisers, one of whom shall be selected by the Secretary and one of whom shall be selected by the owner. The appraisals shall be conducted not later than 4 months after filing the notice of intent under section 4102 of this title, and the owner shall submit to the Secretary the appraisal made by the owner's selected appraiser not later than 90 days after receipt of the notice under paragraph (2). If the 2 appraisers fail to agree on the preservation value, and the Secretary and the owner also fail to agree on the preservation value, the Secretary and the owner shall jointly select and jointly compensate a third appraiser, whose appraisal shall be binding on the parties.

(2) Notice
Not later than 30 days after the filing of a notice of intent to seek incentives under section 4109 of this title or transfer the property under section 4110 of this title, the Secretary shall provide written notice to the owner filing the notice of intent of—

(A) the need for the owner to acquire an appraisal of the property under paragraph (1);

(B) the rules and guidelines for such appraisals;

(C) the filing deadline for submission of the appraisal under paragraph (1);

(D) the need for an appraiser retained by the Secretary to inspect the housing and project financial records; and

(E) any delegation to the appropriate State agency by the Secretary of responsibilities regarding the appraisal.

(3) Timeliness
The Secretary may approve a plan of action to receive incentives under section 4109 or 4110 of this title only based upon an appraisal conducted in accordance with this subsection that is not more than 30 months old.

(b) Preservation value
For purposes of this subchapter, the preservation value of eligible low-income housing appraised under this section shall be—

(1) for purposes of extending the low-income affordability restrictions and receiving incentives under section 4109 of this title, the fair market value of the property based on the highest and best use of the property as residential rental housing; and

(2) for purposes of transferring the property under section 4110 or 4111 of this title, the fair market value of the housing based on the highest and best use of the property.

(c) Guidelines
The Secretary shall provide written guidelines for appraisals of preservation value, which shall assume repayment of the existing federally assisted mortgage, termination of the existing low-income affordability restrictions, simultaneous termination of any Federal rental assistance, and costs of compliance with any State or local laws of general applicability. The guidelines may permit reliance upon assessments of rehabilitation needs and other conversion costs determined by an appropriate State agency, as determined by the Secretary. The guidelines shall instruct the appraiser to use the greater of actual project operating expenses at the time of the appraisal (based on the average of the actual project operating expenses during the preceding 3 years) or projected operating expenses after conversion in determining preservation value. The guidelines established by the Secretary shall not be inconsistent with customary appraisal standards. The guidelines shall also meet the following requirements:

(1) Residential rental value
In the case of preservation value determined under subsection (b)(1), the guidelines shall assume conversion of the housing to market-rate rental housing and shall establish methods for (A) determining rehabilitation expenditures that would be necessary to bring the housing up to quality standards required to attract and sustain a market rate tenancy upon conversion, and (B) assessing other costs that the owner could reasonably be expected to incur if the owner converted the property to market-rate multifamily rental housing.

(2) Highest and best use value
In the case of preservation value determined under subsection (b)(2), the guidelines shall assume conversion of the housing to highest and best use for the property and shall establish methods for (A) determining any rehabilitation expenditures that would be necessary to convert the housing to such use, and (B) assessing other costs that the owner could reasonably be expected to incur if the owner converted the property to its highest and best use.