Under a new federal provision, commercial property sales of $500,000 or less are exempt from the appraisal requirement. : A new federal rule is expected to exempt nearly one-third of commercial property sales from needing an appraisal. The rule, which was adopted by the Federal Reserve Board, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, doubles the threshold for commercial real estate deals that require an independent appraisal. Under the new rule, commercial property sales of $500,000 or less are exempt from the appraisal requirement.