12 U.S.C. § 1428

The Director shall cause to be made from time to time examinations of the laws of the various States of the United States and the regulations and procedure thereunder governing conditions under which institutions of the kinds which may become members or nonmember borrowers under this chapter are permitted to be formed or to do business, or relating to the conveying or recording of land titles, or to homestead and other rights, or to the enforcement of the rights of holders of mortgages on lands securing loans, or otherwise. If any such examination shall indicate, in the opinion of the Director, that under the laws of any such State or the regulations or procedure thereunder there would be inadequate protection to a Federal Home Loan Bank in making or collecting advances under this chapter, the Director may withhold or limit the operation of any Federal Home Loan Bank in such State until satisfactory conditions of law, regulation, or procedure shall be established. In any State where State examination of members or nonmember borrowers is deemed inadequate for the purposes of the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Director shall establish such examination, all or part of the cost of which may be considered as part of the cost of making advances in such State. The banks and/or the Director may make studies of trends of home and other property values, methods of appraisals, and other subjects such as they may deem useful for the general guidance of their policies and operations and those of institutions authorized to secure advances.