Appraisers are punching back after a local lender asked regulators for a one-year waiver of mandated appraiser requirements, citing a lack of available appraisers.

In November, Dickson-based TriStar Bank began the waiver process, with CEO Ted Williams telling regulators the region’s boom had impacted the bank’s ability to get appraisals done in a reasonable amount of time, which was negatively impacting its clients. Banks are required to have properties appraised before doing any real estate-related…

In local news:

Once again, the Queen City has earned high marks for the quality of life it offers, landing at No. 10 on a recent ranking by GOBankingRates.com of the best places to live nationwide. The study highlights 12 cities — out of 270 locales analyzed — that boast high salaries and low costs of living, with necessities such as rental rates, grocery prices and utilities taken into consideration. Raleigh also made the list, trailing Charlotte at No. 12, while Durham came in at No. 5.

Charlotte…

Shawn Kelly, the managing director of Dallas private equity firm Teakwood Capital and a former leader at Austin Ventures, died on Monday.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office told the Dallas Business Journal that the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The medical examiner’s case file showed that the incident occurred at the 8200 block of Douglas Avenue, where Teakwood Capital’s office is located.

Teakwood Managing Director Ed Olkkola, who joined the firm in 2009, posted…

Longtime New Mexico banker Robert Gabaldon has made a move.

After a little over three years as president of the Albuquerque metro market at Los Alamos National Bank and more than 20 years in the banking world, Gabaldon will move over to Plum Lending, a San Francisco-based firm that specializes in commercial real estate lending and loans from $1-25 million, according to the company's website.

Gabaldon's first day at Plum was Tuesday.

“For me, Plum Lending represents a fresh (financial technology)…

Jennifer Riordan, Wells Fargo vice president of Community Relations, died Tuesday when a Southwest Airlines jet's engine exploded midair.

Several media outlets, including KRQE and the Albuquerque Journal, confirmed Riordan was the passenger who died. She was transported to a hospital before her death.

The aircraft was en route from New York LaGuardia to Dallas Love Field, according to Southwest, when one of its engines exploded, shooting shrapnel and debris into the fuselage.

Riordan was a well-known…

The city of Rancho Cordova has committed to bank with two locally based community banks in order to support local small business lending.

Rancho Cordova has put $5 million each into deposit accounts at Five Star Bank and American River Bank, as part of an initiative by Region Finance, a trade association operated by the Sacramento Region Business Association. The effort seeks to put municipal funds to work in the local business community, said Josh Wood, CEO of Sacramento Region Business Association.

In…

Activist investor Carl Icahn has bought a “medium-sized” stake in Palo Alto-based cloud computing giant VMware, signaling he might be wading into the company’s brewing fight over a reverse merger with Dell Technologies, CNBC reports, citing unnamed sources.

Icahn owns less than 5 percent of VMware’s total shares, falling below the threshold for public disclosure.

VMware shares jumped another 3 percent at the opening bell today on the news. Shares have gained 12 percent since Friday, after…

With $40 million in their pocket, those behind Studio Bank have the money they need to launch.