(a) The corporation may establish field offices under AS 18.56.400 - 18.56.600, may hire one or more lending officers, and may contract for the services of
(1) real property appraisers who are familiar with housing and construction in small communities; and
(2) engineers who are familiar with engineering problems in arctic and subarctic regions.
(b) The personnel described in (a) of this section may make visits to small communities to provide preconstruction and post-construction inspections of real property for which loans are originated or purchased by the corporation in whole or in part under AS 18.56.420 and to provide assistance to private financial institutions and their borrowers. Authority for final approval of loans may not be exercised by the personnel described in this section.