The VA Appraisal process is takes too long!
The VA Appraisers are more conservative than other conventional appraisers!
The VA will nit-pick the condition of the property!
These Claims are NOT True!
Throughout the last 8 years serving Veterans and Active Duty Military with all of their VA Home Financing needs I continue to encounter one reoccurring claim within the real estate community that still lingers and has a real impact on Veterans and Active Duty Military.
That claim is that the VA Appraisal process is terrible.
Claims such as those listed above are what I hear pretty much on a daily basis, often times proving to have detrimental impact on the Veteran or Service Members and their families, who may ultimately be passed up by a seller afraid to accepting their offer.
Here are the Facts
Please, please, please, understand that if claims such as these were true I would probably be out of a job due to the fact that the overwhelming majority of my clients I serve are Veterans and Active Duty Military!
- The VA Appraisal process takes no more than 7-10 business days and sometimes sooner.
- The VA Appraisal Process uses the exact same market comparable properties just as any other appraiser would.
- VA Appraisers ensure that the property is safe, and that no real safety hazards exist.
Having said that, my experience has been that those that make such claims do not fully understand the VA Appraisal process and what it is designed to do.
What the VA Loan Process is DESIGNED TO DO
First off, the VA Appraisal process is designed to protect the Veteran, ensuring that they do not overpay for a property, and in the event that they are, give them an opportunity to legally withdraw of the transaction with no recourse (sounds like a good deal to me).
The VA Appraisal process is unlike any other appraisal process that exists which makes it (in my opinion) extremely advantageous for the Veteran and Active Duty Service Members.
Let’s take a look at how it works.
- First off, understand that the VA Appraiser that goes out to inspect the home does not work for the VA. The VA Appraiser is an independent contractor, licensed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, who will perform the task of appraising the property to ensure that the home meets the contracted sales price, as well as confirm that the property is safe, sanitary, and secure.
- Once the VA Appraiser has inspected the property he or she will then upload that VA Appraisal to the VA Website commonly referred to as the VA Portal. Once this takes place your lender will then be able to go in and retrieve a copy of your VA Appraisal once the Senior Appraisal Reviewer (SAR) issues what is called the Notice of Value (NOV). If you have made it this far that means your property has appraised with no value issues.
- Let’s take it a step further… Let’s say the VA Appraiser goes out to inspect the property and is having trouble meeting the contracted sales price. The VA Appraiser will then issue what is called a Tidewater Notice. The Tidewater Notice is designed to notify all parties involved in the transaction that they are having difficulty coming up with the contracted value on the home from their research.From here the Veteran or Service Member has options.
— If they feel the property should meet the agreed upon purchase price they can notify their Realtor to provide additional comparable properties that justify the value of the home.
— Or, if they choose, they can also tell their Agent to instruct the VA Appraiser to issue the appraisal at the value VA Appraiser had before reviewing the additional comps.
Here is What I Like About the VA Appraisal Process
The Veteran has options on the VA Appraisal process. In the competitive market that we are in today it’s not uncommon for sellers to aggressively price their homes.
Sellers should understand that the VA Appraisal process is the only type of appraisal that will allow them to make a case for the value of their property. FHA and Conventional home loans simply issue value, and more often than not call it a day.
Bringing us home (pardon the pun), I am sure that there has been some bad apple appraisers out there in the past that have brought some negative PR to the VA Appraisal process.
But honestly, it is not anywhere near as bad as many paint it out to be. The reality is that the majority of Veterans and Service Members that buy their home with a VA Home Loan have no issues at all.
Dare I say that if I were a seller I would encourage a VA Home Loan for the reasons listed above? Not to mention, the VA Appraisal process does not make you order 2 appraisals like FHA loans when purchasing a property that as been owned less than 90 days by the seller.
If you feel like you are not being explained the VA Appraisal process like you should…That’s what we are here for, to serve YOU!
Please call us at 602-908-5849 or email me at [email protected] for all of your VA Appraisal process questions.
Most of all, thank you for your service to our great country.
Semper Fidelis,
Jimmy Vercellino
