I was recently asked by a Realtor a great question “What issues does an appraiser look for when doing an FHA appraisal”. Not only is this a great questions, since many of us wonder this but also HUD(FHA) can be kind of vague on this topic. Thou they do say that their overview focus is on safety of the home, structural soundness, health and safety issues. So to get a better idea on this I spoke to the owner of the appraisal mgmt. company we work with and he was nice enough to give a great overview of what issues an appraiser looks for when doing an FHA appraisal. Please understand this is an overview, as there are issues that may or may not come up on your FHA appraisal. Not to mention how an underwriter will feel about those issues, etc. Here they are:
- Any and all peeling paint in homes built before 1978 must be scraped and repainted
- Broken downspouts and broken rain gutters.
- Any and all rotting wood on ANY structure on the property must be repaired. This includes garages, detached garages, out buildings, barns, sheds, workshops, etc...
- Exterior doors that do not properly close and open.
- Exposed wiring and uncovered junction boxes.
- Major plumbing issues and leaks.
- Inoperable HVAC systems.
- Leaky or defective roofs, roofs with a life expectancy of less than 3 years, composition over shake.
- Active and visible pest infestation.
- Rotting window sills, eaves, and support columns on a porch.
- Any home containing burglar bars, the burglar bars MUST have quick latch releases or they will have to be removed
- Foundation or structural defects.
- Evidence of standing water in the crawl space.
- Inoperable kitchen appliances.
- Empty swimming pools, pools without a working pump and pools with mosquito fish.
- Ripped screens.
- No pressure relief valve on water heater.
- Leaning / broken fence.
- Broken windows (NOT cracked windows)
Again this is an overview of issues an appraiser will look for when doing an FHA appraisal.
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