FHA Case number allows Effective Date to change!? Huh!?

I have!  Just a week or so ago - Clients have been sending me FHA appraisal requests with an 'ASAP' return date or date that is just a couple days out.  In the past I have written an addendum statement and added the FHA case number when it comes in.  Last week I had a client tell me it would be rejected if that was the case.  I told him I would not change the effective date (unless I did a re-inspect), but worked with him on the signature date.  I've learned my lesson... don't do the appraisal until you've received an FHA case #.  I hope the lenders learn the same lesson soon -

I have had this happen in the past and have always refused to inspect the property until the case number is assigned. Just a couple days ago, I had a long-time client ask me to do the inspection prior to the case number assignment...and since HUD seems to have relaxed on so many items I decided to put the question to them myself. I spoke with an employee in the Appraisal division for HUD down in Southern CA. My understanding is that office oversees eight states, two of which are Washington and Oregon. The response I received was that although we are "technically" supposed to wait until that case number is assigned before we inspect the home, nobody at HUD is going to reject the appraisal or punish the appraiser over it if the inspection date preceeds the case assignment date. He actually checked with a more senior member of the staff as well because he wanted to ensure he was providing the most accurate information possible. He did, however, state that the appraisal should not be delivered to the client without the case number on it, and that the signature date should not preceed the case assignment date. That being said, he strongly recommended NOT inspecting the home until the case number is assigned due to the fact that the borrower's application may be rejected by HUD and then it might be difficult to collect on the appraisal. He expressed this would not be a concern, however, if the appraisal fee were collected up front.

 All this being said, my personal opinion is that since, according to HUD guidelines, the inpection date is not to preceed the case assignment date and all will go much more smoothly if everyone is aware of and following the same rules.