VA and FHA Appraisals

How FHA and VA Financing Affects Your Offer

Home appraisal inspections on FHA and VA loans are a little more detailed than on conventional loans. Qualified appraisers are required to perform certain minimum inspections as well as evaluate the market value of the property. Although these inspections are not as detailed as a professional home inspection and should not be considered a substitute, sometimes repairs are required.

These are additional costs the seller would not be obligated to pay for someone obtaining conventional financing, so your offer should include a maximum figure for any repairs. Otherwise the seller is signing the equivalent of a blank check, and they will not want to do that.

At the same time, whatever figure you put in will most likely affect the seller’s willingness to negotiate on price. If you put $500 as an estimate, the seller may be $500 less negotiable on their price. If no repairs are required, you may have been able to get the house for $500 less than what you and the seller agreed on as the price. The solution is to add a clause to your offer that goes something like this:

“If required repairs cost less than the maximum amount allowed, the excess will be credited toward buyer’s closing costs.”*

*Always consult a real estate attorney before writing or adding any clauses to a contract or to interpret any legal meanings in a contract to purchase real estate.