VA appraisal requirements Texas veterans run into decide whether a home can support a VA-guaranteed purchase, and they also set the reasonable value the loan can use. The appraisal is ordered through the VA system, not chosen by the buyer, and it checks both condition and value. A clean report does not approve the loan. Credit, income, occupancy, and the rest of underwriting still have to work.
Contact Josh about your Texas VA appraisal
What should Texas veterans know first?
A VA appraisal estimates market value and notes repairs that appear needed for the home to meet VA Minimum Property Requirements. Those requirements exist so the property is safe, structurally sound, and sanitary before VA guarantees the loan. The appraiser does not run appliances, open every system, or replace a home inspection.
For a purchase, the appraisal is prepared subject to completion of those repairs, and the value assumes the repairs are done. After review, the Notice of Value is the document that states the reasonable value and the conditions tied to the guaranty. The lender and the veteran should follow that notice, not an informal reading of the appraisal alone.
Three facts are worth settling before the appointment:
- The lender orders the appraisal through VA. The buyer does not hire the appraiser.
- Condition issues and a low value are different problems, and they are solved in different ways.
- An inspection is still the buyer’s tool for hidden defects. VA recommends one after the origination appraisal.
Eligibility, the Certificate of Eligibility, and the funding fee belong on the VA loan page. This guide stays on the property and the Notice of Value.
Who orders the appraisal, and who pays?
On a VA purchase, the lender requests the appraisal through VA’s system. VA assigns a fee appraiser. The veteran does not pick a favorite appraiser, and the seller’s agent does not either. That separation is meant to keep the value opinion independent of the people negotiating the price.
The appraisal fee is a closing cost. VA rules let the veteran pay it, and they also allow the seller or another party to pay it. In Texas contracts, who pays is a negotiation, not a VA assignment. Ask for the fee in writing before the order goes in, because the charge is due even if the sale later falls apart.
Access is the other early decision. VA expects the appraiser to try to schedule the visit within two business days of the assignment. A vacant house, a tenant, a lockbox that does not work, or a seller who will only allow one narrow window can push the file past the usual pace. As of May 31, 2026, VA reported that the average VA appraisal took about seven business days. That is an average, not a promise for a Dallas, Houston, or rural Texas file.
Give the lender a working contact for the listing agent, confirm utilities will be on, and say if pets, tenants, or a gated entry will slow entry. Those details belong in the order notes.
Which VA appraisal requirements Texas homes must meet
VA Minimum Property Requirements are federal, so a house in Plano and a house in Harlingen are judged on the same handbook. Local code, flood maps, wells, and septic systems still change what the appraiser has to report. The standard is safe, sound, and sanitary. It is not a wish list of updates.
The appraiser must recommend repairs, not inspections, when something visible does not meet the standard. Cosmetic wear, minor deferred maintenance, and normal aging should be considered in the condition rating, not turned into a repair list. Peeling paint, a roof that lets water in, or a heating system that cannot keep plumbing areas at 50 degrees Fahrenheit is a different category.
| What the appraiser looks at | What VA expects | What a Texas buyer should ask |
|---|---|---|
| Living space | Enough room to live, sleep, cook, and use a bathroom | Is this a full residence, or a converted outbuilding? |
| Water and waste | Continuous safe drinking water, hot water, and a safe sewage method | Is the home on a public system, a well, or a septic system? |
| Heat and air | Permanent heat that can hold plumbing areas at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Air conditioning is not required, but installed equipment must work | Does the existing system operate, or is it being sold as-is? |
| Roof | A covering that keeps moisture out and has reasonable remaining use. If a defective roof has three or more shingle layers, old layers come off before replacement | Has the roof been patched, overlaid, or recently replaced? |
| Paint before 1978 | Lead-based paint is presumed. Defective paint is a safety hazard and must be remediated. Paint on a 1978-or-later home is normally cosmetic | Is any paint peeling, cracking, or chalking on an older home? |
| Wood damage | Visible infestation, fungus, or dry rot is reported, and the appraisal is made subject to inspection and repair of the damage | Are there soft floors, mud tubes, or moisture stains? |
| Flood zone | A home in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area needs flood insurance. Regular flooding can make a property ineligible | Is the parcel in a mapped flood zone, and is insurance available? |
In June 2026, VA removed the full radon-gas requirement from the handbook and revised the paint and non-vented-heater guidance. Do not rely on an older blog that still treats a radon test as a statewide VA condition. The current source is VA Pamphlet 26-7, Chapter 12.
Wells, septic systems, and private roads are common outside Texas city limits. The appraiser reports the water source, and the Notice of Value can require proof that the supply is safe. Ask the seller for the last inspection, the septic location, and any shared-well agreement before you order the appraisal, not after a condition shows up.
How is a VA appraisal different from an inspection?
The fee appraiser estimates value and notes repairs that are apparent. VA’s handbook says the appraiser will not perform operational checks of mechanical systems or appliances. A home inspector is hired by the buyer to test those systems, look in the attic and crawl space more closely, and flag defects that do not rise to a Minimum Property Requirement.
That split matters in a Texas summer. An air conditioner that is installed must be operational if the appraiser can tell it needs repair. An aging unit that still runs, a settlement crack a specialist should measure, or an electrical panel that looks crowded may never become a VA repair. They can still be expensive. The Notice of Value will recommend that the veteran get a home inspection. Treat that sentence as advice, not as a repaired house.
FHA has its own property rules and its own handbook. If you are comparing programs, read the separate FHA appraisal requirements guide rather than assuming a repair list transfers. A home that needs work before it can meet either standard may fit a renovation loan better than a straight purchase. The purchase page is the place to sort that program choice.
What happens if the value comes in low?
If the appraiser’s opinion of value is coming in below the sales price, VA uses the Tidewater process. The appraiser notifies the requester and allows two business days for the parties to send other sales. Useful data includes the address, price, sale date, living area, and a listing printout. Pending sales and active listings can help explain the market, but they are not the same as closed sales.
Tidewater is a chance to add facts the appraiser may not have. It is not a negotiation of the price inside the report. After the Notice of Value is issued, a veteran who still disagrees can ask for a reconsideration of value in writing through the Regional Loan Center. The request should include market data, not a statement that the payment would be more comfortable at a higher value.
The Notice of Value is valid for six months. If the veteran is under contract during that window, processing can continue until that sale closes or is canceled. A later buyer cannot treat someone else’s notice as their own approval.
When the notice is below the contract price, the practical choices are narrow:
- The seller reduces the price to the VA reasonable value.
- The veteran pays the difference in cash, which is not a down payment on the VA amount above the notice.
- The contract ends if the parties cannot agree and the purchase agreement allows it.
VA’s buyer guide calls this protection the escape clause, and it is there so a veteran is not forced to complete a purchase above the VA value. Read the exact clause in your Texas contract with your agent before you waive it. The buyer’s guide is published by VA Home Loans.
How should you prepare the file and the house?
Most delays are ordinary. Nobody can open the door, the utilities are off, or the sales contract never reached the appraiser. A short checklist before the order prevents that.
- Send the lender the full executed contract, including amendments, seller concessions, and any repair credits.
- Name one person who can answer the phone and unlock the house within two business days.
- Turn on electricity, water, and gas so the appraiser can see the systems that are installed.
- Clear access to the attic hatch, the electrical panel, the water heater, and any crawl space entry.
- Point out known issues in writing, such as a prior roof leak, a well, or a flood-insurance requirement, instead of hoping they go unnoticed.
- Schedule your own inspection on a separate visit. Do not ask the VA appraiser to do both jobs.
If the home was built before 1978, walk the exterior and the trim before the appointment. Defective paint is presumed to be lead-based paint, and it has to be corrected. Covering it with new paint is a repair decision for the people VA and the lender specify, not a weekend touch-up the buyer invents after the report.
Seller-paid closing costs can include the appraisal fee when the contract allows it. Keep that negotiation on the contract, and keep the appraiser out of it. The VA loan Texas guide covers the broader purchase path, including costs that are not part of the property report.
What should you do after the Notice of Value?
The Staff Appraisal Reviewer issues the Notice of Value and must send the veteran a copy of the notice and the appraisal the same day. Repairs on that notice should be limited to items required for the property to meet Minimum Property Requirements. A repair the appraiser mentioned but the reviewer removed is not still required just because it appeared in the narrative.
Completed repairs are confirmed through the lender’s process, which can include a compliance inspection and an invoice. Do not close on a verbal promise that the seller already fixed it. If a required repair is not feasible, the veteran may request a waiver. Approval is case by case. It is not something an agent can stamp on the contract.
A low value, a repair list, and an underwriting condition can arrive in the same week. Keep them separate. The appraisal does not deny a borrower for credit, and a credit approval does not cure a roof. If the purchase cannot move forward, the next conversation may be a different property or a later refinance, including a VA IRRRL only after you already have a VA loan. That refinance product is not a substitute for a purchase appraisal.
Talk with Josh before you order the appraisal
Frequently asked questions
Does a VA appraisal replace a home inspection in Texas?
No. The appraiser estimates value and notes apparent repairs needed to meet VA property standards. The appraiser does not operationally test mechanical systems or appliances. VA recommends a separate home inspection after the origination appraisal.
Can the buyer choose the VA appraiser?
No. The lender orders the appraisal, and VA assigns the fee appraiser. Choosing your own appraiser would take the assignment outside the VA process.
How long is a VA Notice of Value good for?
A Notice of Value is valid for six months. If the veteran is already under contract during that period, processing of that contract may continue until the sale closes or ends. VA can consider an extension case by case.
What if the VA appraisal is lower than the Texas contract price?
The parties can send comparable sales during Tidewater before the report is finished. After the Notice of Value, the usual options are a price reduction, cash from the veteran for the gap, or ending the contract under its appraisal clause. A written reconsideration of value is available when there is real market data the reviewer has not weighed.
Did VA drop the radon requirement?
Yes. Effective with the Chapter 12 revision announced in June 2026, VA removed the full radon-gas requirement. Other safety items, including defective paint on homes built before 1978, water, sewage, roof moisture, and visible wood damage, remain in the handbook.
What should you do next?
VA appraisal requirements Texas buyers face are a property test and a value test. Prepare access, utilities, and the contract, then read the Notice of Value before you treat any repair as final. Josh Moody Loans is a division of Highlands Residential Mortgage, Ltd. (NMLS #134871). Josh Moody (NMLS:139695). An Equal Housing Lender. This information is for educational purposes only and is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, underwriting, applicable program guidelines, and other terms and conditions. VA appraisal rules can change, and the Notice of Value on a specific property controls that loan.