What the New Appraisal Rules Mean for Shawnee Home Sellers and Buyers

The new appraisal rules start November 2, 2026, and they ask a lot more about your home. Here’s why the homework I already do for my sellers matters more than ever.

The short version: appraisers are trading the old fill-in-the-blank forms for one data-driven report that asks far more about your home. What was updated. When. How well. With photos to back it up.

And here’s the part I’m excited about. For years, I’ve handed appraisers a packet of information on my listings whenever the price might need defending. Under the new rules, that habit stops being a nice extra. It becomes the way the job gets done right.

What the new appraisal rules change, and when

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy the bulk of conventional mortgages in this country, so their rules set the standard for most appraisals. They’ve spent years on what the industry calls “appraisal modernization.” The official name is UAD 3.6, short for Uniform Appraisal Dataset.

Here’s what that means in plain English:

  • One report replaces many forms. The familiar 1004 (single-family), 1073 (condo) and their siblings are being retired. In their place is one redesigned report that adapts to the property, whether it’s a condo, a site-built home or a manufactured home.
  • Check boxes replace long write-ups. Appraisers now pick from defined choices instead of writing paragraphs. That makes reports more consistent and easier for lenders to review.
  • Photos sit next to the facts they support. No more photos lumped at the back of the report.
  • Much more detail about your home. More on that in the next section.

As Michelle Czekalski Bradley, a real estate broker, certified general appraiser and USPAP instructor, explained in a Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® webinar:

“The idea is to make appraisals more transparent and aligned with how today’s mortgage systems handle data.”

A limited test period began with a small group of lenders.

September 2025

Any lender could start using the new format.

January 26, 2026

The new format becomes mandatory for new appraisals delivered to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

November 2, 2026

Old-format appraisals are no longer accepted as new submissions, even from lenders with an extension.

May 20, 2027

The old format is fully retired.

June 28, 2027

One recent wrinkle. On September 30, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced a temporary exception for lenders that need more time to get ready. Those lenders can ask to keep using the old format into 2027, with penalties starting March 1, 2027.

What that means for you: for the next several months, the kind of appraisal you get may depend on your lender. If you’re buying, ask your lender which format they’re using. If you’re selling, ask your agent to find out from the buyer’s lender.

What appraisers look at under the new appraisal rules

The biggest change you’ll notice is the level of detail. Appraisers will now document things like:

  • Kitchen and bathroom updates, rated room by room
  • Energy-efficiency features and green certifications
  • Broadband internet availability
  • The distance from the front door threshold to the ground
  • Roof age and ceiling heights
  • Construction type
  • Separate condition and quality ratings for the interior and exterior
  • How converted spaces (like a finished garage) compare to the rest of the home
  • Accessory dwelling units and other unique features
  • Defects, with photos and recommended repairs

The kitchen and bath ratings deserve a closer look. Kitchens now get one of three ratings: fully updated, partially updated or not updated. Every bathroom gets its own rating from four choices. Each choice comes with a defined timeframe.

So “we remodeled the kitchen a while back” won’t cut it anymore. The appraiser needs to know what was done, when it was done, and how extensive it was.

Czekalski Bradley put it this way: “This is actually where agents can make a huge difference. Agents can really help facilitate this process by providing detailed information about any modifications made to the home, especially the kitchens and bathrooms.”

Will this change what my home is worth? Not by itself. The new rules change how appraisals are reported, not the basic methods appraisers use to find market value. What changes is how complete the picture is. And a more complete picture rewards homes whose owners can show their work.

Selling under the new appraisal rules: show your work

An appraiser spends a short visit in your home. You’ve lived there for years. A lot of what makes your home worth its price is invisible in that visit: the new HVAC system in the attic, the tankless water heater you replaced last spring, the quality of the cabinets behind the paint.

If the appraiser can’t see it and nobody tells them, it may as well not exist.

What I’ve been doing all along

When I represent sellers and the price may need defending, I prepare what I call an Appraisal Packet and give it to the appraiser. It documents the improvements a visual inspection won’t catch, the market evidence behind our price, and the story of how the sale came together.

I didn’t invent the idea. I picked it up from a top agent and fellow Certified Residential Specialist in Chicago. I travel to industry conferences around the country, and I learn the most from agents in other markets, across every brand, franchise and independent office. This is one of the best things I’ve ever brought home.

Appraisers have told me how much they appreciate it. It saves them time, and it gives them facts instead of guesses.

What it looks like in practice

When we listed 108 Lake Shore Drive at $470,000, strong marketing brought in multiple offers. It sold for $474,000. The appraisal came back at value with no lender requirements, and we closed on schedule.

Here’s what those sellers said afterward:

“We loved working with Steve on the sale of our home! He is extremely knowledgeable and professional. He kept us informed every step of the way. He went above and beyond, was fun to work with, and we highly recommend him.”

It doesn’t always go that smoothly, and that’s when the packet earns its keep.

On a VA sale where I represented the seller, the appraiser started what VA calls the Tidewater process. That’s an early warning that the value may come in below the contract price or that the appraiser is unable to find sufficient comparable sales, and there’s a short window for the agents to send more sales data. The buyer’s agent hadn’t been through one before. With my Appraisal Packet and a fresh set of comparable sales, we moved the appraised value much closer to the sales price.

There’s a real tension here. The way I market homes tends to bring higher prices. Sometimes a buyer is ready, willing, and able to pay a price that recent sales can’t fully support yet. The packet is how I give the appraiser every legitimate reason to agree with the market.

A note about floor plans and square footage

Buyers love floor plans. In NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 85% of buyers who searched online found floor plans useful. Only photos and detailed property information ranked higher. So I include one with my listings.

Floor plan of 108 Lake Shore Drive, prepared for buyers and the appraiser under the new appraisal rules.

But my floor plans are for reference, not official measurement. Appraisers measure square footage to a national standard (ANSI), which Fannie Mae has required since 2022. The appraiser’s number is the one that counts. When I have a sketch from a previous appraisal, I’ll include it in the packet as a benchmark, not a replacement.

What you can do right now

Start gathering:

  • Receipts and invoices for updates and repairs
  • Dates for major replacements (roof, HVAC, water heater, windows)
  • Permits for any work that required one
  • Brands, materials and finishes used in your kitchen and baths
  • Energy-efficiency features, like solar, insulation upgrades or efficient windows
  • Smart-home features that stay with the house

I’ve put all of this into a free Appraisal Prep Checklist for homeowners. Click the button below to get it.

And when the appraiser comes, make sure every area of the home is easy to get to, including the attic, crawlspace and any outbuildings. More data points mean a longer visit.

Buying under the new appraisal rules

These changes affect buyers too. A few things to expect:

  • Longer appraiser visits. More data means more time on site. Appraisers who’ve already used the new format report that reports take longer to complete during the learning curve.
  • Possibly longer turn times and higher fees. Some appraisers are raising fees to cover the extra work. Build a little cushion into your contract’s appraisal deadline.
  • A clearer picture of the home you’re buying. Separate ratings for the interior and exterior, room-by-room detail and photos placed next to the data make the report easier to understand.
  • Ask your lender which format they’re using. With the new lender exception, the answer may differ from one lender to the next until mid-2027.

One thing hasn’t changed. An appraisal is not a home inspection. The appraiser is there to support the lender’s decision about value, not to find every problem with the house. Keep your inspection. I break down the difference, along with your rights as a borrower, in Appraisals Explained.

New to the appraisal process? My guide What Is an Appraisal? covers the basics: who orders it, who pays, what it costs and what happens if the value comes in low.

If you’re using a VA loan, VA has its own appraisal process, including the Tidewater early warning I described above. As a Military Relocation Professional, I keep a close eye on how VA appraisals work. You want an agent who knows what to do when that notice arrives, because the window to respond is short.

A word to my fellow REALTORS®

If you’re an agent reading this, welcome. I believe a rising tide lifts all boats, so take whatever helps you.

The new appraisal rules reward the agent who shows up prepared. When the appraiser has to rate every bathroom and pin a date on every kitchen update, the agent with the answers in hand makes everyone’s job easier: the appraiser’s, the lender’s, and our clients’.

Here’s what I’d suggest:

  1. Collect improvement details at listing time. What was updated, when and how extensive the work was. Czekalski Bradley’s advice is spot on: “REALTORS® can be prepared to explain what exactly was updated in the home, when it was done and how extensive the work was.”
  2. Build your own appraisal packet. Improvements the appraiser can’t see, the comparable sales behind your price and the context of the sale. Get it to the appraiser before or at the visit.
  3. Keep your MLS data clean. Appraisers start with it. Sloppy room counts, square footage, or update notes create problems in a structured report.
  4. Know the Tidewater process cold if you work with VA buyers or sellers. Have your comps ready before the notice ever comes.
  5. Ask the buyer’s lender which format they’re using, and expect longer appraisal turnaround times. Write contract deadlines with that in mind.
  6. Be clear that your floor plan isn’t an ANSI measurement. Let the appraiser’s number be the number.

None of this is new to great agents. The new appraisal rules just make it harder to skip. Every time one of us helps an appraisal go smoothly, it reflects well on all of us.

Questions? Let’s talk.

I follow housing finance policy closely. 2027 will be my fifth year serving on the National Association of REALTORS® Federal Financing and Housing Policy Committee, and I serve on the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Committee. I’ll be in New Orleans for NAR meetings in mid-November, and I’ll update this post with anything useful I learn there.

If you’re thinking about selling or buying, or you just have a question about how the new appraisal rules affect you, reach out. And if you’ve already been through an appraisal under the new rules, I’d love to hear how it went.

A special thank-you to the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® for its clear, practical coverage of these changes. PAR does excellent work, and I’ve long admired it. Their Chief Growth Officer, Kevin Juliano, CAE, RCE, and I were colleagues when I led marketing and public relations for the Oklahoma Association of REALTORS®.

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