On Monday, November 2, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac switch to a new appraisal form. If you are buying or selling in Austin this fall, or you are an agent with files open, you will see it on a real transaction within weeks. Here is what is changing, what is not, and the one detail most of the coverage skips: not every lender has to be ready on that date.
What is actually changing
The appraisal report that most conventional loans use has not been rebuilt in many years. The new system is called UAD 3.6, and its centerpiece is a single new report, the Uniform Residential Appraisal Report. It replaces the familiar static forms, including the single-family form 1004 and the condo form 1073, with one dynamic report that adjusts to the property type and the valuation method.
Most of the change is behind the scenes. Instead of narrative paragraphs and a general addendum, the appraiser fills in standardized fields, and commentary goes into the specific section it belongs to. Fannie Mae’s own FAQ says the purpose of the report has not changed: it is still an appraisal for a mortgage transaction.
The date is firm. Your lender may not be ready.
Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac say the November 2 mandate is not changing. But on September 30, Fannie Mae published a temporary policy exception for lenders that cannot meet it. A lender has to request the exception, and if it gets one it can keep delivering appraisals on the old form for a while longer. Freddie Mac describes the exception as one-time and says it will not be extended.
Here is the timeline the two companies published:
- November 2, 2026 to February 28, 2027: lenders with the exception can still deliver appraisals on either version.
- March 1 to May 19, 2027: the old form is still accepted, but loans delivered on it lose certain protections tied to appraisal and property value, which is a strong reason for lenders to move early.
- May 20, 2027: new appraisals must use the new form, with a short window to resubmit reports already on the old one.
- June 28, 2027: support for the old form ends.
The practical meaning for a buyer: in the first few months, two lenders can be on two different versions on the same day. That is not a problem by itself. It is a reason to ask, and it is another place where lenders are not interchangeable, the same way they are not on conforming loan limits.
What the new form asks about your home
If you are selling, or buying a home you want to understand, this is the part worth reading. According to Fannie Mae’s published FAQ, the new report captures more detail than the old one, including:
- Update status for kitchens, bathrooms, and flooring. The appraiser now reports how recently and how fully each was updated. New construction is reported as fully updated.
- Condition and quality ratings for every residential property type, manufactured homes included, which was not the case before.
- More detail on accessory dwelling units: size, condition, rooms, and location. That matters in Austin, where a backyard unit is common.
- Ceiling height, measured at its highest point.
- A market rent estimate, which is now part of the appraisal assignment in a dedicated rental section.
One practical suggestion, and this is my advice, not a requirement from any source: if you are listing a home, pull together the dates and receipts for kitchen, bathroom, and flooring work, and any permits for an ADU or addition. An appraiser who can document an update date is working from facts instead of guesses.
What nothing I have read says it changes
The new form does not, according to Fannie Mae’s FAQ, change what an appraisal is for. The FAQ also says the standardized fields help lenders verify property eligibility and judge collateral risk, but it does not say the form changes who or what is eligible. And I have not seen any source that says it changes how an appraiser arrives at a value. A change in the paperwork is not a change in your home’s worth.
Two more points from the FAQ that matter to people with deals in progress. Retiring the old form does not stop a loan from being sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and the normal rules about how long an appraisal stays valid still apply. An appraisal already done on the old form does not suddenly become useless.
What I cannot tell you is how smoothly the first weeks will go. Every new system has a learning curve, for appraisers and for lenders. I would not promise anyone a turn time.
Who this touches and who it does not
The November 2 date is a delivery requirement for loans going to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which means most conventional loans, and condo purchases as well, which already come with their own review requirements (here is what changed on condos). Other loan types, including FHA, VA, jumbo, and non-QM, follow their own investor and agency rules. If your loan is not headed to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, this date may not apply to you in the same way. Ask.
If you are an agent
You will get the first questions from sellers: “Does the new appraisal mean my kitchen counts less?” The honest answer, based on what is published, is that the form asks for more detail, but nothing I have read says it changes how value is determined. Tell listing clients to document their updates. And on a contract with an appraisal contingency, I would not shorten the appraisal timeline during the first few weeks of a new form. Build in cushion, then ask the loan officer which version the lender is accepting.
Five questions to ask any lender right now
- Which appraisal version will you accept on my loan? Did you request the temporary exception, or are you on the new form on November 2?
- Is the answer different if my loan is already in process? What happens to an appraisal ordered before November 2?
- Does my loan type follow this rule at all? Conventional, FHA, VA, jumbo, and non-QM are not treated the same way.
- Who orders the appraisal, and can the appraiser use the new form? Ask how the lender confirms that before the appraisal is paid for.
- What is the realistic turn time right now? Not the best case.
If you are still earlier in the process, start with how to get pre-approved, and see the full cost of buying in Austin, including the appraisal.
Where a broker earns the fee that I do not charge
A bank has one answer: its own. I work with 40+ lenders, and right now they are not all in the same place on this change. On a conventional file I ask the lender which appraisal version it will accept before anything is ordered, and I tell you what I learn. That is the practical version of why a broker beats a bank, and I do not charge a lender fee to do it.
Agents: if you have a closing in the next sixty days, send me the file and I will tell you where the lender stands. Here is how I work with agents.
Don’t be mad at money. Talk to me before you write the offer.
Buying or selling in Austin before the end of the year? Send me the address or the price range and I will walk you through where the appraisal fits in your timeline. Ten minutes, free, zero lender fees. Call or text (512) 423-4663.
Russell Stout | Texas Mortgage Consultants, PLLC | NMLS #220896 | Company NMLS #1843758 | Equal Housing Lender. Information about the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 and the temporary policy exception comes from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac publications as of October 21, 2026 and may change. Individual lender policies, program eligibility, and terms vary. This is general information, not a loan commitment, and not legal or tax advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the new appraisal form become required?
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac set November 2, 2026 as the mandate date for the new Uniform Appraisal Dataset, called UAD 3.6, and both say that date is not changing. However, Fannie Mae published a temporary policy exception on September 30, 2026 that lets a lender request more time, through May 19, 2027, to keep delivering appraisals on the old form. Whether a specific loan uses the new form on November 2 depends on the lender.
What is UAD 3.6?
UAD 3.6 is the new standard for appraisal data used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Its main feature is a single, dynamic Uniform Residential Appraisal Report that replaces the older static forms, including the single-family form 1004 and the condo form 1073. It uses standardized fields instead of narrative commentary and an addendum. The stated purpose of the appraisal report has not changed.
Will the new appraisal form change my home’s value?
Nothing in Fannie Mae’s published FAQ says the new form changes how an appraiser determines value. The form asks for more detail, including update status for kitchens, bathrooms, and flooring, ADU information, and ceiling height. That is a change in how information is recorded and reported, not a published change in how value is determined. A seller can help by documenting update dates and permits.
Does the new appraisal form apply to FHA, VA, or jumbo loans?
The November 2 date is a delivery requirement for loans going to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which covers most conventional loans. FHA, VA, jumbo, and non-QM loans follow their own investor and agency rules, so the date may not apply to them in the same way. The best approach is to ask the lender which appraisal version it will accept on your specific loan before anything is ordered.
What happens to an appraisal that was done before November 2?
Fannie Mae’s FAQ says retiring the old form does not prevent a loan from being sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and the standard appraisal expiration rules still apply. Under the published timeline, lenders with the exception can still deliver the old form for months after November 2. If your appraisal was ordered before the change, ask the lender how it will be handled, because lender policies vary.
Why should an Austin buyer or agent care about an appraisal form?
Because the appraisal is one of the steps that can hold up a closing, and in the first months two lenders can be on two different versions on the same day. Buyers and agents who ask early which version their lender accepts, and who leave some cushion in the appraisal timeline, are less likely to be surprised. Sellers who document their kitchen, bathroom, flooring, and ADU updates give the appraiser better information to work from.
