Every word of the film, for reading instead of watching.
A conventional appraiser answers one question. What is this house worth. An FHA appraiser answers that one too, and then a second one. Does the house itself meet the standard.
The standard is three words. Safety, security, soundness. Not updated. Not attractive.
Not new. Safe, secure, and sound. So part of the appraisal is a walk. They look at the roof, and it needs at least two years of life left in it.
They visually observe the attic. They visually observe the crawl space. They look at the foundation and the structure for anything that says this house won't be serviceable for the length of the loan. And they do all of it to the extent those spaces are safely accessible.
They are not required to disturb insulation, or move your things. Now this is where people expect the horror stories, so let's be accurate. The handbook limits required repairs to what protects safety, security, soundness, the health of the people living there, and the marketability of the house. Cosmetic repairs are not required.
And it names them. Cracked window glass. Holes in window screens. A dripping faucet.
Interior paint in a house built after nineteen seventy eight. Even a missing handrail, as long as it doesn't actually pose a threat. What does get flagged is the real stuff. Exterior paint peeled down to bare surface.
A roof with less than two years left. Water in the basement. And if the house went up before nineteen seventy eight, lead paint rules apply, and those are stricter. This is the place FHA asks for more than a conventional loan does.
So it's worth being clear about who that's for. The government is insuring a thirty year loan on this house. Which means the house has to be one that lasts thirty years. The standard that protects them is the same one protecting you.
One thing it is not: a home inspection. FHA is so direct about this that they hand you a form at application called, in those exact words, For Your Protection: Get a Home Inspection. The appraiser is checking a house against a standard. An inspector is checking the house for you.
Get your own. And two mechanics worth knowing. The appraiser recommends repairs, but your lender decides which ones are actually required. And the appraisal is good for a hundred and eighty days.