If you know anything about FHA loans, you’ve likely heard the phrase “health and safety”. That’s because FHA has requirements for a property to be safe and sound for occupants. I shot the video below at a recent inspection. While it may not be a “health and safety” issue if a stair railing has a tiny wobble, this rail is definitely ready to give at some point, which means it’s an obvious safety issue that needs to be addressed before the loan can close. One interesting note is that the listing agent said some of the potential buyers for this property actually backed out in light of being turned off by the wobbly staircase. So on top of being an FHA issue, it’s been somewhat of a deterrent in the market too. See a previous post if you’d like to read about the 10 most common FHA required repairs.
Any thoughts or questions?
If you have any questions or Sacramento area real estate appraisal or property tax appeal needs, contact me by phone 916-595-3735, email, Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to posts by email.
Understandable that its that way because that staircase was made for sliding down!
And that’s the real issue, Anne. The slidability factor is definitely a consideration in appraisal reports. 🙂 (kidding of course).
The repair adjustment amount is canceled out by the upward adjustment amount given for it slidability 😉
Oh wait, I forgot – you don’t do repair amounts! lol
That’s so funny, Anne. Actually I do quote repairs for minor FHA issues. Your Realtor BPOs surely require more than just a few repair estimates though.
Ryan, on a serious note, this goes to show you that the smaller cost of fixing the railing up front before it was listed could have saved the sale. Thanks for sharing.
You’re right. Maybe the other parties interested would have crossed that line had this repair not been an issue. Thanks, Tom.
Have you ever appraised for the USDA loan? Do you find appraisals for government loans to be more tedious?
Yes, I’ve done hundreds of USDA appraisals through the years (directly for USDA too). I do find them to be more tedious. USDA and FHA are basically the same though in terms of appraisal requirements, so a USDA loan is no more tedious than FHA. What I appreciate about both loans is they really look out for a quality product. Thanks Jasmine.