The URAR is getting a facelift, which one veteran appraiser believes will make the report better
Mortgage brokers and loan officers may be seeing new appraisal reports as soon as next week. The new Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 and the redesigned Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR) will enter limited production on September 8.
Barring any further delays or changes, the broad production period is set to begin Jan. 26, 2026, with the new data being mandated starting Nov. 2, 2026. One appraiser believes the change is a good one for the industry.
Dan Figurski (pictured top), chief appraiser at SingleSource Property Solutions, said those who have to look through appraisals to find more than home values will be able to find the information they need much quicker with the new form.
“One of the biggest concerns, it even concerns lenders, especially when they're taking their collateral for the GSEs, is health and safety issues,” Figurski told Mortgage Professional America. “When you damage their property, whatever it may be, what's the condition of the property. If there are issues with that property, it's going to be placed at the front of the report.
“You're going to see those problems. Instead of going to page 30 or 40 of the report and looking at the photos, looking through the narrative, those issues are going to be identified a lot quicker up front in the report. So that's going to be a change for everyone. It's going to be a positive change.”
A credible, defendable report
One of the major issues with previous versions of the appraisal form was that brokers or lenders would have to search throughout the report to find critical information about the condition of the property. Figurski said this new form should eliminate the need to hunt for important information.
“In the past, stuff was just buried in the addendum of the report,” he said. “Since the forms are dated, or even antiquated, they really don't leave a ton of room for expanded narrative and commentary. Appraisers are forced to provide all the other details in the addendums to provide a credible, defendable report.”
These changes will make them more user-friendly for mortgage brokers and lenders, Figurski said.
“That's all going to change when you're looking at a broker's or lender’s perspective,” he said. “Any items that are of concern are going to be noted in the front of the report. Sections that pertain to the property are going to populate. Sections that don't pertain are not going to populate within the report. You’re going to see up front what to be concerned about from the collateral risk perspective.”
Not only will the report be more user-friendly, but it will be more detailed than previous reports. It will also include additional details, such as green energy ratings.
“The data is going to be so much better than what we have currently, because appraisers are going to be required to report on more in-depth items of the property than they have in the past,” Figurski said. “So your green energy rating and additional details, that's a new dimension, a new perspective, and it's going to give an even better insight into what this property looks like.”
Reducing follow-up questions
Figurski hopes the new form will provide better clarity upfront and potentially eliminate the need to go back to the appraiser for clarification constantly.
“It's going to be a positive for the lenders and mortgage brokers to help reduce confusion,” he said. “People aren't going to be scratching their heads as much, saying, ‘Where are we going to find this? Do we have to go back to their appraiser 1,000 times to clarify what we need?’ Appraisers, in general, are going to be able to spell out really what their story is. It's all about telling a story.”
Changes to the form and the data for mortgage appraisals are long overdue, Figurski said. He said many people continue to believe that the mandate may be pushed back, but he’s not convinced.
“We're using appraisal forms that are pretty outdated, and data sets that are pretty outdated,” he said. “Everybody's trying to catch up. And, you know, there haven't been many updates to this type of format and appraisal for the general public for a long time. For years, everyone said, ‘This is going to be delayed. It’s going to be pushed back.’ This is actually happening. I think if you're not ready for it, you're going to be left behind.”
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Being left behind is something that Figurski is concerned about industry-wide, as he has been hearing that the transition to the new form may cause some veteran appraisers to retire rather than learning the new form.
“It's going to be a huge change,” he said. “I know a lot of appraisers are still wrapping their heads around it. Some appraisers out there who have been in the industry for decades, rumor has it that we are going to lose some appraisers due to this new form, because it's such a major change from what everyone's been accustomed to for years.”
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