From November 2, 2026, new appraisals sent to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must use the redesigned Uniform Residential Appraisal Report and its data standard, UAD 3.6. On September 30 the GSEs added a temporary exception for lenders that are not ready. Expect a longer report that puts condition problems up front. Questions about a file in our five counties go to Ask Gerry, or call (425) 967-3498.

What are the dates now?

November 2, 2026 is still the mandate, and Fannie Mae's resource page shows no delay. Broad production, when any lender could send the new format, began January 26, 2026 (National Mortgage News). Since August 6, 2026 the Uniform Collateral Data Portal has returned a warning on every UAD 2.6 submission (Fannie Mae).

What changed on September 30: Fannie Mae Lender Letter LL-2026-08 lets a lender that cannot meet the mandate request a policy exception and keep delivering UAD 2.6 reports through May 19, 2027. The joint GSE timeline then closes the old format in steps:

  • March 1, 2027: UAD 2.6 reports lose collateral representation and warranty relief on value and get a risk score of 999 from Fannie Mae (99 from Freddie Mac).
  • May 20, 2027: new UAD 2.6 submissions fail with a fatal message. Only resubmissions of earlier 2.6 reports go through.
  • June 28, 2027: UAD 2.6 is retired.

So a few lenders may still order old format reports this winter. Ask which format the lender wants before the appraisal is ordered.

What changed in the report?

The forms and the format. The GSEs' redesign FAQ lists the forms that the new URAR and two companion reports replace, among them the 1004, the 1073 condo form, the 1025 small income form, the 2055 exterior form and the 1004C manufactured home form, plus their desktop and hybrid versions. That folds condos into the same structure as houses, which touches the AppraisalMS team directly: we work on townhomes, condos and every other attached dwelling type.

Narrative turns into data. Clear Capital's summary describes condition and quality ratings for individual rooms and dedicated fields for solar, energy efficient HVAC and disaster mitigation. The file follows MISMO 3.6 and goes to the portal as a ZIP holding an XML data file, a PDF and a folder of photos. National Mortgage News reported the new report can run close to 30 pages, against four for the old form.

Value is built the same way. ServiceLink's Elizabeth Green told National Mortgage News, "We are not changing appraisal science."

What does it mean for lenders?

More review work up front. Underwriters can no longer skim an addendum for the story, so review rules and staff training have to change. In January, National Mortgage News reported large lenders were furthest along and midsize and smaller lenders were moving more cautiously. National Mortgage Professional warned that property issues will be "front and center at the beginning of the report." Expect more repair conditions in the first months. The homes are the same; the report hides less.

What does it mean for agents and homeowners?

A few extra days and an earlier look at condition. In Corporate Settlement Solutions' March 2026 survey of 900 appraisers, 63 percent expected longer turn times, most by one or two days, and 52 percent expected to charge more. Working RE's survey of about 1,800 appraisers put planned fee increases at 64 percent. Build slack into contingency dates this fall, and tell sellers a repair condition is more likely than it used to be.

Can the profession absorb it?

It will be tight. ABA Banking Journal, citing an analysis of 2025 Appraisal Subcommittee license data, counted 66,715 appraisers holding about 91,000 credentials, and cited an industry estimate that 15 percent of residential appraisers are not currently working. About 57 percent of Working RE's respondents were over 60. The Appraisal Institute reported in May 2026 that appraisal volume had begun growing faster than the number of appraisers doing GSE work, for the first time since 2022.

Where does this lead?

Toward more waivers. Structured data lets the GSEs model collateral risk more precisely, and waivers were already 26 percent of GSE loans in February 2026, per the Appraisal Institute. Appraisers are building the dataset that may make some of their own work optional. That argument will run well into 2027.

Sources