March 9, 2012
An FHA-assigned appraisal is a required part of the FHA home loan process. This appraisal insures the property being purchased with an FHA mortgage loan meets FHA standards and assigns a fair market value to the property.
But the appraisal does not make any guarantees that the home is defect-free. The borrower must pay for a home inspection to get a better idea of the true condition of the property, any hidden or possible defects, etc.
FHA loan applicants should definitely plan to pay for both an appraisal and a home inspection–the FHA appraisal is the mandatory expense, but the inspection is technically optional. But it’s an option that should never be passed up. Even though a property has been approved for an FHA guaranteed loan does not mean it is problem-free.
In spite of the fact that a property inspection fee comes out of the buyer
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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