The Direct Answer
Source: Vetted VA & Polygon Research, 2026 VA Loans White Paper; VA Lender's Handbook
VA appraisals are not systematically slow, and VA appraisers are not trained to undervalue properties. The appraisal process is different from conventional - it has additional steps and protections built in - and that difference gets misread by people who do not understand what those steps actually do.
A 90% close rate does not happen on a loan product with a broken appraisal process. If VA appraisals were killing deals at an elevated rate, that number would not be the highest in the market. The process works. What it requires is a lender who knows how to work it.
Where the Myth Comes From
There are two legitimate origins for this myth. The first is the Tidewater Initiative - a VA-specific process that gets triggered when an appraiser has concerns about value before completing the report. When Tidewater gets invoked, it sometimes spooks agents and sellers who have never seen it before and interpret it as bad news. It is not. More on that below.
The second origin is experience with VA appraisers who flagged property condition issues under the VA’s Minimum Property Requirements. Unlike conventional loans, VA has standards the property must meet to be eligible for financing. An older home with peeling paint, a roof at end of life, or a non-functional system may require repairs before the loan can close. Conventional appraisers can note those issues as deferred maintenance and move on. A VA appraiser flags them as conditions.
Both of these are features of the VA loan program, not bugs. They exist to protect the veteran. Understanding them takes away most of the fear.
What Tidewater Actually Is
Tidewater is one of the more misunderstood elements of the VA appraisal process. Here is what it actually does.
When a VA appraiser is working on an assignment and believes the contract price may not be supportable by the available comparable sales data, they do not simply complete the appraisal and issue a low value. Instead, they invoke Tidewater - a formal notification to the lender, the buyer’s agent, and the seller’s agent that says: before I finalize this report, I am giving everyone 48 hours to submit additional comparable sales that might support the contract price.
That is it. It is an early warning system. It gives all parties a chance to provide data - recent sales, pending sales, off-market data, anything that might help the appraiser reach the contract price - before the appraisal is finalized.
A listing agent or seller who has never seen Tidewater before may interpret the notification as the deal being in trouble. It is not. It means the appraiser is doing their job carefully and giving everyone a fair shot before issuing a final value. An experienced buyer’s agent and a VA-specialized lender know exactly what to do when Tidewater is invoked: pull their best supporting comps and submit them immediately.
What Happens If the Appraisal Still Comes In Low
Even after Tidewater, an appraisal can come in below contract price. The VA has a second process for this situation: the Reconsideration of Value, or ROV.
An ROV is a formal request, submitted by the lender on the veteran’s behalf, asking the appraiser to review additional comparable sales that were not included in the original report. The appraiser must review the submitted data. If the new comps are legitimate and material, the appraiser can revise the value upward.
What an ROV is not: a negotiation, a complaint, or an appeal. You are not arguing that the appraiser made an error or asking for a different appraiser. You are submitting data and asking for a second look at the numbers. The appraiser remains in control of the final value. If the data supports a revision, they revise it. If it does not, they do not.
The combination of Tidewater and ROV means VA loans have two points in the process where a value issue can be addressed before a deal falls apart. Conventional loans have one: after the appraisal is completed and delivered. From a veteran’s standpoint, more checkpoints is a better outcome.
Minimum Property Requirements
One important note before going further: an appraisal and MPR inspection are required on every VA loan except one - the Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL), also known as the VA streamline refinance. If you are refinancing an existing VA loan to a lower rate, no appraisal and no MPR inspection are required. That is a meaningful advantage when rates drop and you want to act quickly without the cost and timeline of a full appraisal.
VA Minimum Property Requirements - MPRs - are the other source of the “VA appraisals are difficult” narrative. MPRs establish baseline standards a property must meet to be eligible for VA financing: safe, sanitary, structurally sound, and marketable. Unlike conventional appraisals, a VA appraiser flags condition issues as requirements rather than just noting them as deferred maintenance.
These requirements exist to protect the veteran, not complicate the deal. That said, MPRs are both a positive and a consideration - on a property with known condition issues, they can affect whether the VA loan is the right tool for that specific purchase. That decision is covered in more depth in the VA vs. FHA vs. Conventional comparison post. A VA loan is often made with zero down, which means the veteran has no equity buffer if major repairs are needed immediately after closing. MPRs are the VA’s way of ensuring the collateral is sound before that commitment is made.
It is also worth noting that VA MPRs were updated on May 1, 2026 - removing or softening some of the friction points that used to cause the most confusion, particularly around detached outbuildings and certain paint conditions. The core standards remain, but the update made the requirements more precise.
What most people do not know is that certain MPRs can be waived. The VA Lender’s Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) includes provisions for requesting an MPR waiver when a repair condition does not rise to the level of a true safety, sanitary, or structural concern. Not every condition qualifies, but it is a legitimate tool that an experienced VA lender knows how to use - and it can be the difference between a deal surviving or falling apart over a repair that both parties agree is minor.
For a full breakdown of what MPRs cover, what changed in 2026, how to navigate property condition issues in Tampa Bay, and when a waiver may apply, see the dedicated guides: What Changed in VA MPRs on May 1, 2026, the permanent VA MPR Checklist, and the VA MPR Waiver Guide.
Timeline Reality in Tampa Bay
VA appraisals are ordered through the VA’s fee appraiser panel system, which operates differently from the Appraisal Management Companies used for most conventional loans. Turnaround times vary by market, appraiser availability, and time of year.
In Hillsborough and Manatee counties, VA appraisal timelines are manageable for a lender who orders promptly and follows up actively. The appraisal is rarely the reason a VA loan takes longer than a conventional one. More commonly, delays come from lenders who process VA loans infrequently and are unfamiliar with the VA’s documentation and underwriting requirements - not from the appraisal itself.
Working with a VA-specialized lender who has established relationships with local VA appraisers and knows the market-specific timelines is the most effective way to manage this part of the process. The appraisal timeline is predictable when you know what to expect. It only becomes a problem when the lender is surprised by it.
Other VA Loan Myths Worth Knowing
This post is part of a series on VA loan misconceptions that cost veterans money in the Tampa Bay area.
- Myth #1: VA loans are denied more often - The data says otherwise
- Myth #2: VA loans are expensive for veterans - The full cost picture
- Myth #3: People with weak financial backgrounds use VA loans - The wealth data says otherwise
- Myth #4: FHA or conventional loans are better for veterans than VA loans - The side-by-side comparison
- Myth #6: Sellers have to pay all closing costs on a VA loan - What the 4% rule actually means
- Myth #7: VA loans can only be used once - How entitlement actually works
Work With a VA Loan Specialist in Tampa Bay
I am a licensed mortgage broker in Florida and a Vetted VA affiliated professional. My focus is VA loans in Hillsborough County, Manatee County, and across Florida. If you have questions about what to expect from a VA appraisal on a specific property type or price range in Tampa Bay, I can walk you through the process before you are under contract.
Michael Payne | NMLS #2284716 Book a call | Learn about VA loans
Source: 2026 VA Loans White Paper - Addressing VA Loan Misconceptions & Validating Why You Should Work with Veterans. Vetted VA and Polygon Research. VA Lender’s Handbook, Chapter 11.