The ValuSignal blog
Appraisal research & analysis
Reporting on UAD, appraisal policy, AI, and professional practice.
Articles
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the HUD Code home
What Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy on manufactured homes after the 2025 to 2026 changes: the Guides compared, the UAD 3.6 appraisal, and why chattel stays out.
Washington upzoning, HB 1110 to today: the lot, the law and the comps
HB 1110 requires 77 Washington cities to allow 2 to 6 units per lot. Laws since, county deadlines, Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane, and changes for appraisals.
How a $45,000 Baltimore rowhome carried a $174,000 DSCR loan
A composite Baltimore DSCR loan from a $45,000 flip to foreclosure: the appraisal, title, review and settlement, the two lawsuits, and controls for lenders.
Highest and best use after SEL-2026-08: one Dallas house, two answers
Fannie Mae no longer requires the present use to be the highest and best use on UAD 3.6 reports. One Dallas house in two markets, the URAR fields, and AI.
The appraisal, rebuilt for the screen: a commercial narrative report as a web page
An anonymized narrative appraisal of a development site, rebuilt section by section as a web report: values first, each figure linked to its evidence.
AI’s next chapter is physical: reading a16z’s State of Markets II
A $777 billion forecast buildout, uneven adoption and repriced software. We read all 90 pages to trace where the next AI dollar creates value.
What AI-built market analysis looks like: Collin County, 61,104 listings
Two years of Collin County MLS data, analyzed with AI: what a fuller market analysis shows, which checks stay with the appraiser, and what clients could get.
The 2.2% number: what AI adoption looks like for appraisers
An a16z chart says about 2% of US households pay for AI. Appraisers have tried it far more often. This piece covers how deep that use goes under AO-41.
Velvet ropes: what private listings hide from the appraisal record
Compass, Zillow, MLSs and four states are fighting over pre-market listings. The appraisal record, days on market and price history, is caught in between.
AI hallucinations: what has improved, and what has not
AI makes fewer errors when you give it the facts. From memory, it still invents comps and citations. What changed since 2023 and where it goes next.
Dear Director Pulte: the letters behind appraisal modernization
An executive order told agencies to rethink appraisal rules. We read the letters and 101 CFPB comment filings to show who asked for what, in their words.
Kentucky HB 355: a one-year clock on appraiser liability
A new appraiser group wrote a bill, won 133 to 0, then survived a veto. See what HB 355 changes for lawsuits, complaints, investigators and fees.
UAD 3.6: The mandate holds, the transition stretches
The November mandate survives, approved sellers get more time, and March changes the legacy route. Follow the timeline and hear six industry responses.
UAD 3.6 and Section 6: reporting energy and green features
A field guide to Section 6, HERS and other ratings, solar ownership, and the building systems shaping the next generation of homes.
AQB's third draft: Proposed changes to appraiser qualifications
The September 24 proposal revises appraiser education, experience, and assessment requirements. Compare the three drafts and read selected public comments.
UAD 3.6: How appraisal data informs mortgage risk
Follow appraisal information into mortgage decisions, through the reporting changes, practitioner reactions, AI workflows, and the lender exception timeline.
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