How long is an FHA appraisal good for?

The 180-day clock starts on the effective date

The effective date is the date the appraiser's value opinion applies to. On most purchase appraisals, that's the day of the inspection. It is not the day the report was emailed, and it is not the day your loan officer finally opened it.

HUD's Mortgagee Letter 2022-11 says the initial appraisal validity period is 180 days from the effective date. That rule applies to FHA case numbers assigned on or after June 1, 2022.

Six months sounds like plenty. Then the seller's move-out date slides, the condo association loses a form, and the buyer's job changes. Suddenly you're on day 170 and everyone is checking the calendar like it owes them money.

If you're the loan officer, put the expiration date in your file notes the day the appraisal comes in. Future you will be grateful.

Also know that 180 days is the outer limit, not a target. Some lenders set tighter internal limits on their own FHA loans, and some investors who buy those loans do too. Your loan officer's rule wins if it is shorter than HUD's.

An update can stretch it to one year

If the appraisal is about to expire, the lender can order an appraisal update. Under ML 2022-11, the updated appraisal is valid for one year after the effective date of the original report.

A few rules come with it:

• The update must be done by an appraiser who is currently in good standing on the FHA appraiser roster.
• The original appraiser is preferred. If they're not available, a substitute can do it, but the lender has to document why in the case file.
• The lender ordering the update must be an intended user of the original appraisal, or have permission from the original client and the appraiser.
• The update must be performed before the disbursement date, meaning before the loan funds.

Notice the one-year limit runs from the original effective date, not from the update. An update is a refill, not a new prescription.

And an update is not a rubber stamp. The appraiser is checking whether the market has moved. If values dropped in the meantime, the update can surface that.

The 30-day extension is gone, and case numbers matter

Before 2022, FHA had an optional 30-day extension in some situations. ML 2022-11 removed it for loan origination through post-closing and endorsement. If you learned FHA rules a while ago, cross that one off.

The bigger trap is the case number. HUD's rule is that the lender must order a new appraisal for each case number assignment, and it may not reuse an appraisal performed under another case number, even if that appraisal is still under 180 days old.

Think of it this way: the FHA appraisal belongs to the case number, not to the lender and not to you. If the file gets a brand-new case number, the appraisal does not come along for the ride.

That is why switching lenders mid-deal on an FHA loan deserves a careful conversation. Ask how the case will move before anyone cancels anything. A canceled case number can mean paying for a second appraisal you didn't need.

AmeriSave puts it plainly: an FHA appraisal is tied to the case number assigned to your loan, not to the lender. When a case number stays with the file, the appraisal stays with it. When a new case number gets assigned, a new appraisal generally comes with it.

How FHA compares with other loans

Each loan program sets its own clock, and they do not match:

From the appraiser's side, most expiration problems I hear about were visible weeks ahead. Nobody wrote the date down.

Private, non-QM and portfolio lenders set their own limits, and some are shorter. Never assume. Ask the lender for its exact rule.

One more thing. A valid appraisal is not the same as a current value. An appraisal from five months ago is still legal on an FHA loan, but in a market that moved fast, it's a photo of a house that has since had a growth spurt or a bad haircut. I read the market in real time, and I'd rather test the newest sales the data supports than lean on an old snapshot.

What to do if your FHA closing is slipping

1. Find the effective date on the appraisal and count 180 days. Put it on everyone's calendar: buyer, both agents, loan officer, escrow.
2. Flag delays early. If closing might land within a few weeks of expiration, tell the lender now.
3. Ask about an update before the deadline. It must be completed before the loan funds, so don't wait for closing day.
4. Don't change case numbers casually. A new case number generally means a new appraisal.
5. Keep the house in the same shape. The update appraiser is checking for changes. Removing the kitchen island because you "never liked it" is a story for after closing.
6. Get your copy. If a new appraisal or update is ordered, you're entitled to see it.

Clocks don't care how nice everyone is being. Track the date, and the date won't track you.