The familiar form era
The March 2005 forms became a familiar frame for appraisal reporting: labeled spaces, a sales grid, and supporting addenda. The form shown here is the legacy Form 1004, not the beginning of appraisal history. [1]
A new chapter in property reporting
From forms
to a fuller
picture.
Every property has a story. Follow the evolution of the appraisal report—and see how UAD 3.6 gives that story more room.
Scroll to explore About 14 minutesAn independent visual guideReal source pages. A changing standard.
02 / The originsFamiliar pages. A common language.
Before the redesign
First, a place
for the facts.
A shared data language
UAD standardized selected formats, definitions, and responses across Forms 1004, 1073, 1075, and 2055. For covered Fannie Mae appraisals, the requirement applied to effective dates on or after September 1, 2011. Electronic submission gained a common gateway: UCDP. [2]
Date formatsC1–C6Q1–Q6
The redesign begins
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began the redesign with industry input. The ambition: a reporting structure that follows the property, aligned with the MISMO 3.6 data standard. [3]
The turning point
The property
starts shaping
the report.
UAD 2.6 already carried structured data. UAD 3.6 expands that structure and makes the report itself dynamic. Its sections follow the characteristics of the property and the assignment. [3]
03 / The evolutionEight improvements. Sixteen close-ups.
More of the property.
More of the context.
Eight ways the new report brings the property into sharper focus. Scroll through official report excerpts, compare the reporting approaches, and follow each detail into the field guide.
01The opening page02Contextual narrative03Condition and quality04Accessory dwelling units05Additional properties analyzed06Energy, green features, and ratings07Site influence and view08Revision history
01 / The opening page
The important details.
Right up front.
The redesigned report opens with a Summary that brings the value conclusion, assignment context, and property characteristics into one starting point for review.
Close-up 1 / 2
Read the value with its conditions.
Opinion of Market Value sits alongside Market Value Condition. The opening page also presents the effective date, assignment reason, valuation method, appraiser, and relevant contract and listing information. A subject-to conclusion needs to be read together with its conditions; a dollar amount alone does not tell the whole story.
Explore field 1.009 F-1 · Summary, pages 26–27 ↗Close-up 2 / 2
See the property behind the number.
The Property Description brings together construction method, attachment and design, project characteristics, unit and ADU counts, property rights, and overall quality and condition. This makes it easier to establish what is being appraised before moving into the details.
Explore field 1.030 F-1 · Summary property details, pages 28–30 ↗The reviewer’s lens
Start with the conclusion, then follow the information back to its supporting section. Summary is a starting point, not a substitute for the full appraisal.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
On legacy Form 1004, readers move between the subject and improvements sections and the later reconciliation to assemble this opening picture.
View legacy source ↗UAD 3.6
The Summary redisplays information from the underlying report sections. It is a quick reference, with the detailed analysis still in its original context.
02 / Contextual narrative
The explanation stays
with the evidence.
The General Addendum gives way to commentary fields within the report’s sections. The reader can follow the detail and its explanation together.
Close-up 1 / 2
A view, its impact, and the explanation.
The Site section puts View, Range of View, and Impact together, with View Commentary directly below. The narrative can support the recorded details or explain something important about the view that those fields do not capture. It is a concrete example of commentary remaining close to the subject it explains.
Explore field 4.042 F-1 · Views and commentary ↗Close-up 2 / 2
From the defect to the recommended action.
The Unit Interior section records apparent defects with their feature, location, description, effect on soundness or structural integrity, and recommended action. Unit Interior Commentary and exhibits follow. A reviewer can move from the observed issue to its explanation without first reconstructing the connection from a general narrative.
Explore field 10.056 F-1 · Unit Interior defects and commentary, pages 147–148 ↗The reviewer’s lens
Read the structured answer first, then the nearby narrative. Check whether the explanation supports the reported impact and addresses information the defined fields cannot capture.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
Additional discussion could sit in a General Addendum, requiring the reader to connect it back to the relevant form field.
A comparison of reporting structure. No direct legacy excerpt is shown for this topic.
UAD 3.6
Specific fields and sections provide space for commentary. Some explanations attach to an individual item; others address a whole section.
03 / Condition and quality
Keep the rating.
Expand the reasoning.
The C1–C6 and Q1–Q6 scales remain, with refined definitions and a more detailed structure for explaining the property’s condition and quality.
Close-up 1 / 2
Look beneath the overall rating.
Unit Interior separates Interior Quality Rating from Interior Condition Rating. Kitchen and bathroom entries add update status, timing, quality comments, condition status, and condition comments. Interior features have their own supporting detail. That structure gives reviewers more evidence for understanding the rating selected.
Explore field 10.035 F-1 · Interior ratings and detail, pages 136–141 ↗Close-up 2 / 2
Bring the levels of assessment together.
Overall Quality and Condition collects the overall ratings and the applicable exterior and interior ratings, followed by a reconciliation. Exterior ratings depend on the reporting conditions, including responsibility for exterior maintenance. Interior ratings for ADUs remain in the ADU’s Unit Interior section rather than redisplaying in this overall table.
Explore field 15.010 F-1 · Overall ratings and reconciliation, pages 174–175 ↗The reviewer’s lens
Follow the relationship between the component detail and the overall rating. A rating is an assessment, not an arithmetic average of the entries below it.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6 standardized overall condition and quality ratings, supported by descriptions of improvements and their condition.
View legacy source ↗UAD 3.6
Interior, exterior, and overall ratings provide different levels of detail. Supporting feature tables and reconciliation explain how the report reaches its overall assessment.
04 / Accessory dwelling units
A separate living space.
Its own reporting detail.
An ADU receives a separate Unit Interior section. Its characteristics can be described consistently rather than compressed into a brief reference elsewhere in the report.
Close-up 1 / 2
Identify the unit and account for its area.
The Unit Interior heading carries the relevant structure and unit identifiers. The area breakdown distinguishes finished and unfinished space above and below grade, including nonstandard finished area. The ADU indicator identifies which unit is an accessory dwelling unit when the subject has one or more ADUs.
Explore field 10.011 F-1 · Unit Interior and ADU identification, pages 127–129 ↗Close-up 2 / 2
The practical questions get named fields.
The ADU detail includes whether it is legally rentable and the data source, whether it is typical for the market, ingress and egress, and whether it has a separate postal address. These are distinct facts: a separate address does not answer the legal-rentability question, and a rental statement still needs its supporting source.
Explore field 10.012 F-1 · ADU characteristics, pages 129–130 ↗The reviewer’s lens
Identify which unit is the ADU, then review its area, legal rentability, access, and condition in that unit’s own context.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
ADUs could be described in the legacy report and supporting commentary, with their detail distributed through the form.
View legacy source ↗UAD 3.6
A repeatable Unit Interior section records the ADU’s area and characteristics, with specific questions about its use and access.
05 / Additional properties analyzed
The properties considered.
The reasons they stayed out.
A dedicated Additional Properties Analyzed Not Used subsection can explain why a property considered in the analysis was not included in the sales comparison grid.
Close-up 1 / 2
Selection becomes easier to follow.
The table sits after the reconciliation of the Sales Comparison Approach. It records the additional property’s address, sale date when applicable, status, reason not used, and comment. It can provide context in the initial report or in a reconsideration process.
Explore field 22.17.02 F-1 · Additional Properties Analyzed Not Used ↗Close-up 2 / 2
A reason, followed by the analysis.
The available reasons include matters such as condition, quality, dated sale, proximity, site influence, and an ADU. The adjacent Comment field supports the selected reason with additional detail. This gives a reviewer a clearer place to examine the selection decision rather than infer it from the final grid alone.
Explore field 22.17.06 F-1 · Reason Not Used and Comment ↗The reviewer’s lens
Look for a property-specific explanation. A standardized reason identifies the issue; the comment should explain why it mattered to this analysis.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
The legacy sales grid focused on the comparables used. Discussion of other properties could appear in supporting narrative.
A comparison of reporting structure. No direct legacy excerpt is shown for this topic.
UAD 3.6
When relevant, a dedicated table identifies additional properties and records the reason and supporting analysis for excluding them.
06 / Energy, green features, and ratings
The feature. The rating.
The effect on value.
The official section is Energy Efficient and Green Features. It organizes renewable energy components, building certifications, and efficiency ratings, with their impact on value and marketability.
Close-up 1 / 2
Solar ownership is part of the story.
Renewable energy entries identify the component and ownership, including owned, leased, or a power purchase agreement. For an owned component, the report asks whether it has a financing arrangement. Building certifications separately identify the organization, certification, and applicable year, version, and rating.
Explore field 6.002 F-1 · Components and certifications, pages 88–89 ↗Close-up 2 / 2
Name the rating—and explain the impact.
Green Efficiency Ratings identifies the rating organization, rating name, and score. The section then records impact to value or marketability, with a description and commentary. This separates the existence of a rating from the appraiser’s analysis of what it means for this property.
Explore field 6.013 F-1 · Efficiency ratings and impact ↗The reviewer’s lens
Identify the program, the rating or score, and the property-specific impact. A certification is evidence of a program outcome, not an automatic dollar adjustment.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
Energy-related features could be described in legacy improvement fields and commentary without this dedicated section structure.
View legacy source ↗UAD 3.6
The report distinguishes components, certifications, and ratings, then connects them to an impact assessment and explanation.
07 / Site influence and view
Describe what is there.
Explain what it changes.
Location and view become more granular. The report separates the influence or view itself from its characteristics and its effect on value or marketability.
Close-up 1 / 2
A location label becomes an explanation.
Site Influence records the influence, its proximity, additional detail, its impact, and a comment. The structure allows the appraiser to explain the relationship between the property and its surroundings. Site Influence Commentary supports the overall discussion when the defined entries need more context.
Explore field 4.026 F-1 · Site Influence ↗Close-up 2 / 2
A view has a type, an extent, and an impact.
A view can be full, partial, seasonal, or another described range. The primary-view indicator identifies the view with the greatest impact when there are multiple views. The appraiser evaluates what is readily visible from the dwelling or unit, with photos for views that affect value or marketability.
Explore field 4.040 F-1 · View, range, impact, and exhibits ↗The reviewer’s lens
Follow the detail from Site into the Sales Comparison Approach. Similar labels do not necessarily mean equivalent market effects or equal adjustments.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
Location and View were compact entries in the legacy sales grid, using standardized descriptions and abbreviations.
View legacy source ↗UAD 3.6
Site Influence records proximity, detail, impact, and comments. View separately records its type, range, and impact, with supporting commentary and exhibits.
08 / Revision history
What changed?
Follow the record.
Revision History provides a named place for the appraiser to record report changes, with a separate subsection for borrower-initiated reconsiderations of value when applicable.
Close-up 1 / 2
Date. Section. Description.
The Revision History table displays when the appraiser documents revisions to the report, including changes resulting from a borrower-initiated ROV. Naming the affected section gives reviewers a direct starting point for understanding what changed and where to look next.
Explore field 27.002 F-1 · Revision History Table ↗Close-up 2 / 2
The reconsideration and its outcome.
When a borrower-initiated ROV has been submitted on the original report, the ROV subsection records its type, completion date, result, and commentary. The result identifies whether the opinion of market value changed. Specific report changes belong in the Revision History table above.
Explore field 27.005 F-1 · Reconsideration of Value ↗The reviewer’s lens
Read the logged revision, visit the affected section, and confirm the explanation and value conclusion are consistent. This is a documented history, not an automatic field-by-field software diff.
Compare with UAD 2.6
UAD 2.6
A reviewer could compare report versions and accompanying communications to understand changes to the legacy appraisal.
A comparison of reporting structure. No direct legacy excerpt is shown for this topic.
UAD 3.6
The report itself can identify the revision date, affected section, and description, with an ROV outcome when the relevant conditions apply.
Step back. See the connections.
A fuller picture.
Page by page.
The gain is in the connections: a feature, its condition, its impact, and the explanation. Open a page to follow those connections in the interactive guide.
Pages from the official blank layout. The completed report expands to fit the property and assignment. Explore Appendix C-1 ↗
04 / The transitionTimeline checked October 18, 2026
A new standard.
A deliberate transition.
From limited production to retirement of the legacy format. These dates describe the GSE transition; agency-specific adoption plans may differ. [4]
Limited production begins
Participating lenders begin using UAD 3.6 with GSE support. [8]
Broad production begins
The broader industry transition opens. [9]
- Mandate
UAD 3.6 for new submissions
The mandate is based on the initial UCDP submission date. Sellers needing more time must obtain an exception from each applicable GSE. [4]
Exception period: reduced functionality
For UAD 2.6 reports under the exception, collateral risk scores become 999 at Fannie Mae and 99 at Freddie Mac; collateral representation-and-warranty relief for value is unavailable. [9]
All new submissions use 3.6
The exception period ends May 19. Through June 27, UAD 2.6 is limited to resubmissions of previously submitted reports. [9]
UAD 2.6 retires
Legacy submissions and resubmissions are no longer accepted. [9]
The September 30, 2026 update supersedes earlier transition timelines. Consult the current GSE timeline ↗ and Fannie Mae’s exception terms ↗ for operational decisions.
05 / What comes next
Better context.
Better questions.
For reviewers
Follow a property characteristic into its supporting detail, explanation, and evidence.
For lenders
Build review workflows around defined data and reporting conditions.
For appraisers
Prepare for more detailed observations and a report that adapts to the assignment.
Our interpretation of the reporting changes—not a promise of faster appraisals, automatic approval, or reduced risk.
Now explore the actual report ↗
Keep the bigger picture in view.
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Subscribe at ValuSignal ↗The sources behind the story
Official documentation · reviewed October 18, 2026- Fannie Mae · UCDP FAQs ↗
March 2005 form dates and UAD version markings.
- Fannie Mae · SEL-2011-06 ↗
Original UAD scope, standardization, effective dates, and UCDP.
- Fannie Mae · UAD resource hub ↗
Redesign history, MISMO alignment, and official appendices.
- Freddie Mac · UAD 3.6 FAQs ↗
Dynamic reporting, commentary, compliance APIs, and mandate scope.
- GSEs · Inspection and Reporting Tips ↗
ADU interiors, defect reporting, and specific changes from 2.6.
- Fannie Mae · UAD 3.6 Policy Supplement ↗
Dwelling condition and quality: SB4-1.3-06.
- UAD Guide · Source-linked field explanations ↗
Disaster Mitigation and Energy Efficient and Green Features; official F-1 guidance and A-1 definitions linked in each field.
- Fannie Mae · September 8, 2025 announcement ↗
Start of limited production.
- GSEs · Updated transition timeline ↗
Broad production, mandate, exception periods, and June 2027 retirement.
- GSEs · Appendix F-1, URAR Reference Guide ↗
Field-level requirements and reporting conditions. Each close-up links to its relevant guidance page.
- GSEs · Appendix C-1, URAR Layout ↗
The official blank layout used for all sixteen close-ups. Report page 1 begins on PDF page 3.
Independent educational resource. Report imagery is drawn from the official legacy form and Appendix C-1; copyright Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The blank layout shows where information is reported; conditional sections do not appear in every completed appraisal. Teal focus outlines are editorial annotations. Requirements remain governed by the applicable GSE documentation.