Fannie, Freddie to Allow Desktop Appraisals on New Construction Loans
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced several loan processing flexibilities from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including allowing desktop appraisals on new construction loans.
Other flexibilities announced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac include:
- Allowing flexibility on demonstrating construction has been completed (alternative to the Completion Report);
- Allowing flexibility for borrowers to provide documentation (rather than requiring an inspection) to allow renovation disbursements (draws); and
- Expanding the use of power of attorney and remote online notarizations.
“These loan processing flexibilities will expedite loan closings and help keep home buyers, sellers, and appraisers safe during this national emergency,” said FHFA Director Mark Calabria. Access the latest NAHB news and business resources to respond to this challenge at the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response section on nahb.org.
Latest from NAHBNow
Workforce Development
Jan 20, 2026
Plan Early for Summer Internship Season with NAHB ResourcesThe most effective internship programs don’t come together at the last minute. To help, NAHB offers the Internship Program Development Guide and Appendices to the Internship Program Development Guide.
Sponsored Content
Jan 20, 2026
Smart Sourcing, Smarter Basis: How AI Is Changing Land AcquisitionFor decades, the process of screening off-market sites has remained painfully slow. But a shift is happening as top-tier land teams are moving away from manual data aggregation and toward AI-driven workflows to eliminate non-viable sites in minutes.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Jan 20, 2026
New Single-Family Home Size Trends: Third Quarter 2025New single-family home size has been generally falling since 2015 as a response to declining affordability conditions. An exception occurred when new home size increased in 2021 as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower.
Economics
Jan 20, 2026
Third Quarter 2025 Multifamily Construction DataAccording to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the count of multifamily, for-rent housing starts increased during the third quarter of 2025. For the quarter, 119,000 multifamily residences started construction. Of this total, 114,000 were built-for-rent.
Economics
Jan 19, 2026
Soft Conditions for Single-Family Built-for-RentSingle-family built-for-rent construction fell back in the third quarter of 2025, as a higher cost of financing and increased multifamily supply crowded out development.