(WAND) — Proposed legislation could make it easier for veterans living in rural areas to buy homes.
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined a group of senators and the U.S. Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC) to propose bipartisan VA Appraisal Modernization Act.
Lawmakers said the legislation would improve veterans' and service-members' ability to successfully compete on the housing market by cutting red tape that often leaves them at a disadvantage.
Specifically, the bill would increase the supply of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home appraisers to streamline and cut down the closing process, enticing sellers and agents to accept VA home loan offers and incentivizing home appraisers in rural areas to join the VA network by allowing them to earn more through participation in the program.
"The VA home loan appraisal process ensures our heroes don't get stuck with a flawed home or an overpriced sale — but too often, that process can be slow and undermines their ability to compete in the housing market, particularly in rural counties," said Duckworth. "By increasing the number of VA appraisers, we can ensure this system continues to protect our heroes from bad deals while also expediting their ability to compete for the homes they want."
Service members and veterans use the VA home loan program to access home ownership during and after their service. The program provides a guaranty to lenders that requires a home appraisal through a VA-approved appraiser to ensure that the property is of fair value and meets minimum property requirements.
However, lawmakers said the appraisal requirement can add time and red tape to the closing process. Due to a shortage of VA appraisers and a lack of knowledge about this program, legislators said sellers and their agents oftentimes avoid VA home loan offers, which disproportionately impacts rural veterans.
The Senators said the VA Appraisal Modernization Act would address that problem by:
- Amending current law to adjust all VA home appraisal fees to keep pace with inflation in the industry;
- Requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase appraisal fees in areas that have an insufficient supply of appraisers, encouraging more of these professionals to join the VA network;
- Subjecting all appraisals made in high-demand counties and remote areas to mileage reimbursements to reduce appraisers' personal costs in these in-demand regions, and;
- Directing the Secretary of Veterans affairs to study the feasibility and advisability of procuring contracts for home appraisers in areas where supply cannot meet demand and the feasibility of restructuring VA appraisals to more closely mirror the Federal Housing Administration's process.
More information on the proposed act can be found on Senator Duckworth's website.
Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
