I had the same confusion when I bought with a VA loan—thought the appraisal was going to be super thorough, but it’s really just a surface check. I totally agree that skipping a real inspection is risky. Here’s how I approached it: 1) scheduled the VA appraisal, 2) got my own home inspection, 3) reviewed both reports side by side. It helped me negotiate repairs and avoid surprises down the road. Curious—did anyone else have issues getting sellers to agree to repairs after the inspection? Sometimes they push back, especially with VA loans...
Title: Does a VA loan require an inspection? What are the VA loan inspection requirements for buyers and spouses?
I ran into the same thing—thought the VA appraisal would catch everything, but it barely scratched the surface. I did a separate inspection too, and honestly, it saved me from a couple of headaches. Sellers definitely pushed back on repairs, especially since they knew VA loans have stricter property standards. I had to pick my battles... ended up covering some minor stuff myself just to keep things moving. Not ideal, but better than losing sleep over hidden issues later.