I’ve refinanced with a VA loan and honestly, the appraisal process left me scratching my head. The appraiser checked for “minimum property requirements,” but I swear they missed some pretty obvious stuff—like a busted water heater that wasn’t even mentioned in their report. It’s wild to me that the VA doesn’t require a real inspection. You’d think protecting veterans from buying a money pit would be a bigger priority.
If you’re buying, I’d say don’t skip a traditional inspection just because it’s not required. The appraisal is more about making sure the house isn’t falling down or full of mold, but it won’t catch every issue. I learned that the hard way... ended up shelling out for repairs I didn’t budget for. It’s tempting to save the cash upfront, but it can bite you later. Just my two cents—don’t trust the appraisal alone to tell you what’s really going on with the place.