What VA Property Issues Can Stop a Home Sale in Pensacola?

The ones VA buyers run into most here are an aging roof, an open termite (WDO) issue, open code items, and anything that makes the home unsafe or unsound. A VA loan looks at the house as well as the buyer. The appraisal has to support the price, and the home has to meet VA's minimum property requirements. When it doesn't, the loan can stop until the issue is fixed, and a sale that looked done can stall or fall apart.

Vivian Corwin is a bilingual Realtor and Military Relocation Professional with IXL Real Estate Florida in Pensacola, FL, helping military and relocating families buy and sell homes across Pensacola, Pace, Milton, Gulf Breeze, and Navarre. Pensacola is a military market, and a lot of buyers here use VA loans. So these issues matter whether you're selling your home or buying one.

They're the VA's standards for the home itself. In plain terms, the VA wants the home to be safe, structurally sound and sanitary for the family moving in. The VA appraiser checks the home against those standards while also deciding what it's worth.

The exact rules come from the VA and the lender, and the appraiser applies them to each home. I'm not the one who decides whether a home meets them. What I do is screen homes for the known issues that tend to cause trouble, so there are fewer surprises later. For the full rules, your lender is the right person to ask.

The roof is one of the first things that can hold up a VA loan in our area. An older roof near the end of its life, or one with visible damage or leaks, can lead the appraiser to call for a repair before the loan can close.

It matters for insurance too. In Florida, the roof's age can change what a homeowners insurance policy costs, or whether a buyer can get one at a workable price. So an older roof can slow a sale in more than one way.

If you're selling, knowing the roof's age and condition before you list lets you decide early: repair it, price it in, or disclose it and plan around it.

WDO stands for wood-destroying organisms, which mostly means termites. In our climate, a termite inspection is a normal part of many sales here, and a VA buyer's lender will want to see that any active issue has been handled.

An open termite issue, or damage that was never repaired, can stop a VA loan until it's treated and fixed. The fix is often straightforward, but it takes time. On a deal with a tight closing date, that time is what hurts.

• Open code items or permits. Work that was done without a permit, or a permit that was never closed, can raise questions late in the deal.
• Safety problems. Things like exposed wiring, missing handrails or other hazards an appraiser can see.
• Water and moisture. Active leaks or signs of water damage.
• A price the appraisal can't support. Even a home in great shape can run into trouble if the price is above what the appraiser finds.

Every home is different, and the appraiser makes the call. This list is where I start looking, not a checklist of everything the VA may ask for.

With a pre-listing inspection. It shows us what a buyer's inspector would find, before a buyer finds it. Then we decide together what to fix, what to price in and what to disclose.

For a VA buyer, I look closely at the items that tend to hold up the loan: the roof, the termite report and open code items. I price with that buyer in mind from the start, so a VA offer is less likely to turn into a renegotiation after you thought the deal was done. You can see how I set the price on Plan A, Plan B and Plan C, or start with what your home is worth today.

If you're selling because of new orders, my post on selling your house when you get PCS orders walks through the whole timeline.

Before you write an offer, I review the home with the listing agent for things like roof life, the termite (WDO) report and open code items. It's a screen, not a guarantee the home will appraise or close. It helps you avoid spending inspection and appraisal money on homes with known problems.

You'll still have a full inspection period after your offer is accepted, up to 15 days in our contracts. My page for military and VA buyers covers the rest of the process.

The loan usually can't close until the required repairs are done and checked. Who does the work and who pays for it is negotiated between the buyer and seller, so it's worth talking through early, before the clock gets tight.

If the appraisal comes in low instead, it can be challenged. I once helped a client challenge a low VA appraisal in writing, and it was overturned. My post on what happens when an appraisal comes in low explains the options.

• Listing without knowing the roof's age. It's one of the first things a VA appraiser and an insurer look at.
• Waiting for the buyer's inspection to find a termite issue. Found early, it's a repair. Found late, it's a delay.
• Ignoring old unpermitted work. Open permits are easier to close before you list than during a sale.
• Pricing above what an appraisal will support. A VA sale needs the appraisal to back the price.
• Buyers offering before checking. A quick screen for known VA property issues can save inspection and appraisal money.

Can a VA buyer purchase an older home in Pensacola?

Yes. Age alone isn't the problem. The condition of things like the roof, the termite report and any safety items is what the appraiser looks at.

Does the seller have to pay for VA-required repairs?

Not automatically. Who pays is negotiated between the buyer and seller in the contract.

Can you tell me if a home qualifies for a VA loan?

No one but the VA appraiser and the lender can decide that. I screen homes for known VA property issues, which helps avoid surprises, but it isn't a guarantee.

Should I get an inspection before I list?

If VA buyers are likely for your home, a pre-listing inspection helps you find and handle issues before a buyer does.

Vivian Corwin is a bilingual Realtor and Military Relocation Professional with IXL Real Estate Florida in Pensacola, FL, helping military and relocating families buy and sell homes across Pensacola, Pace, Milton, Gulf Breeze, and Navarre. I'm a Military Relocation Professional and a Pricing Strategy Advisor. I'm not affiliated with the VA, the U.S. military or any base, and VA loan approval is decided by the VA and your lender. I'll walk you through it before you decide anything.

See how I sell homes in the Pensacola area, or schedule a time to talk with Vivian.