Last updated: February 2026

Your agent calls. The VA appraiser triggered Tidewater. Now you have 48 hours. If you've never heard of the VA Tidewater appraisal process before, that call can feel alarming. But here's the truth: Tidewater is not a denial. It's not even a red flag. It's actually the VA doing something no other loan program does — stopping the clock before the appraisal is finalized and giving you a real shot at influencing the outcome. Understanding how this process works, and what your agent needs to do in the next two days, is what separates deals that close from deals that fall apart.

If you're using a VA home loan to purchase a property, this is a process worth knowing well before you ever need it.

What the VA Tidewater Appraisal Process Actually Is

The VA Tidewater Initiative is a rule built into the VA appraisal process. When a VA-assigned appraiser visits a property and believes the home's value will come in below the contract price, they don't just finish the report and send it. They stop. They notify the lender first.

That notification triggers a 48-hour window. During that window, the agent and lender can submit additional comparable sales to the appraiser before the report is filed. The appraiser then reviews that data and adjusts the value if the new comps support it.

Per VA Pamphlet 26-7, the VA Lenders Handbook, the Tidewater process requires VA appraisers to notify the lender before submitting a completed report any time they believe the estimated value will fall below the contract purchase price. This makes Tidewater a pre-report intervention, not a post-report appeal. That distinction matters a lot.

According to VA data published in the VA Annual Benefits Report for fiscal year 2023, the department guaranteed approximately 400,340 home loans, making VA loans one of the most active purchase programs in the country. With that volume, appraisal situations like Tidewater come up regularly — and most buyers aren't prepared for them.

You can also find a broader overview of how the VA supports veterans in VA housing assistance resources directly from the VA's site.

What Happens in the 48-Hour Tidewater Window

The clock starts when the lender receives the Tidewater notification. At that point, the lender contacts the listing agent or buyer's agent, depending on how the transaction is structured, and explains what's needed.

The agent then has 48 hours to find and submit comparable closed sales that support the contract price. Those comps go back to the lender, who forwards them to the appraiser. The appraiser reviews them before writing the final report.

This is where most deals either get back on track or start to unravel. The 48-hour window is real. So is the pressure. Agents who aren't familiar with VA appraisal standards sometimes submit comps that don't meet the VA's requirements, which wastes the window entirely. Agents who know what to look for can meaningfully influence the final value.

Per VA Circular 26-24-13, issued in 2024, the VA updated its reconsideration of value process to create a more structured and transparent path for veterans to challenge appraisal results, including tighter timelines and clearer documentation standards. That update also clarified how Tidewater feeds into the ROV process if needed afterward.

"In our experience, the 48-hour Tidewater window is where agents earn their keep. When an agent submits three strong, nearby closed sales with a clear explanation of why they support the price, appraisers pay attention. When they submit nothing, or submit listings that don't qualify, the window closes and the deal gets much harder."

— Reed Letson, Owner, Elevation Mortgage

What to Submit During the 48-Hour VA Tidewater Window

This is the step most buyers don't think about until it's too late. The quality of the comp submission often determines the final appraisal value. So what makes a comp work for the VA?

According to VA Pamphlet 26-7, acceptable comparable sales for Tidewater purposes must be closed transactions, not active listings or pending sales, and should ideally be within one mile of the subject property and closed within the past twelve months. Active listings don't count. Pending sales don't count. Only closed sales.

Beyond that, the agent should look for properties with similar square footage, the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and comparable condition. A finished basement or updated kitchen in the subject property with no similar feature in the comp will require an explanation. Agents should include a brief written summary with each comp, noting why it's relevant and how any differences in condition or size were considered.

In competitive Colorado markets like Denver and Colorado Springs, we regularly see situations where home values have moved faster than the closed sales data. Because closed sales take 30 to 60 days to record, the most recent comps may reflect prices from two months ago in a market that's moved since. When that's the case, the agent's written narrative explaining the trend matters just as much as the comps themselves. Colorado homebuyers using VA loans in high-demand areas should talk to their agent before going under contract about how they'd handle a Tidewater notice.

The same dynamic shows up in Florida. Florida veterans in markets like Tampa and Orlando have seen similar gaps between fast-moving prices and lagging closed-sale data.

When the VA Appraisal Still Comes In Low After Tidewater

Sometimes the appraiser reviews the submitted comps and the value still comes in below the contract price. That's not the end of the road. But you need to know your options clearly, because each one has real trade-offs.

Per the VA's updated ROV policy under Circular 26-24-13, borrowers now have the right to submit a formal reconsideration of value request directly to the lender within 10 business days of receiving the Notice of Value. The ROV is a separate process from Tidewater. Tidewater happens before the report is filed. The ROV happens after. Mixing them up costs buyers time and leverage.

One important note: the VA does not allow the lender to charge the buyer for a value that exceeds the appraised value on a VA loan. So if the appraisal comes in low and the seller won't reduce the price, the buyer isn't forced to pay the higher amount. They have a real exit. That protection is one of the things that makes VA loans worth understanding before you need them.

Common Mistakes That Cost VA Buyers During the Tidewater Process

Treating the 48 hours as flexible

The window is firm. Once it closes, the appraiser files the report. Agents who spend the first 24 hours trying to track down data often run out of time to put together a coherent submission. The moment a Tidewater notice arrives, the agent should treat it as urgent.

Submitting active listings or pending sales

We see this often. Agents pull whatever recent comparables they can find quickly, including homes currently listed or under contract. The VA appraiser cannot use those. Only closed sales qualify. Submitting non-qualifying comps fills up the 48 hours without actually helping the case.

Confusing Tidewater with the Reconsideration of Value process

These are two different steps with two different timelines. Tidewater is a pre-report opportunity. ROV is a post-report appeal. Buyers who think they already "did Tidewater" and can't challenge the appraisal further sometimes leave money on the table. If the final value still comes in low, an ROV is still available — but it requires new data the appraiser hasn't already seen.

Frequently Asked Questions