Instructions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

April 10, 2020

The instructions and FAQ’s below have been provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reinforce proper use of the appraisal forms and the Map Reference field label – exterior or desktop. Please review this information at your earliest convenience.

ACTION ALERT!! – Map Reference Field
When completing appraisal reports under the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac COVID-19 temporary appraisal flexibilities, some appraisers are using the Map Reference field incorrectly.

Instructions From Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Map Reference field for COVID-19 temporary desktop and exterior-only appraisal flexibilities:

The Map Reference field on the Appraisal Report may only contain the word “desktop” or “exterior”. The Map Reference field should reflect the appraisal type agreed to with the acceptance of the assignment and the minimum scope of work required for the assignment.

The appraiser is responsible for determining what is the adequate scope of work for any assignment and may choose to expand the scope of work beyond the minimum requirements. The appraiser must include either “desktop” or “exterior” in the Map Reference field any time a traditional appraisal form is used to complete a desktop or exterior appraisal using the COVID-19 temporary flexibilities. No other words, characters, or phrases may be used or included.

The 2055, 1075/466, and 2095 forms can only contain the word “exterior” in the Map Reference field.
The 1004/70, 1073/465, and 2090 forms can only contain the word “desktop” in the Map Reference field.
The 1025/72 and 1004C/70B forms can contain either “exterior” or “desktop” depending on the scope of work.
Form 1004/70 with the indication “exterior” is NOT an acceptable option for an appraisal report for a loan delivered to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

FAQs Related to Map Reference Field:If a desktop appraisal is ordered and accepted by the appraiser, may the appraiser expand the scope of work to include an exterior inspection of the subject property or comparable sales? In this situation, what identifier would the appraisal include in the Map Reference field?

Yes. The appraiser is responsible for determining what is an adequate scope of work for any assignment and may choose to expand the scope beyond the minimum requirements. In this instance, the appraiser would enter “desktop” as this reflects the appraisal type agreed to with the acceptance of the assignment and the minimum scope of work required for the assignment.

Using the COVID-19 appraisal flexibilities for a desktop appraisal report, what information must the appraiser include in the Map Reference field?

For a desktop appraisal report, the Map Reference field must ONLY contain “desktop”. No other entries may be included in this field. It is the Seller’s responsibility to ensure the appraisal is accurately reported.

Using the COVID-19 appraisal flexibilities for an exterior-only appraisal report, what information must the appraiser include in the Map Reference field?

For an exterior-only appraisal report, the Map Reference field must ONLY contain “exterior”. No other entries may be included in this field. It is the Seller’s responsibility to ensure the appraisal is accurately reported.

Fannie Mae resources for Appraisers:

Freddie Mac resources for Appraisers: