Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced September 30 that sellers unable to complete the new Uniform Appraisal Dataset transition can request a temporary exception. The general November 2, 2026 UAD 3.6 mandate is not changing. This is a lender-side reporting transition, not a waiver of the need to value a home for a mortgage.
Approved exceptions allow new legacy UAD 2.6 appraisal submissions from November 2, 2026 through May 19, 2027. A seller must request an exception from each applicable housing-finance enterprise and commit to a final implementation plan. Simply being unprepared does not automatically make a lender compliant.
The exception becomes less useful on March 1, 2027. Legacy reports will then receive reduced functionality in the enterprises' collateral-review tools, and loans secured by those reports will not qualify for collateral representation-and-warranty relief for value. That is a lender risk allocation, not a direct promise of a lower or higher borrower rate.
From May 20, 2027, initial submissions must use UAD 3.6. Legacy reports may be resubmitted through June 27, but no UAD 2.6 reports will be processed from June 28. The enterprises describe this as a one-time exception that will not be extended.
For a homebuyer approaching closing, the useful question is whether the lender, appraiser and any investor are ready for the required format or operating under an approved exception. The announcement does not guarantee that a particular loan will avoid delays, reduce appraisal fees or qualify for financing. It also does not direct borrowers to request an exception themselves: the requirements apply to sellers and their mortgage-production partners.