VA Requirement For A Sketch On New Construction

[NOGAVA]

I doubt that it matters if you draw it in crayon on graph paper, scan a builder sketch, or actually load it up into your own CAD program. The important thing is that you verify for yourself. Or include an EA I guess.

In my experience, I've had requests from SARs that quoted VA guidelines but were way off. However, If it were me I would take the 5 minutes to sketch it out, appease a VA client, and move on.

 

[Digger88]

stairs and walls not needed in virginia.

 

[Wm. Hattaway]

Or in Florida (St Petersburg RLC)

 

[Rlong]

are you talking about a marketing sketch with no wall dimensions, that is what I ussually get so I have to sketch it for FNMA/ HUD. I would think VA would want a dimentioned sketch it the brocure does not have dimensions.

 

[Mr Rex]

• Building perimeter sketches showing the “footprint” of all improvements, including floor plan layout of residential spaces. The calculation for the square foot size of the improvements must also be shown either here or in the “Comments on Cost Approach” section of the URAR.
  

 

[DonRico]

I put in a statement with words to this effect -- "measured the Perimeter on Site and there is no change to the footprint of this Model." This has always been sufficient for every other Lender.

At this point, it's easier to do the damn Sketch than to fillibuster this thing. I was just looking for a pointer to the Chapter & Verse in the Handbook.

So I did the Sketch Sunday morning. Took about a half hour -- 3 Stories, 6 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 3505 sq ft. My alamode Sketcher calculated it to 3506 sq ft........don't you hate it you're off by one single square foot !!
The County Tax Assessor, by the way, just took the Builders GLA as gospel, so my two Fulton Model Comps are One Square Foot less than my Subject. Oh the Humanity !!

The upshot was -- Here's my stick-figure sketch. And sitting in my workfile is Lennar's 4-color floorplan brochure (with dimensions).

 

[Mr Rex]

You might be surprised to learn that architects are notorious for mis-calculating GLA. More than a handful of times I have found fairly significant differences in architects GLA on the plans and my own sketch and/or field measurements, even though they proclaimed the GLA was calculated to ANSI standards which I also used.

 

[Mr Rex]

The most notorious one that I remember was an elaborate log cabin with multiple hips and valleys that required extra-ordinary sized logs to support the loads. The architect had used the nominal 8 inch rafter depth on the second floor to determine where the knee wall started. Well a +/-2 foot deep hip or valley beam and you had to duck and squeeze around the upstairs loft area to access the bedrooms. There were no section drawings that would have shown the over sized beams and the architect had referred the beams to an engineer for determining loads etc. At least I was off the hook (thank god), I think the architect may have made a substantial contribution to the homeowner's investment...

 

[Don Clark]

You might be surprised to learn that architects are notorious for mis-calculating GLA. More than a handful of times I have found fairly significant differences in architects GLA on the plans and my own sketch and/or field measurements, even though they proclaimed the GLA was calculated to ANSI standards which I also used.

In doing VA New Construction either existing 95% or by plans and specs, I have found this to be gtrue most of the tim. Sure have a lot of Lazy Appraisers that love the new fee increases but hate to actually earn it.

 

[DWiley]

Showing the GLA calculations is an oft overlooked requirement. Based on my interactions with many appraisers over the years, it seems that many users do not enforce this requirement. I cannot count how many times I have been accused of "making up rules to justify my job" on this issue. Even after I copy and paste the requirement right out of the applicable guide, some still do not believe it