Appraisal

What is Tidewater on a VA appraisal?

Short answer

Tidewater is VA's process when the appraiser believes the home will not appraise at the contract price. Before issuing a low Notice of Value, the appraiser invites the listing agent and lender to submit comparable sales supporting the contract price.

Plain-English explanation

Tidewater is a real opportunity, not a courtesy. The appraiser sends a Tidewater notice; the agent and lender have a defined window (often 48 hours) to provide additional comps. If those comps support the contract price, the final NOV may match. If not, a low NOV issues. Borrowers can then renegotiate price, bring cash to bridge the gap, or invoke Reconsideration of Value (ROV). Subject to VA guidelines.

Practical example

A Central Florida VA buyer is under contract at $410k. The appraiser issues a Tidewater notice — they think value comes in at $400k. The listing agent provides three additional comparable sales over the next 24 hours, including a closed sale at $415k two streets over. The final NOV comes in at $410k.