Reading the actual guideline text below — never a general AI guess

Here's what we mean by a hybrid appraisal: it's a valuation assignment where an appraiser uses recently collected property data instead of visiting the property in person to see the inside and outside themselves. The appraiser still develops the opinion of value and signs the report, but the scope of work relies on data that someone else gathered rather than the appraiser's own inspection. Fannie Mae allows this approach only for certain loan types—not for small multifamily properties, co-ops, manufactured homes, new construction, renovation loans, or manually underwritten loans. When a lender chooses to do a hybrid appraisal, they must gather the property data through Fannie Mae's Property Data API, give that data to the appraiser to work from, submit the finished appraisal report through their portal system, and have it reviewed before sending it to Fannie Mae.

Straight from Fannie Mae Selling Guide and UAD 3.6 / URAR (FNMA) — nothing added.

UAD 3.6 timeline brings hybrid appraisals into focus for lenders

Hybrid appraisals are positioned as a solution aligned with UAD 3.6 requirements, delivering valuations two to three days faster than traditional appraisals with 90% of loans now eligible under the new standardized data collection.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac expand hybrid appraisal eligibility

Federal Housing Finance Agency and the GSEs announced expanded eligibility for hybrid appraisals, with Fannie Mae updates effective March 22, 2025 and Freddie Mac updates effective April 7, 2025, opening the majority of conventional transactions to hybrid appraisal use.