What Is Chief Appraiser?
Chief Appraiser searches the actual text of the guideline documents that govern residential appraisal — HUD/FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and local zoning codes — and returns exact passages with source and page number citations. Results are never AI-generated summaries. Every result is a direct excerpt from the original document.
How the Search Works
Chief Appraiser uses smart keyword matching with built-in synonym recognition. When you search an acronym like ADU, it automatically also searches for "accessory dwelling unit," "guest house," "secondary unit," and other variations — so you get results whether the document uses the abbreviation or the full term. You are always reading the actual regulation, not an interpretation of it.
Search Tips
A single term or short phrase works best. The search recognizes common synonyms automatically — "ADU" and "accessory dwelling unit" return the same results.
The search knows that ADU = accessory dwelling unit, ROV = reconsideration of value, MPR = minimum property requirement, and 60+ other appraisal term equivalencies. Use whichever feels natural.
Isolate the concept. A short phrase finds more relevant passages than a full question.
Low relevance scores (small numbers like 0.04) mean the engine wasn't confident. Shorten your search to the core term and try again.
Clark County, NV Title 30 zoning code is in the library. Search any zoning term and results from the code will appear alongside the national guideline documents.
What's in the Library
| Document | What It Covers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HUD/FHA Single Family Handbook 4000.1 | FHA appraisal requirements, MPRs, repair conditions, validity periods, subject-to appraisals | Public Domain |
| VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7) Chapters 11 & 12 + Fee Schedule |
VA appraisal requirements, MPRs, tidewater, NOV, fees and turn times by state/county | Public Domain |
| Fannie Mae Selling Guide + SEL Announcements | Comparable sales, UAD, desktop/hybrid appraisals, Value Acceptance, C1–C6, Q1–Q6 | © Excerpts Only |
| Clark County, NV — Title 30 Unified Development Code | Zoning classifications, setbacks, ADU / guest house rules, land use, permitted uses by district | Public Domain |
© Excerpts Only means the full document is not available for download — excerpts are shown for research reference per fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107, Authors Guild v. Google, 2d Cir. 2015).