Your lender calls. The word Tidewater comes up. It means the VA appraiser thinks your home will come in under the sale price. Do not panic. Tidewater is not a denial. It is a two-day window to change the outcome before the number is final. Here is exactly how it works.
What Tidewater Is
VA makes its appraisers do something no other loan program does. If the appraiser thinks the value will land below the sale price, they must tell the lender first. Not after the report. Before. Then they must wait two business days. That gives the lender, the agents, or the buyer time to send in more sales data.
The name comes from the Tidewater area of Virginia. That is where VA first tested the idea.
What to Send in the Two Days
VA spells out what the appraiser needs for each sale you want them to look at:
- The street address
- The sale price
- The date it sold
- The square footage of living space
- A copy of the listing, if the home was listed
- Anything else that shows why this sale is a good match for your home
The best sales are close by. They sold in the last few months. They match your home in size, age, and shape. Sales the appraiser already used do not help. Homes still for sale do not help. Closed sales do.
VA puts the work on the sender. If you send a sale with no details, the appraiser does not have to chase it down.
What the Appraiser Does With It
If you send data, the appraiser must note in the report that Tidewater was done. For each sale you sent, they must say if they used it. If not, they must say why. And they must say what the data did to the value, if anything.
If nobody sends anything in two business days, the appraiser notes that too and finishes the report.
What are you looking to do?
No SSN required. No credit pull. Takes about 2 minutes.
Tidewater vs. Reconsideration of Value
These are two tools. They happen at two different times.
- Tidewater comes before the report is done. You send data to the appraiser through your lender. You get two business days.
- A second look from VA comes after the Notice of Value is issued. VA calls it a Reconsideration of Value. You send a written request to VA, not the appraiser. VA reviews it within five business days. If VA sends someone to see the home, that can take up to 20 business days. If VA agrees, it issues a new NOV at the higher value.
You can use both. If Tidewater does not move the number, the second look is the next step. VA likes to see market data with the request, but it is not required.
If the Value Still Comes In Low
Tidewater does not always work. When it does not, you still have choices. The seller can drop the price. The seller can help through seller concessions. You can pay the difference in cash. Or you can walk away and keep your earnest money under the VA escape clause. No one can make you pay more than VA says the home is worth.
How We Handle a Tidewater Call
We do not sit on it. The two-day clock starts when the notice lands. We pull closed sales the same day. We check them against the sales the appraiser likely used. Then we send the package with every detail VA asks for. On a purchase, we call your agent right away. Agents often know about sales that have not hit the data yet.
Sources: VA Lender’s Handbook M26-7, Chapter 10, Topic 8 (Market Data Submitted During the Appraisal Process) and Topic 22 (Reconsideration of Value). VA Pamphlet 26-7 as published on KnowVA, updated August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VA Tidewater process?
It is a VA rule for low appraisals. If the appraiser thinks the value will land below the sale price, they must tell the lender before finishing the report. Then they wait two business days for more sales data. VA named it after the Tidewater area of Virginia, where the rule was first tested.
How many days do I have under Tidewater?
Two business days from the appraiser’s notice. If nothing comes in, the appraiser notes that Tidewater was done and finishes the report.
Does the appraiser tell me the value during Tidewater?
No. The appraiser only says the value looks like it will be below the sale price. You do not see the number until the report is done.
What data should I send during Tidewater?
For each sale: the address, the price, the sale date, the living area in square feet, a copy of the listing if there was one, and anything else that shows it is a good match. Closed sales work. Homes still for sale do not.
Can Tidewater force the appraiser to hit the sale price?
No. VA says the step is only for sharing market data. It is never an order to reach a set value. The appraiser decides if the data changes the value.
What is the difference between Tidewater and a Reconsideration of Value?
Tidewater comes before the report is done and goes through the appraiser. A Reconsideration of Value comes after the Notice of Value and goes to VA in writing. VA reviews it within five business days, or up to 20 if VA sends someone to see the home.
What happens if the VA appraisal is still low after Tidewater?
You can ask VA for a second look. You can renegotiate the price. You can use seller concessions. You can pay the gap in cash. Or you can walk away with your earnest money under the VA escape clause.