Why VA Appraisals Flag Older Springfield Homes, and How to Get Past It

By Brian Fisher, REALTOR® and retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant · The Fisher Team at Keller Williams Local · September 2026

A lot of Springfield is older housing. Midtown, Rountree, Grant Beach, the Westside, and plenty of the small towns around us are full of solid homes built decades ago. They are also the homes most likely to come back from a VA appraisal with a list of required repairs.

That list is not a deal killer. It is a checklist. If you know what the appraiser is looking for before you write the offer, you can plan for it instead of scrambling two weeks before closing.

What the VA appraiser is actually checking

A VA appraisal does two jobs on one visit. It sets the value, and it checks the house against the VA's Minimum Property Requirements, or MPRs. The standard is that the home is safe, sanitary, and structurally sound.¹ It is not a home inspection, and it does not care about dated carpet or an old kitchen. It cares about things that affect health, safety, and whether the house will hold up.

What changed on May 1, 2026

The VA loosened a few rules this year. Change 46 to the VA Lenders Handbook took effect May 1, 2026, and removed some of the items that used to hold up closings:²

• Peeling paint on homes built in 1978 or later is now treated as cosmetic, inside and out.
• Detached sheds, outbuildings, and garages no longer have to meet MPRs. An actual safety hazard can still be called out.
• Two certifications went away: radon-resistant construction on new builds in Radon Zone 1, and oxygen-depletion sensors on ventless gas heaters.

That helps. But for older homes, the biggest one did not change.

What still gets flagged on older homes

1. Defective paint on pre-1978 homes. If the house was built before 1978, any peeling, chipping, or flaking paint has to be corrected before closing because it may contain lead.¹ That means porch rails, window trim, eaves, and siding. This is the most common repair on older Springfield houses, and it is also one of the cheapest if you plan for it.

2. The roof. The roof has to keep water out and have reasonable life left. Active leaks, missing or badly curled shingles, or a roof at the end of its life will get flagged.

3. Crawl spaces and foundations. Standing water, moisture problems, debris, or structural movement in a crawl space or foundation will come up. Older homes on crawl spaces are where I look first.

4. Electrical. Exposed wiring, missing covers, and panels with known safety problems get flagged.

5. Heat. The home needs a permanent heating system that can keep it at a livable temperature. Space heaters do not count.

6. Water and sewer. Out in Fair Grove, Strafford, Rogersville, and the other rural areas, you will see wells and septic systems. Water has to be safe, and wells often need testing. A failing septic system is a required repair.

7. Termites. Missouri is a state where the VA requires a wood-destroying insect inspection on every VA purchase.³ Active infestation or damage has to be treated or repaired.

Who pays for the repairs

The VA does not decide that. It is negotiated in your contract. The seller can pay, you can pay, or you can split it.¹ The one rule that does not bend is timing: required repairs have to be done, and the appraiser has to clear them, before the loan closes.

That timing is where deals get tight. Scraping and repainting a pre-1978 porch is quick. A roof or a septic system can push a closing back if nobody planned for it.

How to get past it

If you are buying:

• Walk the house with the appraiser's eyes before you write the offer. Check the year built, look at the paint, the roof, the crawl space, the panel. If you see an MPR problem, it goes into the offer, not into a surprise at appraisal.
• Put the repair plan in the contract. Spell out who fixes what, and by when, so a flagged item is a to-do and not a renegotiation.
• Leave room in the timeline. On an older house, build in a few extra days after the appraisal for repairs and the re-inspection.
• Get your own home inspection anyway. The appraisal protects the lender. The inspection protects you.

If you are selling an older home:

• Fix the obvious MPR items before you list. If your home is pre-1978, scrape and paint any peeling areas now. It is cheap, and it makes your house easy for a VA buyer to close on.
• Do not rule out VA buyers. On a house that already meets MPRs, a VA offer closes like any other offer.

Common questions

Does the VA appraiser still flag peeling paint?

Only on homes built before 1978. Under Change 46 to the VA Lenders Handbook, effective May 1, 2026, peeling paint on homes built in 1978 or later is treated as cosmetic. On pre-1978 homes, defective paint still has to be corrected before closing because of the lead-based paint rules.

Who pays for VA appraisal repairs?

The VA does not say. It is negotiated in the contract. The seller can pay, the buyer can pay, or the two can split it. What the VA does require is that the repairs are finished and the appraiser clears them before the loan closes.

Is a termite inspection required for a VA loan in Missouri?

Yes. Missouri is one of the states where the VA requires a wood-destroying insect inspection. Since VA Circular 26-22-11 in 2022, the veteran is allowed to pay for it, though it is still worth negotiating.

Can I buy an older fixer-upper with a VA loan?

Yes, if the house meets the minimum property requirements by closing. Cosmetic issues are fine. Safety, structural, roof, heat, water, and sewer problems have to be fixed first. If a house needs heavy work, the plan for those repairs has to be in the contract before you write the offer.

Brian Fisher, REALTOR®

Retired USAF Senior Master Sergeant (20 years of service). The Fisher Team at Keller Williams Local, serving veterans and military families across Springfield and Southwest Missouri.