Will my buyers' second VA loan need extra inspections too?

Two different things are getting mixed together here, and separating them answers your question cleanly. The home inspection is the buyer's, and it's optional. It belongs to them, they pay for it, and they decide its scope. If your new buyers only want electrical and water looked at, that's entirely their call - the lender has no say in it, and your previous buyers' inspection report has no bearing on it either. That last point deserves expanding, because handing over the old report is a common instinct and a bad one. An inspection report belongs to the person who paid for it. It's their property, the inspector's contract is with them, and many reports say in the fine print that no one else may rely on them. More importantly, the inspector owes no duty and no fiduciary responsibility to someone who didn't hire them. A buyer handed a report they didn't commission has no relationship with that inspector, no recourse if something was missed, and no standing to ask follow-up questions as a client. So if your new buyers ask for the previous report, the better answer is to point them toward hiring their own inspector rather than handing over a document they can't rely on and you shouldn't be vouching for. Disclosing what you know is a separate obligation, and I'll come back to it below. The VA appraisal is the lender's, and it is not optional. This is the part people mean when they say VA requires more. Every VA loan gets a new appraisal by a VA-assigned appraiser, and that appraiser checks the property against VA's Minimum Property Requirements as well as valuing it. A new buyer means a new appraisal, full stop - the prior one doesn't carry over to a different borrower, and the work you've already done doesn't exempt the property from being looked at again. So: no new full home inspection unless your buyers want one, but yes, a new VA appraisal with an MPR review regardless. What the MPR review actually looks for - and this is where your chimney and sump pump work matters: a roof with remaining life and no active leaks; safe mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and a working heat source; no standing water or drainage issues at the foundation, which is precisely the sump pump question; working chimney and venting for any fuel-burning appliance, which is precisely the chimney question; and adequate access, no exposed hazards, and no evidence of wood-destroying insects where a report is required. So here's the practical move, and it's a good one: gather the documentation of the repairs you already made - invoices, permits if any were pulled, before-and-after photos, and any contractor letters - and have your agent get that package to the appraiser through the lender before the appraisal is performed. An appraiser who can see that the chimney was repaired by a professional last month is far less likely to call it out as a condition requiring correction. That's a normal and appropriate thing to provide; you're documenting, not influencing value. Two other things worth knowing. The VA appraisal carries a Notice of Value, and in Alabama a termite or wood-destroying-insect report is customarily part of a VA transaction - check with your agent whether your contract addresses who orders and pays for it. And if any MPR item does get flagged, it generally has to be corrected before closing, not credited around, which is a real difference from conventional financing and worth anticipating. And one thing that matters more than the appraisal question. A buyer choosing a narrower inspection does not reduce what you owe them. Alabama largely follows caveat emptor on the resale of an existing home, but that is not permission to stay quiet. You are required to disclose known latent defects - problems a buyer couldn't reasonably discover by looking - and anything you know of that affects health or safety. And if you are asked a direct question about the condition of something, you have to answer it truthfully. You cannot deflect it, and you certainly cannot actively conceal a known problem. That obligation gets more important when a buyer inspects less, not less important, because they're relying more heavily on what you tell them. So put what you know in writing, completely, including the things you'd rather not volunteer. A documented disclosure is the cheapest protection in the whole transaction and the one thing that reliably heads off a claim after closing. I'm not an attorney - run any specific disclosure question by one. The good news in your situation: the two items your last deal died on are both fixed and documented. That's a meaningfully stronger position than you were in the first time. I'm a real estate broker, not a lender or an appraiser, so confirm the specifics with your buyers' lender - VA requirements are federal, but how a given lender and appraiser handle them varies. Dustin Woodley, Camelot Properties, LLC - serving Montgomery, Prattville, Millbrook, Wetumpka, Pike Road, Auburn, Opelika, Lake Martin and the Tri County River Region area.

A second VA buyer does not automatically mean you need to repeat every inspection, but you also shouldn’t assume the previous documentation will satisfy the new lender. The VA appraisal and the buyer’s inspections are two different things. The lender will generally require a VA appraisal for the new loan, and the appraiser will evaluate the property against VA minimum property requirements. If the chimney cracks and sump pump issues were repaired, having invoices, permits if applicable, and documentation of the completed work can be very helpful. Whether additional inspections are required can depend on what the VA appraiser, lender, and buyers determine. If the new buyers specifically want electrical and water inspections, those may be sufficient for their due diligence, but the lender could still request additional documentation if an issue is identified. I’d recommend giving the new lender all records from the previous inspection and repairs and asking them directly whether anything else will be required before closing. That way, you can address potential issues early rather than finding out late in the transaction. Juan Picos Real Estate Agent JohnHart Real Estate

It is important to clarify that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) itself never requires a general home inspection for any buyer. A full home inspection is completely optional and strictly ordered at the discretion of the homebuyer for their own peace of mind. Because your new buyers are choosing to only order an electrical and water test for their personal home inspection, you do not need to worry about them or the VA forcing a full private inspection on the property.  What is mandatory for every VA loan is a VA appraisal, which evaluates the home's value and ensures it meets basic Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs) for safety, soundness, and sanitation. Since a new appraisal will be ordered for these buyers, a new VA appraiser will perform a brief visual walk-through of the home. However, because you have already repaired the chimney cracks and sump pump, those items should pass the appraiser's visual check without issue. Having the receipts, invoices, or contractor permits from those recent repairs ready to share with the new appraiser and buyers can also serve as proof that the previous safety issues were properly resolved.

Rosalind, the thing that trips sellers up here is that the inspection and the appraisal are two different animals. Your buyers choosing only electrical and water is their call, and no lender forces them to order more than they want. What the VA side actually requires is an appraisal, and since this is a different buyer, expect a fresh one rather than a reuse of the old file. That appraiser looks at the property against VA's condition standards, which is where the chimney and sump pump work pays off. Put the invoices and any permits in a folder and hand it over at the appointment. It answers questions before they turn into conditions. Worth asking your buyers' lender early whether a wood-destroying insect report is needed, since that one catches sellers in your part of the country off guard. I sell in California, so let a Huntsville agent confirm what's standard there. Alla Novytska, Realtor®, JohnHart Real Estate, DRE #02254775

Rosalind, a buyer using a VA loan for a second purchase does not automatically need extra inspections just because it’s their second VA loan. The VA appraisal is still required for the new loan, but the appraisal is different from a traditional home inspection. A home inspection is generally separate from the VA appraisal and is strongly recommended, but additional inspections may be required depending on the property. Things such as the condition of the home, required repairs, the lender’s requirements, or features like a well, septic system, or manufactured construction can trigger additional inspections. The fact that the buyer is keeping their first VA-financed property can affect their remaining VA entitlement and occupancy eligibility, but it doesn't by itself create additional inspection requirements. Hopefully this helps, good luck! Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Real Estate Operations in ALL 50 States

Great question, and thank you for asking! One important distinction with a VA loan is the difference between the buyer’s home inspection and the VA appraisal. The VA appraisal is primarily used to establish the property’s value and determine whether the home meets the VA’s Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs). The appraiser is looking for conditions that could affect the property’s safety, soundness, or sanitation—not performing the same type of comprehensive inspection a home inspector would. If the VA appraisal flags an item as a required repair, that condition will generally need to be corrected and cleared before the lender can fund the VA loan. So even though the chimney cracks and sump pump were repaired and documented during the previous transaction, the new VA buyer will typically have a new appraisal for their loan. What matters for financing is what the new appraisal identifies and what the lender requires to be satisfied. The buyer’s decision to perform only electrical and water inspections is a separate issue from the VA appraisal and lender requirements. Thanks again for the question! NXCEL Realty Helping North Alabama buyers and sellers understand the process from contract to closing.

Rosalind, not necessarily. The key point is that a VA loan does not automatically require a new full home inspection. VA distinguishes between the buyer's home inspection and the VA appraisal, which checks value and whether the property appears to meet VA Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs). VA strongly recommends a home inspection, but says it is not required by VA itself. With your second VA buyer, there are really two separate questions: The buyers' inspection: If the new buyers have chosen to obtain only an electrical inspection and water inspection, VA itself does not require them to order a full home inspection. However, their lender or the buyers themselves may impose additional requirements. The VA appraisal: The lender will generally order a new VA appraisal for the new transaction. The VA-approved appraiser evaluates the property for value and observable MPR issues. A previous VA appraisal from the first buyer should not be assumed to automatically carry over to the second loan. VA says the lender requests the appraisal after a ratified purchase agreement, and the appraisal is tied to that loan transaction. Your documentation of the chimney repairs and sump-pump work is very useful, though. Keep the invoices, receipts, permits where applicable, contractor documentation, photographs, and the previous inspection report. If the new VA appraiser observes a condition related to those items, having documentation showing that the problem was corrected can help establish what was repaired. Also, VA's current appraisal requirements were updated effective May 1, 2026, so I would not rely on older VA advice about MPRs without checking the current requirements. So, in your situation, I would think of it this way: You probably do not need to order another full inspection simply because the new buyers are using VA. However, you should expect a new VA appraisal, and the appraiser can still identify MPR-related repairs if something is visibly deficient. The buyers' choice to obtain only electrical and water inspections does not prevent the VA appraiser from identifying an observable property-condition issue. Most importantly, don't assume that because the first VA buyer's inspection was completed and the repairs were made, the second VA appraisal will automatically be cleared. The new lender controls the appraisal process for the new loan. This is general real-estate information, not legal or lending advice. We are not attorneys or lenders. For a definitive answer about what the new lender will require, the buyer or their lender should confirm the specific underwriting requirements for this loan.

Rosalind, the single most useful thing to know here is that a VA appraisal is not attached to the buyer. It is attached to the property. The Notice of Value is generally good for six months from the date it is issued, and a second VA buyer on the same home inside that window typically inherits that same Notice of Value, with the same value and the same conditions, rather than setting off a brand new one. So your first move is to get two pieces of information from your first buyer's lender: the date the Notice of Value was issued, and the VA case number. That date is your clock, and it may be worth real money to your new buyers. Second, and this is where the worry usually comes from: VA does not require a home inspection at all. What VA requires is an appraisal that meets its Minimum Property Requirements. The full inspection your first buyers ran was their own choice, not a lender mandate. Your new buyers wanting only an electrical and a water inspection is entirely up to them, and it does not create a problem with the lender. Nobody is going to force a full inspection back into the deal. What VA does require in Alabama is a wood destroying insect report, because Alabama sits in a required zone. Since 2022 the veteran has been allowed to pay for it, and in the Southeast the buyer commonly does, so do not assume that one automatically lands on you. It is negotiable like everything else. Now the part that actually needs your attention. If the first buyer's Notice of Value listed any repair conditions, those conditions travel with the property inside the validity window. The chimney and the sump pump are exactly the kind of items that show up as Minimum Property Requirement conditions, since VA cares a lot about water intrusion, drainage, and heating and chimney safety. Being finished is not the same as being documented. So put together a small package now and hand it to the new buyer's loan officer up front: Licensed contractor invoices for the chimney work and the sump pump, permits where any were pulled, and photos of the completed work. If the appraiser can see it cleanly, it stops being an open condition. If they have to go looking for it, you risk a repeat of the last round. One more thing worth knowing before you get attached to the idea. Ask the new buyer's lender to check whether a valid Notice of Value already exists on the property before they order a new appraisal. If it does, it can save the appraisal fee and lock in the value that was already established. That is good news if the first appraisal came in at or above your price. If it came in low, you are inheriting that number too, and you would much rather find that out this week than three weeks into escrow. You are in Huntsville and I work the South Bay and Palos Verdes side of Los Angeles, so I am not local to you. If it would help, tell me and I will connect you with a strong Huntsville agent, ideally one who closes a lot of VA transactions, because VA is a different animal and experience with it shows up in exactly these moments. I am Zoltan Peresztegi, and I think you are in a better position here than you feel like you are. Zoltan