
If the after-repair value (ARV) comes in lower than expected on a 203k loan, the lender still uses the ARV to set your total financing amount. A low ARV can shrink what you can borrow, but you have solid options to save the deal in 2026:
- Request a second appraisal opinion by providing comps the appraiser missed (your lender can submit this).
- Remove or scale back items from the bid to lower the total rehab cost and loan amount needed.
- Go back to the seller with the appraisal report and ask for a price reduction since the home won't appraise or meet FHA minimum property standards. Watch this quick video to see how these fixes work and keep your project moving forward!