An Appraiser's Guide to Tricky UPD Data Collection Scenarios
Hi, I’m Daniel Yoder, a residential appraiser with over two decades of experience. Like many of you, I've been closely following the rollout of the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 and the Uniform Property Dataset (UPD). While there's a lot of talk about the high-level changes, I find the most value is in the details. The "what do I actually do when I'm at the property?" questions.
Today, I want to move past the general timelines and get into the nitty-gritty. Using the latest guidance from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's UPD Frequently Asked Questions, let's explore a few specific, and potentially tricky, data collection scenarios that we'll all need to master.
The Garage Conundrum: Attached, Detached, and on Different Levels
How we document a garage is getting more specific. The UPD guidance clarifies a few common situations.
According to the FAQs, a detached garage requires you to complete all the garage-specific fields and also invoke the 'roomType' data array. If the garage has no finished rooms within it, the instruction is to enter 'Other_Room' for the roomType and 'Garage' for the otherRoomTypeDescription. If it does have finished rooms, you'd describe them accordingly.
But what about an attached or built-in garage that’s on a different level from the main living area? The guidance states this should still be reported simply as an attached or built-in garage. The key distinction is that the more complex 'unit array' data structure is reserved for when the garage is truly a detached structure. It's a subtle but important difference in how the data needs to be structured.
Seeing Double: How to Report Multiple, Identical Features
This is a great example of the shift toward discrete, repeatable data. What do you do when a property has more than one of the exact same feature?
The GSEs provide a perfect example: a condominium unit with two separate balconies. The instruction is to use the enumeration 'Balcony' for each one. In essence, you report the feature type twice. This isn't just a simple count; you are required to provide all the necessary data elements and at least one photo for each individual feature.
You can no longer just write "two balconies" in a free-text comment field. Each one is its own discrete entry in the dataset. This move towards granular data is a core part of the UAD and Forms Redesign initiative, which, as we've discussed before, is replacing traditional form numbers with a more dynamic system.
Turning Up the Heat: Reporting on Multiple Heating Systems
The new standards also demand more precision in reporting mechanical systems. Gone are the days of picking the "primary" heating type if multiple systems exist.
The UPD guidance is clear: the data collector must select all heating types that apply to the subject property. For instance, if a home uses 'Hot_Water_Baseboard' heating in one area and 'Wall_Furnace' heating in another, you must select both. Another example provided is a property with 'Central_Hot_Air' that is heated by a 'Gas_Furnace'—in this case, both heating types are to be reported.
This level of detail ensures the final report is a more accurate and complete reflection of the property's characteristics. Manually tracking each individual feature, its specific data points, and associated photos can be a challenge, which is where tools designed for the UPD, like Valuemate, can help ensure nothing is missed by prompting for these details during the property scan.
The Big Takeaway
The transition to UAD 3.6 and the UPD is about more than just a new-look report; it's a fundamental change in how we collect and structure property data. Details that might have been grouped together or briefly described in an addendum now require their own discrete, structured data entries. Understanding these nuances—from how to report a garage on a different level to documenting each and every balcony—is what will make for a smooth and successful transition in our day-to-day work.