If your Santa Clarita home appraises below the agreed price, start with the contract and the report. Ask your agent to organize any factual concerns for the buyer and lender, then compare written proposals against your proceeds and moving plans. A request to reconsider the value is not a promise that the value will change.
This guide is a working checklist for the seller. Keep your signed agreement, the lender's instructions and advice about your specific transaction alongside it.
Start with the contract questions
Before responding to a request for a lower price, ask your agent to identify the relevant contract provisions, deadlines and documents. Write down the questions that still need an answer:
- What has the buyer actually requested, and is the request in writing?
- Which appraisal or financing provisions apply to this agreement?
- What response dates need attention?
- Which questions should go to the buyer's lender, and which need legal advice?
Do not turn general guidance for buyers into a statement about your own cancellation or deposit rights. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's low-appraisal guidance is written for buyers. It discusses obtaining the report, negotiating the price and seeking legal advice about cancellation costs under the purchase contract. It does not establish a seller's rights under a particular agreement.
Organize factual concerns about the appraisal
Ask whether the buyer is willing to share the report through the transaction team. Use the copy available to you to prepare a short list of specific questions, rather than arguing only that the agreed price should be accepted.
For each concern, record the report page, the item you want reviewed and the document supporting your question. Useful items to discuss with your agent include property measurements, recorded features, improvements and the comparable sales used in the report. Avoid asserting a measurement or improvement as verified when your records do not support it.
For your Santa Clarita property, ask the agent to explain the relevance of each proposed comparison. A familiar neighborhood name alone is not the explanation: ask what makes the property useful for this review and what differences need attention.
Keep the packet focused. Label an unanswered question as a question, and separate supporting documents from your preferred sale price.
Ask about the buyer's lender review process
For loans subject to its requirements, Fannie Mae's appraisal-quality guidance assigns appraisal concerns and the borrower-initiated reconsideration process to the lender. Requests to change a value must address substantive concerns, rather than only a failure to support the proposed loan amount. If another appraisal is obtained, the lender must select the most reliable assessment, rather than simply the highest one.
Ask the buyer and lender what submission process applies, what supporting information is needed and when they expect a response. Your seller checklist should not promise that a review will produce a higher value or finish before a particular date.
Compare written proposals before choosing a response
Create a simple comparison sheet with your agent. For each proposal, record the proposed sale price, requested credits, any proposed buyer contribution, unanswered financing questions and the expected next decision date. Ask the buyer's lender to confirm what is workable before treating a financing assumption as settled.
Possible discussion points include a proposed price adjustment, additional buyer funds, or a combination. Treat each as a proposal requiring review. Reducing the price to the appraised value does not, by itself, guarantee the buyer's financing or the closing.
Use the home-sale proceeds worksheet to compare the proposals consistently. Put uncertain amounts in a separate column and label them as estimates. Ask for clarification before using an estimate as the basis for a final decision.
Add your moving questions to the same sheet: which arrangements are flexible, which need confirmation and what you would need to revisit if the timing changes. This makes the conversation about your actual choices, rather than only the gap between two prices.
Keep the response and next steps together
Ask your agent to help turn the response you choose into the appropriate written proposal. Keep track of what has been proposed, what has been accepted and what remains unanswered. Before assuming the transaction will continue on revised terms, ask the team to confirm the relevant documents and next steps.
For broader preparation, see our seller's guide. To discuss how to organize an appraisal response for your home, contact Rose District.
Frequently asked questions
Should I automatically lower the price after a low appraisal?
Start by reviewing the report, your agreement and the buyer's written request with your agent. A price change is one discussion point; do not treat it as a decision already made for you.
Can I request a higher appraisal directly?
For the Fannie Mae process described above, work with the buyer and their lender on the applicable review procedure. Ask how to submit factual concerns; do not assume that supplying different comparable sales guarantees a higher value.
Can I cancel or keep the buyer's deposit?
Ask for advice about your specific signed agreement and circumstances. This general checklist does not establish a cancellation right or an entitlement to a deposit.
What should I bring to the conversation with my agent?
Bring the signed agreement and amendments, the buyer's written request, any shared appraisal report, supporting property records and your proceeds questions. Mark missing documents and uncertain information so the team can resolve them.
Primary sources checked September 14, 2026. This seller checklist is general educational guidance, not a determination about a particular loan or contract.