In Mortgagee Letter 2020-28 dated August 28, 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the extension of FHA temporary guidance regarding employment verification and appraisals due to COVID-19. The temporary guidance originally was announced in Mortgage Letter 2020-05 that was issued in March 2020.

As previously reported, the temporary guidance was extended from the original expiration date of May 17, 2020, to June 30, 2020, and then again from June 30, 2020, to August 31, 2020. Based on the latest extension, the temporary appraisal guidance is effective immediately for appraisals with an effective date on or before October 31, 2020, and the temporary verification of employment guidance is effective immediately for cases closed on or before October 31, 2020.