FHA issued a waiver regarding the timeframe for completing damage inspections in the San Juan Metro Area of Puerto Rico. FHA currently requires that all properties with pending mortgages or endorsements in presidentially-declared major disaster areas have a damage inspection report that identifies and quantifies any dwelling damage. The damage inspection report must be dated after the “incident period” (as defined by FEMA). At this time, FEMA has designated the incident period for Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria as ongoing. According to FHA, the situation in the San Juan Metro Area has stabilized to the extent that further damage to the properties appears unlikely, despite FEMA not having closed its incident period. As a result, FHA issued a waiver regarding the timing of the required inspection, allowing damage inspections to be completed beginning October 24, 2017 in the San Juan Metro Area. The waiver expires April 30, 2020.
Click here to view FHA Waiver of Housing Directive – Hurricane Maria
