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Contact your agent promptly and identify the exact contract deadline, the missing appraisal information and the options available under your signed agreement. Do not assume a delayed appraisal automatically extends a contingency or preserves a right to cancel.
Why this question belongs in the conversation
A buyer’s message described waiting for an appraisal while a contingency deadline approached. The correspondence reviewed for this guide did not establish my answer or the buyer’s eventual decision.
This is therefore a general coordination guide prompted by a real question, not a claim that I resolved that buyer’s contractual issue.
Separate delivery from acceptance
Ask the mortgage team whether the appraisal has been ordered, inspected, delivered or accepted by underwriting, and what work remains. Those milestones are different. A delivered report can still leave valuation or property-condition questions to resolve.
Ask how the outstanding information could affect the loan amount, cash needed or remaining conditions. Avoid treating an expected delivery time as a confirmed underwriting result.
Bring the contract question to the right person
Your agent should help identify the relevant contingency terms and discuss the practical next steps. Obtain legal advice when needed about your rights, obligations or proposed wording. A lender’s estimated turnaround does not amend a purchase agreement.
If more time is needed, ask about requesting a written extension before the deadline. Do not assume a request has been accepted until the appropriate parties have agreed in the required form.
I would put the lender’s remaining items and the agent’s contract timeline beside each other. That gives you a clearer basis for a decision than a general assurance that the loan is moving along. The CFPB’s home-closing resources can help with the process, but your signed agreement controls the specific contractual questions.
Sources and further reading
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Published September 13, 2026. Adapted from a professional discussion or question. Identifying details are omitted. Unconfirmed outcomes are not presented as completed loans. Program and lender requirements need an individual review. Nick Cunningham, Loan Officer, NMLS #907393. Mortgage services through Golden Bay Mortgage Group.
