Freddie Mac Optigo | 2026-09-18

Freddie Mac Survey Timing Belongs on the Closing Calendar

Freddie Mac's current Guide ties survey recency and material encroachment review to the loan closing schedule.

Freddie Mac's Multifamily Seller/Servicer Guide, Chapter 29, calls for a survey meeting the then-current ALTA/NSPS minimum standards for each mortgage it purchases, unless the Letter of Commitment specifically waives the survey. The survey must be made, dated, or revised by a licensed civil engineer or registered surveyor no more than 90 days before the date of the note.

The Guide also calls for details beyond the base ALTA/NSPS survey, including substantial visible improvements, access to public rights of way, parking areas and spaces, and applicable setback requirements. Those details make the survey relevant to the title policy, property use, and the lender's review of the collateral.

The Seller/Servicer or its counsel must analyze encroachments and violations shown on the survey. For one that materially or adversely affects the property's operation, use, value, or mortgage security, the Guide calls for written analysis and approval. It also describes when a specified title endorsement can mitigate the risk without a separate written analysis.

For borrower-side counsel, the practical step is to put the survey date beside the expected note date at intake, then identify who will obtain any update, review access or setback issues, and coordinate title coverage or a required analysis. A delayed closing can change the 90-day calculation, so the checklist should be revisited when the note date moves. This note is informational only and is not legal advice for any specific transaction.