Posted by Mary Pierce/PA on 4/8/05 7:41am
Msg #30342

Inspections

What entails doing inspections? I've seen some posts where people just drive by houses and take photos of them. What is that considered?

Reply by PA Notary on 4/8/05 8:24am
Msg #30344

Mary: do a search on SOFI...Society of Field Inspectors. I did and found that it requires alot of experience and possibly certification. Only pays $5 per drive-by. Interior inspections are a whole different story & most companies, plus USDA/FHA require extensive knowledge of building construction and local building codes. Good luck.

Reply by Margaret/Florida on 4/8/05 8:35am
Msg #30346

I get 15 for a regular drive-by and 20 for a rush and they seem to always be a rush.
You are talking about a home inspector, you do not have to have that much experience.
Join SOFI and purchase their directory of companies. Just like the signing companies, apply to all of them. Some require 1,000,000 liability insurance and it can cost $2600 a year but the ones I work for don't. MortgageRamp inspections are commercial, like shopping centers, strip malls and apartment buildings. I went to Texas for the training with MortgageRamp. The HUD inspections is like checking the work behind contractors to make sure it is move-in status.
Does not take a rocket scientist. It has to be clean, no holes in walls, you just check things off a checklist and take pictures of any problems.

Reply by BrendaTX on 4/8/05 9:02am
Msg #30353

Beware that some inspections can come in for you to do which require

narrative to be written,
market stability, occupancy rates other information to be assessed,
19 pages of forms to be completed,
20 pictures (but take 3 times that many)
Walking the perimeter of 13 acres of apartments
Walking the site of a industrial site
Looking at 20% of the apartments up to as many as 30
Labeling every picture
Knowing how to use a compass and being able to report N,S,E,W sides of structures
Wearing a pair of steeltoe boots
Owning a hard hat


and you may only be paid $40 - $65 for this type of work for which you will put in multiple phone calls, two hours of site work, and two hours of post-job work, before it's over. (Or more time if you are getting started. You will have a full page of instructions to decipher and you are responsible for getting all the information needed to the site manager beforehand, verify it, and if you do not, you will be sent back.)

However, the fact remains that it's better to be making something than nothing when you are self-employed. I could sit here and chat on NotRot when things are slow or get out like this morning and do two inspections.

I will not answer questions about inspections or contacts because it's too much to tell. I will say go to MortgageRamp.com and find out how to do theirs...take their online training...and you'll have good inspection training to get started.

Do searches on google.com for "field inspections lenders" or combinations thereof until you get the picture.

Realize that you won't get rich with this type of work either, and I would not recommend it for someone who is not willing to take the time to search through all of Margaret's posts here to learn and get key words from what she said.

If this kind of research frustrates you, you are not cut out to be an inspector because, as Margaret knows from our emails, my experience is that inspections can be tedious as heck. Margaret's got it down. I call her the Savant of Inspections!

I am still struggling to get my routine perfected on this and have taken a few calls from notaries regarding how to get started. However, at this point, I have no more time and my dogged determination has made me one of the only inspectors in this area after a year of proving myself to be good, prompt and thorough. Suddenly, I have done several all at once.

Again, *some* money being made is better than none at all.

Reply by Margaret/Florida on 4/8/05 9:23am
Msg #30357

You said it Brenda, I have already been out this morning doing inspections and I am waiting on Edocs for a signing. I have made a name for myself in loan signings, my phone rings off the hook. Count the hours you wait on edocs, that time you could be making money. I can make $100 doing 5 drive-bys that may only take 2 hours to do. Volume is what you need and I like to keep busy. Get listed on SOFI, its free but the directory of hiring companies is not.
Do your google search, just like I did. If you are not internet savy, you can not find the job opportunities. Join the Yahoo message board regarding inspections, research, research, research. I do this for anything I purchase, especially large purchases. I did extensive research before I purchased my digital camera, laser printer, laptop computer,a car, you name it.

Reply by Dave on 4/9/05 12:36am
Msg #30623

Margaret, What is the name of the Yahoo group?

Thanks...

Reply by BrendaTX on 4/9/05 12:40am
Msg #30627

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/fieldrepsneeded/

Reply by Becky on 4/8/05 9:26am
Msg #30359

Margaret - I am interested in doing photo drive-by inspections. Should I purchase the directory for this? I've read your posts regarding inspections, the volume that you do (15 regular + 20 rush), are they photo drive-by or something more elaborate?

Reply by Margaret/Florida on 4/8/05 10:36am
Msg #30378

You need to purchase the directory and check the companies and what they pay. Some on pay $5.00 and I dont work for those companies. Its about 80 pages of companies.

I spend this past Sunday signing up with about 15 inspection companies and I just got an email to send them my zipcode coverage. Youi may only get 1 answer back out of 15 .

Reply by Becky on 4/8/05 2:30pm
Msg #30442

Thanks Margaret