Most Common Follow-Ups
#1. Missing Address and Street Sign Photos
We must prove we are inspecting the correct property. We cannot simply take your word for it. If there are no address markers we must provide a screenshot of a realtor-type website with a photo of the property on it.
#2. Car Parts!
We see photos of car parts all day long and reject them. When taking photos of street scenes, and you’re leaning out the car to get a forward shot, just put a little bit of zoom on the camera and get past the hood of your car! It seems like a no brainer, but photos of houses with your side view mirror or the door frame are unacceptable.
#3. FTV on Vacant Houses
FTV stands for “First Time Vacant.” Which to me, they should be called “Every time you go there vacancy” posting. Because that is what we have to do, if we are supposed to inspect a vacant property, then we must provide a Vacancy Posting to the front door if the property is found vacant. Very simple.
Another issue we run into is taking photos of an FTV from another company. If you get to a property at it has an FTV from Guardian, but now the inspection is from M&M, we must remove the Guardian posting and put up the M&M FTV, etc.
For Altisource, we receive a ton of Follow-ups for not posting those yellow stickers correctly. The dotted line is where we fold the sticker and place the crease in the corner between the door jam and the door.
Not using real stickers from Altisource is another big one. If you do not have any more stickers, they will allow us to print the paper version from the IA website. We must cut precisely on the yellow line, not showing the white part of the paper. It must be in color. Use double-back tape on the backside so that no tape marks are shown. Make it look like a real sticker.
Of course, if the instructions tell us not to step foot on the property, then we do not step foot on the property, not even for an FTV posting.
Study your inspections online before heading out. Find out which postings you will need to bring if you find a property vacant. And bring your thin blue tape!
#4. Taking Photos of the Next Door Neighbor’s House
Often, we arrive at a property that does not have an address on the mailbox, the curb, or even on the house. But we know we are at the right spot because the address on the house to the right or left fit precisely with the house number our property would be if it were visibly present. Some inspectors feel that taking photos of a neighbors address will help verify that they were in the right neighborhood and area. Stop doing this! All this does is confuse our clients who think you are taking photos of the wrong house! Instead, go to NMFS.com or in the Resources tab on InspectorADE, and print off those two full-color photos that say No-Address and No-Street Sign.
#5. Missing Address and Street Signs
Our two most common client-generated Follow-Ups are missing address photos and missing street sign photos. If it just does not exist, what can we do? Print off those two photos of No-Address and No-Street sign and place them back to back in a protective plastic sheet and take them with you on inspections. When you run across a property without an address, take a photo of that picture you downloaded and label the photo as an address or street sign.
#6. All Photos Taken Using the App
There are no exceptions to this. ALL photos must be taken using the InspectorADE cellphone app. The app is free for Android as well as iPhone users. There are particular services that the app provides that most of our clients require, like date and time stamp. Even when the instructions say to make sure the date and time stamp are turned on, disregard. InspectorADE does this for us already.
#7. Taking photos in Portrait Mode
Take all photos in Landscape mode. Hold your phone sideways, making sure “auto-rotation” is turned on. Make sure your camera has GPS, Location Tags, Location Services, or whatever your phone calls it turned on. Doing this will make sure the date and time stamp is imprinted to our clients as a final product.
#8. Letter Delivery
Yeah, some people think we’re pretty stupid, that they gave the letter to the homeowner when in actuality, they never got out of the car! We fire people who do this. Some inspectors try to tell us they have a 100% contact rate and hand-deliver the letters. We know that is not possible. If it’s part of the job, then do the job. Take a photo of the letter on the door. All letter deliveries must be in a sealed envelope. If you hand a letter to the homeowner, take a photo of the letter in your hand with the front door in the background. Some of our clients want you to snap a photo of the letter in your hand with the homeowner in the background. Do not do that. Just take a photo of the letter with the front door in the background or the homeowner’s feet. But not the face of the homeowner.
#9. Fresh New Photo Each Visit
Always, always, take new fresh photos of the property. Never use previous photos. Never use Google Map photos. All photos are to be yours, at the time of the current inspection. Using previous photos is grounds for termination, even if you took them during your last visit.
#10. How Many Photos to Take?
Even if the inspection instructions say 1 Photo, you must take a minimum of 6 photos. Front, address, street sign, neighborhood (Street Scene), and at least two photos that prove occupancy. The 7th photo of letters left at the door. Some clients want a side photo (front left and front right showing the sides)—even more photos for vacant properties.
#11. Wrong House
Man, these hurt! Especially when we’ve been inspecting the wrong house for years. It all starts with the first vendor inspecting the wrong house, and then everyone after that person thinks they are doing the right house because the guy before did it. Make sure you are inspecting the right property no matter what the previous photos show. The back-charges on these types are astronomical. Sometimes the mistake is not discovered for months. And usually, all those who went to the wrong house are no longer with us. NMFS is then stuck with the bill.
Verify you are at the right property. Street signs, (which is the number one cause for Follow-Ups because they are missing) address photos, all need to be provided to prove you are at the right property. Ask neighbors, look on the internet, call the County Assessor. Make sure you are at the right house!
#12. Insurance Loss Paperwork
As the Mortgage Field Services Training website teaches, NEVER leave a copy of the insurance form that the homeowner has signed, with the homeowner. Tell them they can get a copy from their mortgage company.
#13. Show Your Keys!
Another frequent Follow-Up is not showing the key code on your keys or the key from the lockbox. Show the key code!
Also, If there is not a lockbox, show photos of all the exterior doors, proving there are no other lockboxes you might be missing.