Attic Inspection Requirements

[CANative]

Under employed appraisers could pilot drones from their desktop, contract work! Budget crisis partially solved.

Oh, yeah. Me first.

I'd probably chase them around for a while, maybe hoover around a corner until they looked out. :new_snipersmilie:

 

[Mr Rex]

Gawd dang it! The freaking protocol is to ENTER the attic with at LEAST YOUR HEAD AND YOUR SHOULDERS.

That's what's good about FHA. They have easy to find and easy to understand rules. Man up and put your head in the attic or stick to GSE work.

Daggburned sissies. There are people in Libya and Syria fighting tanks and rockets with sticks and rocks but were worried about climbing up a ladder and putting our head in an attic. lol

Get yer fat arse up in the attic and in the crawlspace or become a RE Broker, Sally High Heels or Jack Oph Suitantie. Don't claim to do what the protocol calls for if you aren't willing and able to do so. The most disturbing thing is the blatant lack of following the required scope, and public encouragement of others to do so by a USPAP instructor. God knows what he teaches in his courses that are detrimental to the profession, the expectations of outsiders of the professionals in the field, and the public trust that we do what the protocol says we are required to do.m2:

 

[CANative]

Jack Oph Suitantie

I must be tired. It took a good 30 seconds to figure that one out.

 

[smackodu]

Gawd dang it! The freaking protocol is to ENTER the attic with at LEAST YOUR HEAD AND YOUR SHOULDERS.

That's what's good about FHA. They have easy to find and easy to understand rules. Man up and put your head in the attic or stick to GSE work.

Daggburned sissies. There are people in Libya and Syria fighting tanks and rockets with sticks and rocks but were worried about climbing up a ladder and putting our head in an attic. lol

Well said CANatative. Some appraisers just might have to shelve out a few more dollars to their runners if the protocol must be followed. You can't expect runners to carry a ladder around with them and actually inspect the attic. Right?

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

I can see just as well if not better, looking at photos where I stick the camera into the crawl or attic, as if I stick my head into the crawl or attic. If it's reasonably accessible I'll go in there head and shoulder. If not, my head is a camera.

Think I'll start saving that bit for last. Yesterdays house had the first crawl access cover screwed on, the second one too, but the third one was old and not secured, so I checked it out. Then going through the inside I opened what looked like a closet door, and discovered an 8 x 10 unfinished basement. Nothing down there but spider webs and a look under the floor boards. I don't care what the movies say, I'd rather go in the basement than a crawl space. :icon_lol:

The attic is just a hassle of hauling the ladder around. Most everything has a scuttle around here. If my 6 foot step ladder is not tall enough, either the cameras my head, or it's not safe and I didn't see it.

 

[JSmith43]

I can see just as well if not better, looking at photos where I stick the camera into the crawl or attic, as if I stick my head into the crawl or attic. If it's reasonably accessible I'll go in there head and shoulder. If not, my head is a camera.

Can your camera on a poll smell excess bat poop?

Last year while inspecting an attic, I noticed that the vent pipes for the new bathroom that was installed, were cut off and venting into the attic rather than spliced to the main stack or individually, up through the roof. It was a flip going FHA. Conventional-never would have noticed that or that one of the new heat runs for the converted gravity gas octopus to forced air furnace system, was bogus. It just looked like there was a functional heat run to the new MBR which was an upper porch conversion. That would have been a frosty room! I had a hunch, so I checked each vent for functionality with the furnace running.

The flipper used licensed plumbing & heating contractors, permits pulled, the work cleared prior to my inspection by a city inspector:new_smile-l: The inspector cleared a vent into an attic!! Soggy, smelly insulation, health concerns. It didn't smell yet.

Check out the attic or don't do FHA.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

And the beat goes on.... Just for the record, I am not teaching anymore but if I was I still would tell my students what USPAP says about inspecting an attic....NADA! On the other hand, if the FHA protocol is to inspect the attic you better do it. Then I would probably tell them if the scuttle is too high for you to reasonably poke your head in there are other options such as...

1. Call the fire department and ask for a hook and ladder truck.

2. Buy a 20' extension ladder and a truck to haul it around in for the occasional FHA assignment where you will need it.

3. Demand the home owner, real estate agent, or bank be at the property to provide you with a ladder that will permit you to poke your head into the crawl space.

4. Withdraw from the assignment claiming health reasons.

or...

5. Use your camera on a monopod to photograph the attic (number of photos optional).

You can be the judge on what is the most reasonable solution.

 

[CANative]

Mike... Your camera on a stick will provide photos. The certification you signed implies that you entered the attic.

MLS provides photos. The certification you signed implies you inspected the comps from the street.

How are these two scenarios different?

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Gee, I don't see anything on my certification that even mentions an attic???

 

[CANative]

It's an assignment condition Mike. And you would sign this certification:

1. Scope of Work
I have, at a minimum, developed and reported this appraisal in accordance with the scope of work requirements stated in this appraisal report.

Which is based upon this assignment condition:

Attic – Enter the attic and observe the interior roofing for insulation, deficient materials, leaks or readily observable evidence of significant water damage, structural problems, previous fire damage, FRT sheathing, exposed and frayed wiring and adequate ventilation by vent, fan or window. If any of these deficiencies exist, condition the appraisal on their repair and prepare the appraisal “subject to repairs” and/or “subject to inspection”.

The attic must be entered, at a minimum, by head and shoulders, whether access is by pull-down stairway or scuttle. Size of the scuttle and accessibility of the attic dictate

I can't believe there is an argument going on over this.