Attic Inspection Requirements

[JSmith43]

Anon, I am hereby issuing you a work order to get that stomach reduced:icon_lol:

I think these FHA appraisal orders should be restricted to appraisers with the physical capability to enter the average size scuttle. It's nasty entering attic scuttles & half the time I forget to take extra allergy medication or my cap.

 

[CANative]

I did a foreclosure once. Took one of my older grandkids with me. When I popped the scuttle a ton of gray, cottony insulation fell out and covered my head and beard. I looked like a crazed Santa Clause. My grandson couldn't stop laughing for at least an hour.

 

[KYLECODY]

Page D-9, Appendix D to 4150.2:



Page D-22, Appendix D to 4150.2:



There is no "or stick a pole with a camera on it" in this requirement which is part of the scope of work.

The attic is entered by his camera..pretty sure hes exercised due diligence and that the FHA police arent going to scold him on this one. If you ever call the HOC theyre fairly reasonable and common sense oriented with their requirements, unlike many on this forum.

This argument is like chipping paint on the exterior. Do you condition it for one small speck of chipped paint or do you use your judgement if everything else is completely sound? Hint: Per FHA, use your judgement.

 

[CANative]

Talk to Brad Pack at SAHOC. Yes, he's all about common sense. But he's also strict on FHA requirements. A camera on a pole is not entering the attic. And defective paint is defective paint. I don't think anyone on this forum would say that a small chip is considered defective paint.

Don't do FHA jobs if you're not willing to comply with the scope of work.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Could be a reason I say..."another fine reason not to do FHA appraisals". By the way, I didn't go to Denver today as I wasn't feeling well. Think it was caused by insulation poisoning...or was it falling off a 12' ladder?

 

[CANative]

If you can't access the attic then just require them to tear the house down.

 

[Peter LeQuire]

Page D-9, Appendix D to 4150.2:



Page D-22, Appendix D to 4150.2:



There is no "or stick a pole with a camera on it" in this requirement which is part of the scope of work.

To quote the Communicator, "There you go again!"

Whatever do HUD manual requirements have to do with this issue in the first place? Common sense trumps, don't you know?

I find it telling that this discussion always focuses on whether any of, or how much of, our chubby little bodies have to be how far in to the attic or crawl, and not on what we're supposed to be looking at once we get them there, whether by ladder, fold down stairs, jet pack or pogo stick.


"If you can't access the attic then just require them to tear the house down."

If that were done, you could do a pretty good observation of the crawl space.

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

So, when you can't see anything without the flash of your camera, you shouldn't do FHA work?

 

[CANative]

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

 

[JSmith43]

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

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

Only CG's get the ones equipped with Hellfire missiles though:icon_mrgreen:

I use camera & flash but also a flashlight. By virtue of some of the suggestions, some appraisers are already using Google Street View for their comp viewing. In some rough areas, it might be acceptable to use a Lithium battery powered model plane and streaming video for the photo, assuming it wouldn't get shot down too often.