Working On A FHA Check List

[Don Clark]

A couple things I noted that would be good to add:

Manufactured home items in their own grouping, ie. data plate, HUD Cert labels, running gear removed, etc.

Bedroom windows operable?

Garage door opener?

Caterina,

Why not just take a VC sheet with you and a copy of the 1004C portion that requires specific information for data plate, HUD labels, etc?

 

[RSW]

The VC sheet is 6 pages long and then you would need page 1 of the 1004C. It would be nice to condence this into a smaller form. I have already converted it into a template to be used with Microsft WinJournal and it lets me use it on my tablet. I can just write on top of the form and I save it in my workfile.

 

[Rufus]

Why not just use the old VC Sheet? Also, flat roofs are no longer a problem. There is little room to make comments as you have laid the points out. Why not just carry the VC sheet with you, check yes or no, and make comments on any adverse things you find by referrence number on the VC sheet so you can transfer the comments to the report later.

You have done a good job but it is sort of like reinventing the wheel or the mouse trap

That is what I currently do, carry the old VC sheets. I think the idea of a better organized and more concise form is a good idea.

 

[Caterina Platt]

Don, I'm with you on the aspect of not doing what isn't productive, but if there was ever a wheel that needed reinventing or modifications, it is the VC sheets. The language in the VC was so bassackwards. You were checking off 'Yes' when there was a negative issue, and nothing was notated when there were no problems. Ok, in the reporting sense I can hang with that format, but when we're doing our data gathering, wouldn't it be more sensible if there were a check list with responses required for completing each item?

Also, as another poster noted, there were changes in the property requirements that came at the same time of the retirement of those sheets.

 

[RSW]

What I would like is a list of things that you check for while doing your inspection. This doesn't have to be a complete list. What do you look for on the exterior? What do you look for on the interior? Would you like a check list with each item noted? Each appraiser does things differently. I would like to make an all purpose check list. The check list I gave here is only the a rough draft and not the final product. This check list is going to change and evolve greatly.

 

[RSW]

Update: I have been working on a revised FHA check list while waiting for a case#. You will find a completely revised check list with a grouping of the inspection items in an organized order. I still need more suggestions and items that you look for when doing your inspections. Thanks for the help!

 

[Rufus]

Update: I have been working on a revised FHA check list while waiting for a case#. You will find a completely revised check list with a grouping of the inspection items in an organized order. I still need more suggestions and items that you look for when doing your inspections. Thanks for the help!

Much, much better! The change to legal size was also a good move by reducing it to two pages.

Minor suggestion, since you still have extra space on page two, add the Y/N/Ok, Pics. & Comments headers to the top.

Then, perhaps remove the extra rules (technical graphic arts term for lines) from the major item sections. In other words for the roofing section, don't have the rule divisions between roof damage, signs of leaking, etc. Just a big white box for the whole roofing section. My thoughts are that it will be easier to write comments without feeling restricted by the single line space as it is now.

Also, what about separate columns for ok & problem. My thought is that upon return to the office it would be much easier to spot the items that require explanation in the appraisal report.

You could narrow the Pics. column by turning the word 90 degrees which would give a wee bit more space to the right hand comments area.

Keep in mind these are merely suggestions.

Good work, what you have provided is already better than using the old VC sheets.

 

[DonRico]

I like to group the items into the sections of the 1004 that pertain.

Site Hazards, Soil & Drainage, Water and Sewer for the Site section of the form. You can observe most of these from the outside of the house.

Structural - Exterior (Roof, Siding & Windows) Interior (Floors, Framing, Attic & Crawl)
And room for notes about the Furnace, Electrical Service, Plumbing/Water Pressure and A/C for the Improvements section of the form. This way I can comment on each in the right section of the 1004.

My FHA checklist also has the breakdown for Modular/Manufactured (on-Frame vs off-Frame) and a list of the little things that no longer require automatic repair...cracked windows and leaky faucets.

I have reminders about the distance from Well to septic and the minimum height of crawl space.

 

[RSW]

Here is revision #3. Everyone has given some very good suggestions and I have tried to use them. Let me know what else you think needs to be in the check list and what may work better.

 

[Rufus]

Here is revision #3. Everyone has given some very good suggestions and I have tried to use them. Let me know what else you think needs to be in the check list and what may work better.

Uhm, yes & no.

1. Column 'Y/N' could just be 'Ok'. One would place a dash in the box if the item was not present and a check mark if it was and was ok. The current 'Ok' box would then be the 'Problem' box.

2. The horizontal rules need to stay up to the right hand verticle rule of the pictures box to make individual checkboxes for each line item.

3. I liked the verticle rules beside the headings going down through the Exterior: section for better visibility in lining them up.

4. Narrow the Ok, Problem, & Pics columns so they form nearly perfect squares for the 'checkbox' area by each line item.

5. The right hand comments section is exactly what I had in mind for Porches/Decks, Grading/Drainage, Sewer/Water, Walls/Ceilings, Floor Systems, & Windows/Doors. The others are still subdivided. In other words, in the roofing section have the comments top rule be as it is, and the bottom one be the one just above where the siding section starts. Then from top of Siding to top of Windows, etc.

Again, just my thoughts. (I'm giving comments as if I were special ordering this directly from the typesetter at a printing company/graphic arts studio.) I do appreciate the work you have done and the time spent.