Property Inspection Services
Comprehensive Property Inspection Services
MCS places an emphasis on providing our clients with timely and comprehensive reports on monitored properties. Clients are notified of any issues as quickly as possible to help mitigate any risks and lessen neighborhood blight.
Mortgage Field Inspections
Disaster/FEMA Inspection
This inspection determines the condition of the property and documents damages, if applicable, that are observed due to the disaster. Disaster inspections are completed within regular inspection timeframes or on a rush basis, depending on the accessibility of the impacted area.
Insurance Loss Draft Inspection
This type of mortgage field inspection provides the inspector’s opinion of the approximate percentage of repairs completed based on the scope and dollar amount of repairs. We will attempt to make contact with the homeowner immediately following the receipt of the inspection order to schedule the appointment at the property.
Occupancy Inspection
The primary purpose of this inspection is to determine if a property is currently occupied. The full names, contact phone numbers, rental information (if applicable), real estate agent or property manager information and the number of units will be provided, if it can be determined at the time of inspection. The property condition and any existing or potential conditions that could impact the value of the property will also be provided.
Property Condition Inspection
This property inspection includes a direct visual observation of the property to determine the overall condition and occupancy status of the property. MCS will determine if there are any existing or potential conditions that could impact the value of the property. Property condition inspections can be completed on either a contact or no-contact basis.
Valuations & Hybrid Appraisals
Beyond the use in the home-buying or refinancing process, hybrid appraisals can be effective for mortgage servicing and loan defaults, where an updated valuation or a determination of a loan’s performance may be needed. During defaults or foreclosures, lenders can use hybrid appraisals to determine a property’s current value. These types of appraisals can also include 3-D property scans.
Letter Delivery Service
The purpose of the letter delivery service is to leave an envelope with client specific documents at the property. Contact with the occupant/s is available based on each client’s requirements. A photo of the subject property and the letter attached to the front door will be provided.
REO Check Inspection
REO Check is an independent, on-site assessment of an REO property to determine the overall condition and marketability. This service can be completed weekly, biweekly or monthly from the time of asset acquisition until the property is sold. It provides information about each property’s overall interior and exterior condition, noting such things as damage, violations and the presence of hazardous conditions. REO Check may also be used to assess the initial and ongoing maintenance of the property, including if debris is present and if the lawn is being maintained. In addition, the pre-marketing services performed by the listing agent are assessed, including the placement of signage and marketing materials, accessibility to the property and the overall marketability of each property. The service ultimately ensures that each property is being kept secure, well maintained and readily marketable to show prospective buyers.
Valuation Condition Inspection
The valuation condition inspection is an independent, third-party assessment that documents the actual property condition and complements Automated Valuation Model (AVM) reports to help meet Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines for lending. As a result of the federal guidelines, regulated institutions must ascertain the actual physical condition of the subject property as well as economic or local market conditions when an AVM is used for lending purposes.
QC Compliance Inspection
This property inspection is an independent, third-party evaluation performed by banks or servicers in an effort to perform regulatory oversight of their existing vendor/s and agents. The purpose of this inspection is to verify previously received inspection results and/or specific preservation services already completed. Photo documentation is included to support discrepancies.
Rental Inspections
Pre- & Post-Acquisition Inspections
Pre-acquisition home inspections are conducted before you acquire a property to help ensure you have all the facts to make the best financial decision. Covering both the interior and exterior of the property, these SFR property inspections can help you gain a better understanding of the overall condition of a property, as well as what repairs or renovations may be needed, as those costs could impact your decision. If a pre-acquisition inspection cannot be completed, a post- acquisition inspection can identify immediate items to be addressed and recommendations to enhance long-term value.
Property Condition Reports (PCRs)
PCRs are home inspections that are more specific to the property versus its occupants. A PCR can offer insights into the property’s exterior—from siding and windows to roof and landscaping conditions—as well as confirm whether the property conforms with other neighborhood homes or HOA regulations.
The PCR form also asks the inspector to provide positive and negative external factors that could influence an investor’s decision to purchase the property or a renter’s desire to lease a home. Positives could include waterfront property, a gated community or adjacent to a golf course, while negatives could include proximity to railroad tracks, commercial properties, high tension lines, high traffic flows and other variables.
Insurance Loss Draft Inspections
Loss draft inspections are conducted to confirm that repair progress is being made on a property after damage from an event like a fire, flooding or a tree falling on the home. The scope of the work is determined by an insurance adjuster, and a loss draft inspector then details the percentage of work that’s been completed at various intervals in the process to secure the release of additional funding needed to complete the next steps.
Disaster Inspections
Disaster home inspections are performed after natural disasters and can be particularly useful for vacant rentals or when owners or operators are out of the local area, giving them immediate eyes on their SFR property to assess any damage and determine what repairs need to be addressed immediately.
Occupancy Check Inspections
This straightforward home inspection is designed to confirm whether the property is occupied. Having confirmation that a tenant has moved out can help you avoid a lengthy eviction process. Occupancy checks can also ensure there are no squatters residing in a home or that a home hasn’t been sublet without permission. Plus, in some areas, unregistered vacant properties can lead to exorbitant fines, making it important to know if a tenant has moved out without notice.
Pre- & Post-Move Out Inspections
These inspections make sure you understand the condition of the property as the tenant vacates, so you know the work that needs to be done before the home can be rented out again, as well as what needs to be done with returning deposits to a renter. Having a disinterested third-party review the asset also can help when reviewing claims down the line, if necessary.
Rehab Scoping Inspections
Rehab scoping home inspections are conducted post-acquisition and provide you with a detailed account of what needs to be repaired or renovated to get the property rented, and can also help standardize hard assets like appliances across your portfolio. You’ll need an SFR inspections partner with the expertise to provide an accurate scope from the start, created to the standards and requirements you have, so there are fewer pricing surprises along the way.
Home Health Check Inspections
Home health inspections enable SFR owners or operators to check on the condition of their property—from major appliances to plumbing and HVAC—while it’s occupied. Although there can sometimes be challenges with tenant scheduling and cooperation, home health inspections enable you to proactively discover and address minor issues through preventive maintenance before they become major problems. These are typically done on properties with long-term renters where you haven’t been able to see the property in months, or even years, and on large portfolio transfers when occupied assets are purchased sight-unseen.
Build-to-Rent Inspections
If you’re involved in building SFR properties versus buying them, build-to-rent home inspections conducted by an independent third party can help ensure your property is truly rent-ready after the builder’s work is complete. Using a QC punch list, the inspector can identify any remaining items that need to be completed. These checks can be particularly valuable for investors not located in the markets where the properties are being built, to ensure that they have the cleanest move-in possible for their renters. These inspections can also serve as draw inspections to release funds on the builds as they progress.
3-D Property Scans
In the SFR space, more data is nearly always better. And core inspections like pre-acquisition, rehab, and pre- and post-move-out inspections can be enhanced with a 3D property scan. These scans enable you to do a 3D, virtual walkthrough of the property from any remote location. They can be helpful for getting a better look at the condition of the property as you’re going into a rehab project, as well as post-rehab as a marketing tool.
Disaster/FEMA Inspections
When natural disasters strike, rapidly assessing properties is vital to save lives, reduce suffering, protect property and to recover from all hazards. Our comprehensive Disaster/FEMA inspection services are designed to assess the aftermath of disasters, accurately document damages and support the entire recovery process.
Having conducted more than 700k disaster inspections since 2017, we recognize the urgency of delivering timely responses and understand the importance of rapidly deploying qualified teams. Our unique hiring, training, and IT processes provides inspectors capable of delivering high-quality inspection results while prioritizing sensitivity, understanding, and empathy to survivors.
Whether it’s a routine property evaluation or an urgent post-disaster inspection, MCS excels in delivering precise and timely inspections, providing clients with the information needed to navigate forward confidently.