When I first began considering purchasing a digital camera, I wondered if I would use it. Was it going to be a waste materials of money? Like many others, when I first obtained my camera, I took hundreds of pictures of practically nothing. Like a kid with a new toy, I required it everywhere, taking pictures of silly things, and other things that Let me share. Like you, I upload some of these photos to Facebook to talk about as well. I'm proud of my pictures.
That's when you start to wonder, can I make money with my digital camera? Can I make money taking photos without having everything expensive equipment? The answer is yes! There are lots of opportunities to make money with your camera, how you go about it is your decision. This brings us to the point of this post: Property inspections
Have you ever been behind on your mortgage and had an inspector in the mortgage company show up? Or perhaps you filed a claim in your homeowners insurance for damage, and the insurance company sent someone out to take pictures of your house? I once had someone come to my home to consider pictures when I took out a new homeowners plan. People who do this type of work are known as property inspectors. Some of the work can be fascinating, some routine, and others are ones you really don't wish to accomplish.
The type of property inspections I'm talking about are ones the place where a mortgage company is involved. Many individuals are behind on the mortgage, are going into foreclosure, or have already vacated the actual premises. Occasionally you'll have to deliver a letter towards the homeowner, or with the homeowner standing in the doorway, call the mortgage company and have the individual speak with the customer service representative. There are a couple various kinds of property inspections, all of which will involve using your own camera.
Drive-by inspection: A drive-by inspection is when you're just driving through the home, taking a picture of the front of the home, and the house numbers if available. Typically, you observe certain characteristics of the home such as the colour, attached garage, personal property, etc. There is no need to contact the homeowner in this instance. In cases of bankruptcy, this is the inspection that's ordered. Financial institutions are not allowed to contact the homeowner when the homeowner has filed for bankruptcy. The mortgage company sends a inspector out to simply see if the homeowner is still in your home, or if they have left. The mortgage company comes with an interest in the property as it has loaned out the cash; if the homeowner as moved out, they take possession from it before something happens to it. These normally pay anywhere from $3 to $7 with respect to the company.
Occupancy Inspection: A occupancy inspection is when you have to knock on the door. You're simply seeing who lives in your home. Depending on the company you're providing services for, there are some pieces of information you may ask the person who answers the doorway. The most important piece of information you're needing to know is whether the homeowner is living in your home, or if it's a renter. As well as obtaining the name of the person you spoke to, you take a couple pictures of the front of the house. If no one is home, you take certain steps to verify someone is living there; looking in windows, looking at the electric meter. Occasionally, a nosy neighbor may come over and demand to understand what you're doing. Simply stating that you're doing an inspection in the mortgage company is enough to satisfy most people. Legally, you cannot provide any personal information about the homeowner to anyone but that individual. Like the drive-by inspections, these typically pay $3 to $7 too.
Interview Inspection: A interview inspection is when you are to get hold of the individual living in the home, and ask a few questions. If no one is home, then you possess a letter to leave behind for the homeowner to get in touch with the mortgage company. In many cases, these are ordered once the mortgagor is behind on their mortgage. You'll quickly learn that not everyone is going to be welcoming of your visit. Some may become quite hostile and demand that you simply leave immediately. Each property inspector has their own horror stories of what they've encountered. You're also required to take pictures of the home. Despite the higher risk, most property inspection companies pay exactly the same $3 to $7 as the other inspections that need less work and contact.
Walk-thru inspection: A walk-through inspection is whenever a home is vacant and has been secured. The bank has retaken possession from it, and you have a key that allows you use of the home. The purpose is simple, you walk with the home looking for new damages, flooding, vandalism, and anything else which may be out of place. For instance, walking around the house, then heading down into the basement you discover 6' associated with water has flooded the basement, this is something to become noted. Obviously you do not enter the basement and also the water, but attempt to take pictures showing how deep water is without putting yourself into danger. If you run into this, do not go swimming in the water. Personally, i have come across at least two homes that the basement was completely flooded such as this. In taking photos, typically 1-2 pictures in every room is needed, as well as a picture of each side of the house. Many companies also have a sign in sheet that you need to sign as well to show that you visited the house. These inspections tend to pay a little more, in between $6 and $20.
There are other types of home inspections, but these are the most popular. Like all companies, there are good businesses, and there are bad companies. There are companies that take advantage of people, and companies that pay less than possible. There are companies that state that if you're each day late, they won't pay you for the inspection however they require it anyways. They'll state that if it's past due, they won't get paid; A confession from one company stated that this can be a scare tactic used by certain companies to make sure inspections are done in front of schedule. Companies are paid for 100% of the inspections they do, whether it's late or not. The company may still won't pay the individual for it, citing that they were not paid. In turn, they pocket the extra money through that inspection. Beware of these companies.
If you do choose to pursue property inspections, know that many of them possess a short turn around time. You don't want to affect become one, and list a huge territory unless you're prepared to drive to the edge of that territory for one inspection that could pay $3 to $4. You will also want to use with multiple companies, to try and increase your workload. You'll also need a good laptop or computer, and high speed internet. When submitting multiple inspections, that's multiple pictures that are being uploaded as well. Using a slow Internet connection can make the inspection process very slow.