Recession? Not for Field Inspectors

The current economic recession in the United States has left millions out of work and unable to make their mortgage payments. Although there are government programs to help homeowners avoid losing their homes to foreclosure, many do end up having to abandon their homes.

As devastating as foreclosure and the current recession can be to some, it has produced an opportunity to others who "service" the millions of foreclosed homes. When a home is in foreclosure, or becomes the property of the bank or other lender who held the mortgage, the property needs to be maintained and inspected regularly to prevent further deterioration and loss of value.

The banks, mortgage companies and other lenders are required by federal law to check regularly, usually once a month, on the condition of the foreclosed properties. Rather than hire new employees, these lenders subcontract the work to field inspection companies around the United States. There are over sixty national field inspection firms that cover the majority of states, and hundreds of smaller regional and local firms that may cover an area as small as one city.

It would be impossible as well as expensive for these national field inspection firms to hire full-time inspectors in every part of the country, so they rely on independent field inspectors who work on a free-lance basis for one or more firms to handle local field inspections.

Local field inspectors drive to the property in need of an inspection, take a few digital pictures of the property and complete a short report or checklist. Each report can pay the field inspector between $15 and $50, depending on the type of inspection and what information is needed. More experienced field inspectors will often do inspections of larger properties, such as apartment buildings. These inspections can pay up to $400 each, and some inspectors do two in a single day.

Many field inspections can be done in just a few minutes as a simple drive-by survey without even leaving the car. These simple field inspections can be completed by almost any adult, including college students, retirees, stay-at-home moms, or temporarily displaced workers.

Getting started as an independent field inspector is simple. All it takes is registering online with one of the national or regional field inspection companies. You will then receive e-mail notifications of local inspections as they become available. When you accept an inspection assignment, it is very important to pay attention to the deadline for the project. Most assignments need to be done promptly - you can't just do it whenever you get to it!

If you would like to get paid for driving around and taking snapshots, doing field inspections could be just the opportunity for you. The pay is good, and the flexible schedule is a plus for anyone juggling both work and family responsibilities.