Clear Capital: Property Condition Inspections Are About Lending, Not Just Guidelines

While Clear Capital’s New Property Condition Inspection (PCI) is Designed to Comply With New Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines, it, More Importantly, Focuses on Actionable Information and Service to Support Clients’ Confident, Cost-Effective Lending and Credit Decisions

TRUCKEE, Calif. – April 21, 2011 – Clear Capital (clearcapital.wpengine.com) announces the release of the PCI―the next generation inspection solution that provides the physical condition and characteristics of a property, engineered to supplement Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) in accordance with new requirements set forth by Interagency Appraisal and Evaluation Guidelines (IAG).

“Regulations are made to support healthy lending and credit decisions,” said Kevin Marshall, President of Clear Capital. “No one, however, starts a business and only focuses on the regulations. While the new interagency guidelines are important, our clients’ goals are to continue making the right decisions on the right loans; not just order products to satisfy guidelines. The Clear Capital PCI allows them to do that and be compliant with the new guidelines at the same time.”

Clear Capital first started working with real estate brokers and agents in inspecting for property condition and conformity nearly 10 years ago. These reports have provided a highly reliable product with a unique emphasis on condition and how it affects value. More than six years ago, Clear Capital first combined an AVM with a Condition Inspection. These last six years have helped Clear Capital’s analysts understand the interplay between automated valuations and the condition and conformity of neighborhoods.

For increased reliability, all PCI reports are completed by geographically competent licensed real estate brokers or agents. Each report includes:

Easy-to-reference property photos, a subject property map, a succinct agent/broker narrative of property/neighborhood and recommended repairs as determined by inspection; and
Value Risk flags, which highlight relative risk factors (like subject condition compared to neighborhood, neighborhood condition, and recommended repairs) that could influence a property’s value, and the reliability of an accompanying AVM.

The PCI is the ideal tool to assess the reliability of an AVM and it also offers an enhanced version, which includes a full repair grid for added insight and analysis.

“There is a lot of change in the industry and in the use of the AVM,” says Marshall. “Our goal is to provide more reliable, proven products while supporting the growth of our clients. The Clear Capital PCI, the risk flags, our unparalleled service levels, and our industry-changing reliability, all work together to enable that growth.”

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