What the heck is that?

As a commercial real estate appraiser, I see a lot of buildings. It’s unusual that a building surprises me. I can usually roll up on a building and get a pretty quick understanding of what to expect relatively quickly.

Recently, I was contracted to inspect an older mixed-use building. At first glance, it appeared to be very similar to most other mixed-use buildings I’ve looked at over the years. From the ground, you could see that there were a few areas that needed some maintenance, but nothing particularly unusual for its age. Then I got the drone in the air.

This building is a great example why you do not want to rely on what you can just see from the ground. Missing shingles, missing flashing, torn and damaged roofing material, and rotting wood were far too prevalent. To say this building has a bad roof is an understatement.

Now imagine you are an insurance company, a mortgage provider, or a potential buyer. How much risk would this roof add? Make sure you are seeing the whole picture.