Standard property inspections are surface level by design.

They walk the property. They check what they can see. They hand you a report.

What they're NOT doing:

— Scoping your sewer line

— Testing for mold behind the walls

— Calculating your true deferred maintenance cost

— Putting together an actual capital plan

— Telling you what this building is really going to cost you over the next 5 years

That's not a knock on inspectors. (I'm an accredited one myself) That's just not what a standard inspection is.

The problem is when buyers treat it like it is.

I've seen it play out with clients and partners more times than I can count. The inspection comes back "mostly fine." The contractor walks it and throws out a number. The deal pencils. They close.

Then reality shows up. A sewer lateral that needs full replacement. An HVAC system running on borrowed time. Moisture damage that's been quietly spreading for years.

None of it was visible. All of it was knowable, if you'd paid to look.

So how do you know when to go deeper?

When the building is 1980s or older with original systems. When there's any sign of water, staining, smell, soft floors, anything. When deferred maintenance is visible anywhere, because it's never isolated to one place. And especially when the deal only works if nothing unexpected shows up.

A sewer scope, a mold test, an HVAC inspection, you're looking at a few thousand dollars total to get actual facts instead of surface-level assumptions.

The $500 inspection tells you mostly what's there. The specialist inspections tell you what's coming.

Knowing the difference is the job.

What does your due diligence stack look like on multifamily? What do you always insist on before closing?