FAQs

The NESAD Map Search™ program currently covers and includes all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and all other U.S. territories. In addition, NESAD™ is currently evaluating expansion to Europe, Greater Asia, the Indo-Pacific (including Japan and Korea), and Australia (NESAD AUS™), as well as other countries internationally.

NESAD Map Search™

NESAD's™ proprietary, patent pending NESAD Map Search™ is easy to use and intuitive...even if you've never used any program similar to it. Simply type in your site location address or a street address near your property (if your search location has no street address) and click the magnifying glass link. The NESAD Map Search™ program will deliver you to either a map or satellite view (your choice) of your subject location. Each locational icon has been precisely hand-geocoded...the icons are located directly on the properties with documents deposited and archived by the real estate professionals who produced them. Redacted document copies for informational purposes only (not for reliance) may be ordered directly from NESAD™ or you are invited to contact the depositing real estate professional company directly. Each real estate professional's contact information has been prominently provided by your real estate search location (click on their name).

NESAD's™ proprietary, patent pending NESAD Map Search™ aspect took two full years to develop, and through a licensing agreement with Google® and Google Imagery®, employs specialized programming that geospatially identifies, codes, ranks, chronologies, and categorizes all subscribing and depositing real estate environmental and structural due diligence professionals and their work product documents on the specific properties of your choosing. Become a NESAD™ subscriber and/or depositor, enter the NESAD™ depository-archive, and instantly access over 317,000,000 discrete address locations in the continental U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories.

NESAD Network Search™

The majority of depositing NESAD™ subscribers (real estate professional companies) do not deposit all of their work documents into the NESAD™ depository-archive, but may have worked on or inspected your location of interest and have useful, actual site knowledge. When a  NESAD Network Search™ is requested, NESAD™ bulk emails a NESAD Network Search™ alert to all (hundreds) of the depositing NESAD™ subscribers in that particular state. Any depositing NESAD™ subscribers with useful, actual site knowledge are urged to respond to the email NESAD Network Search™ alert. NESAD™ will then, in turn, put the inquiring party in contact with the depositing NESAD™ subscriber. Collective intelligence at work!

As a rule, and as stated expressly with the NESAD™ Subscription Agreement, NESAD™ employees, business associates, and related entities do not, and will not, perform any manner of real estate consultation, inspection, testing, valuation, or other such real estate due diligence work. Instead, NESAD's™ mission statement specifically includes introducing subscribers directly to the real estate professionals who provide these services. Moreover, NESAD™ provides no interpretive document work, i.e. examine depository-archive documents to offer comments or opinions. NESAD™ leaves the professional real estate work to the real estate professionals. It's the way it should be...and is...at NESAD™.

Emphatically, no. Unless NESAD™ actually officially acquires or is donated document(s) or the like for the NESAD™ depository-archive or Special Collections department, all subscribing depositors and document owners are specifically identified at the time of deposit and retain full ownership and all the rights, benefits, and priviliges associated therewith. Owners of deposited documents are authorized to add or remove their documents from the NESAD™ depository-archive on request.

Importantly, nearly all of the documents contained in the NESAD™ depository are voluntarily provided by the environmental, structural, and engineering real estate professionals that developed them and, unless acquired by NESAD™, said documents remain the property of the respective depositing professional company. By participating in NESAD™, real professionals offer actual, first-hand, experience and knowledge of your property in exchange for the opportunity to assist you with your real estate lending-mortgaging or acquisition goals. The NESAD™ documents are provided for informational purposes only, not for reliance, and in no way replace the work of an experienced real estate professional; NESAD™ recommends that you contact directly the depositing real estate professional company(s) already knowledgeable about your property and engage their services.

Please be advised that NESAD™ must receive explicit authorization to redact and distribute all document material with a signed NESAD™ Subscription Agreement. If NESAD™ does not have signed MSLA on file, the corresponding icon location will be identified as a "call site" (see other FAQ for definition of a NESAD™ call site).

Yes. All registered NESAD™ subscribers who are also depositors are fully permitted to deposit or remove report documents subject to the terms of their subscription plan. Importantly, subscription plans are tiered such that the number of document deposits per month is defined by the plan level. Any document submitted for deposit counts as one deposit for that month period...even if the document was deposited with a posted location icon before. If any registered subscriber wishes to deposit an existing document or remove a deposited document, please contact John Weller, Sr. Archivist, via email at jweller@nesad.us. John may also be reached through the central depository-archive main telephone number (443 548-3065).

No, for the several reasons provided here:

(1) Unless NESAD™ actually officially acquires or is donated document(s) or the like for the NESAD™ depository-archive or Special Collections department, all subscribing depositors and document owners are specifically identified at the time of deposit and retain full ownership and all the rights, benefits, and priviliges associated therewith. Owners of deposited documents are authorized to add or remove their documents from the NESAD™ depository-archive on request. NESAD™ cannot "sell" what it does not own. The fees charged by NESAD™ are for downloading and transmission cost(s) and labor only...not for the document contents. NESAD™ simply operates as a "mechanism of delivery" or "vehicle for transmittal" on the behalf of the depositing real estate professional company.

(2) Depositing real estate professionals authorize NESAD™ to transmit redacted document copies in order to (a) demonstrate that they have actual working knowledge of the searched property, (b) demonstrate and showcase their competence with the quality of the document work deposited, and (c) present themselves to other NESAD™ subscribers for related additional work on the searched or other real properties.

(3) All documents and related materials within the NESAD™ depository-archive are provided upon request for informational (non-reliance) purposes only and are not intended to provide, nor should they be interpreted as providing any facts regarding, or prediction or forecast of, any structural, environmental, valuation, or any other investment, acquisition, conditional, or mortgaging risk for any real property. NESAD™ specifically and expressly recommends obtaining the current opinion of the depositing or other real estate professional. Neither NESAD™ nor any of its depositing subscribers/real estate professionals express or imply any kind of warranty, guarantee, or assurance in connection with the deposit, delivery, and reliance on their documents. Any and all potential peril or risk arising from the reliance on any NESAD™ depository-archive document contents shall irrevocably and unequivocally be soley that of any party that elects to rely upon or use any document contents in making a business decision or taking any other action. NESAD™ and its depositing, subscribing real estate professional specifically disclaim making any like warranties to include (without limitation) any representations of fitness, merchantability, or practical application or function. Under no circumstances shall NESAD™ be culpable or liable to any party for any damage or loss, including (without limitation) any incidental, consequential, exemplary, or extraneous damages. Any liability on the part of NESAD™ and its depositing real estate professionals is strictly limited to the cost of the document transmission cost refund. NESAD™ offers its subscribers and depositors no legal advice on these matters but rather recommends consultation with a qualified and experience attorney.

(4) Real estate due diligence reports are "shared" for informational purposes daily by the tens of thousands. NESAD™ simply streamlines, facilitates, and formalizes the process using a "collective intelligence" strategy.

Subscribers new to NESAD™ on occasion exhibit "wholesale concern" about client confidentiality matters when depositing reports, and in some particular instances, they should be. However, it is NESAD™'s practical, "real world experience" that the overwhelming majority of private property owners, commercial lenders, mortgage companies, and related entities are not troubled by their due diligence documents being deposited provided that their identities are redacted from the documents. Most property owners want their documents to be readily available for later recovery and referral. Client confidentiality is easily maintained because their name(s) do not appear on redacted report copies.

NESAD™'s core interests, and the core interests of its subscribers, include (a) informational document content relative to structural and environmental due diligence, i.e. locational intelligence, and (b) the identification of specific qualified real estate professionals with actual, working knowledge of specific subject properties. The identities of the original clients is irrelevant to NESAD™, the NESAD Network™, and the due diligence goals of its subscribers. Of note, NESAD™ does not maintain "lists" of client's names on documents...NESAD™ redacts them.NESAD™'s subscribers are NESAD™'s clients. All NESAD™ document copies approved for download by subscribers are not only redacted and NESAD™-watermarked, but downloading subscribers must sign the NESAD™ Subscription Agreement before they can download any documents.

Note: Millions of due diligence documents already change hands annually for "informational purposes." NESAD™ simply formalizes, facilitates, enhances, and streamlines this exchange of real estate information.

NESAD™ Guidance on Document Deposits by Real Estate Professionals: Harnessing the Power of Collective Intelligence

(1) Be judicious about what documents you deposit into the NESAD™ depository-archive. NESAD's subscription plans are designed to allow real estate professionals sufficient time to responsibly evaluate documents prior to deposit. Importantly, the more documents you deposit the more you will be assisting other real estate professionals, yourself, and the entire real estate industry. You're also much more likely to be contacted by new clients that were theretofore unknown to you...or somehow out of reach of...your firm. Let your document work be your 24-hour sales force. The NESAD Map Search™ program identifies your firm to the world if you deposit documents with care, consideration, and yes, appreciable volume. Documents already appearing in the public record (such as municipal or regulatory agency records) are excellent candidates for deposit into NESAD™.

(2) Inform your clients/customers that all NESAD™ subscribers, including all those that download documents for informational purposes, are required to sign and agree to the NESAD™ Subscription Agreement. The MSLA includes indemnification and waiver language that affords protection against both NESAD™, the depositing real estate professional company, and yes, even the original client whose identity has been sealed.

(3) NESAD™ subscribers that are also active depositors commonly introduce their clients to the NESAD™ depository-archive and obtain authorization to deposit redacted documents for storage and later reference. In good faith, NESAD™ redacts documents internally. However, depositing subscribers are invited to redact documents for deposit themselves as well and if so desired. Remind clients that report documents that are made publically available will ultimately save considerable time, effort, and cost associated with transfer (sale) or refinancing of the property later. Of course, documents may also be removed permanently from the depository-archive as well at the depositing subscriber's request.

(4) Deposit only your firm's best and top quality document work. NESAD™ affords its depositing subscribers (real estate professionals) the opportunity to advertise and showcase themselves and their work both nationally and internationally. Needless to say, users of professional due diligence-type real estate reports are much more likely to contract depositing, knowledgeable, real estate professional companies whose work appears thorough and competent.

The National Environmental Site Assessment Depository, Inc.™, operating as NESAD™, NESAD US™,  and the NESAD Network™, has implemented a tiered data protection and security model including multiple perimeter walls of defense to counter cyber threats. Multiple defense layers isolate and contain data should one of the defense perimeters be compromised from internal or external threats. Of primary importance, there is "dead space" between the NESAD™ website itself (www.nesad.us) and the depository-archive document collection. Documents cannot be in any way downloaded from or obtained directly through the NESAD™ website electronically. The actual NESAD Map Search™ map data itself is dynamic; it changes and grows almost minute by minute and as such, would not be useful or valuable if stolen.

NESAD™ protects its intellectual property rights, and the ownership rights of its depositing subscribers, and the depository-archive collection, with notable vigor.The NESAD Map Search™ program (including its specific functionality) has patent pending status with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with the final patent conversion application in place and under evaluation. Approval of the final application's approval by the USPTO is roundly anticipated.

National Environmental Site Assessment Depository, Inc.™, operating as NESAD™, NESAD US™, and the NESAD Network™, is best contacted through its central depository-archive in Baltimore, Maryland. The central depository-archive physical address and key email communication channels are likewise provided below:

Central Depository-Archive Physical Address

National Environmental Site Assessment Depository, Inc. (NESAD, Inc. works as well)
1314 Bedford Avenue, Suite 102
Baltmore, Maryland 21208

Contact Telephone Numbers

Central Depository-Archive (Baltimore, MD): (443) 548-3065 (ask for the "Help Desk")
Facsimile, Central Depository-Archive (Baltimore, MD): (410) 653-3451

Contact Email Addresses

contact@nesad.us (general communications and contact information)
jweller@nesad.us (John W. Weller, Sr. Archivist, Central Depository-Archive, Baltimore, MD)
network@nesad.us (for NESAD Network™ inquiries)
archive@nesad.us (for ordering archived document copies)
deposit@nesad.us (for depositing documents in the depository-archive)
payment@nesad.us (for paying through Paypal®)

The NESAD Network™ as used by NESAD™ archivists refers to the entire, depositing "professional body" of NESAD™ real estate professionals and other subscribers. A NESAD Network Search™ is a broadcasted electronic query to hundreds...and sometimes thousands...of NESAD Network™ subscribers to determine whether they have any actual knowledge, intelligence, or documents to share on a given subject or searched property. No NESAD™ subscribers have all of their report documents deposited with NESAD™, but they may have information in their own records they would be willing to share. A NESAD Network Search™ inquiry locates and identifies real estate professionals with actual knowledge of your searched or subject property. It's all about NESAD™'s "collective intelligence."

NESAD™ exists in a new technological era with new channels of communication and networking. It would be a mistake to believe that any commercial lender, mortgage company, or loan originator will grow, thrive, or even survive without taking advantage of new networking technologies like NESAD™. Just 20-years ago the internet, cell phones, and fax machines were as yet not in widespread use. Today, these technologies are a critical part of loan origination and commercial lending success. Large commercial lenders are aggressively identifying new technologies and taking advantage of them. In response largely to their input and needs, NESAD™ has successfully delivered geospatial, electronic data management and archival library sciences to the commercial real estate lending industry. Many of NESAD™'s commercial  lender subscribers believe that a national environmental and structural depository-archive NESAD™ should have been developed long ago.

NESAD™ provides its commercial lending subscribers with a greater level of control over and discretion with specific real estate transaction information and the generation thereof. NESAD™ depository-archive searches, downloads, and reviews of deposited documents is an intelligent service you can offer within your credit department to borrowers. Shared, collective intelligence will reduce liability for you, increase the thoroughness and quality of your received due diligence document products, and provide a practical and logical avenue for increased viable loan production and growth.

NESAD™ has discovered through national marketing presentations that 100% of lenders, brokers, loan originators, property buyers, property sellers, law firms, REITS, real estate investors, and real estate insurers approve of NESAD™. When a commercial lender can readily identify environmental consulting companies, structural inspection companies, and other such due diligence companies that already have first-hand knowledge of the real estate asset offered as collateral, multiple benefits accrue to your due diligence efforts and credit analysis:

(1) Due diligence and credit analysis costs DECREASE. When the commercial lending credit department is able to contact directly the companies with first-hand knowledge of the specific real estate asset, the due diligence and credit analysis costs are reduced because there will be no duplication of effort, i.e. any inspection or testing activity that does not need to be performed again will deducted from the inspection cost. It costs much less to update an existing inspection report than to endlessly order new "square one" inspections over and over. It makes more sense...and costs less...to build upon what information has already been collected on a real estate asset.

(2) Due diligence and credit analysis period DECREASE. When the commercial lending credit department is able to contact directly the companies with first-hand knowledge of the specific real estate asset, the due diligence and credit analysis period is reduced because your environmental consultant and structural inspection company will be able to "provide answers" and documents for your reliance much faster than a an uninformed company. Again, it makes more sense...and takes much less time...to build upon what information has already been collected on a real estate asset.

(3) Inspection document quality INCREASE. When consulting or engineering companies with first-hand knowledge of the specific real estate asset develop a keen familiarity with a given real estate asset over time, and are able to consult or review inspection documents developed by other consulting or engineering companies, report documents will be more thorough with greater detail and fewer errors. The potential form mistakes or negligence is greatly reduced when intelligence, observations, and data are shared collectively. When your professional inspection or assessment company has access to the professional work of others, it enhances the quality and thoroughness of your own work thus reducing project costs and reducing professional document product liability

(4) REDUCED expired commitment letters because of high transaction costs. Environmental consulting fees, surveying costs, legal costs, title costs...its become increasingly difficult to cobble together and book loans in a competitive lending market when credit analysis costs are so high. How often have you had a borrower pass the underwriting guidelines only to have them walk away from the table because of due diligence and other transaction costs?

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NESAD™ exists in a new technological era with new channels of communication and networking; it would be a terrible mistake to believe that any professional real estate firm will grow, thrive, or even survive without taking advantage of new networking technologies like NESAD™.  Just 20-years ago the internet, cell phones, and fax machines were as yet not in widespread use. Today, these technologies are a critical part of business success. Successful firms identify new technologies and take advantage of them. NESAD™ has successfully delivered geospatial, electronic data management and archival library sciences to the real estate industry.

NESAD™ has discovered through national marketing presentations that 100% of lenders, brokers, loan originators, property buyers, property sellers, law firms, REITS, real estate investors, and real estate insurers approve of NESAD™ . NESAD™ aggressively markets those professional real estate firms who actively subscribe to the depository-archive to the above business entities. One of NESAD™'s primary missions is to introduce professional real estate firms to new clients and customers who will use their services. This is what NESAD™ does and will do for your firm...but only if your firm is a subscriber...and actively contributes documents to the depository-archive.

(1) More Documents Deposited Equals More Business. As a rule, the more bona fide documents your firm has on deposit, the more exposure your firm will have to new clients and new sources of business. Let your report documents become your seven day a week, twenty-four hour each day sales representatives. Put your archived report documents to work...they have tremendous value. Your clients (who will likely also be subscribers) will see at a glance on which properties your company has worked and earn you additional work projects.

(2) Subscribing Equals Major Competitive Advantages. Consultants who actively subscribe and deposit with NESAD™ will enjoy a major competitive advantage over those who do not. Over time, failure to participate will result in an ever-increasing disadvantage. Participation in NESAD™ is a professional courtesy offered by professional companies with each other that will earn your firm professional respect within the industry. NESAD™  demonstrates your firm's seriousness about serving your clients due diligence needs through the use of collective intelligence.

(3) Subscribing Equals Powerful, Cost-Effective, Advertising. Being a NESAD™ subscriber-depositor is a significant advertising factor. Clients will respect and call upon professional real estate firms who demonstrate their desire to assist their clients by depositing site information and data. What would motivate a professional real estate firm to not subscribe to and deposit with NESAD™? NESAD™ is a professional fraternity of the absolute best, most respected, professional real estate firms in the industry. Participation in NESAD™ will confer tremendous professional credibility to your firm.

(4) Subscribing Equals New Revenue Streams. NESAD™ depository-archive searches, downloads, and reviews of deposited documents is an intelligent service you can offer your clients. Shared, collective intelligence will reduce liability for your firm, increase the thoroughness and quality of your document products, and provide a practical and logical avenue for professional growth. NESAD™ provides its subscribers with a greater level of control over and discretion with specific site information.

(5) Subscribing Equals Reduced Liability. When your professional company has access to the professional work of others, it enhances the quality and thoroughness of your own work thus reducing project costs and reducing professional document product liability.

NESAD™ respects and protects the intellectual property rights of others as a matter of corporate policy and applicable law. NESAD™ does not copy, store, transmit, or in any way handle copyrighted material without explicit permission. If and when received, NESAD™ makes a "good faith effort" to permanently delete all copyrighted material. In fact, NESAD™ actively refers subscribers to the originators/authors/copyright holders for their specific material as many of these entities are also NESAD™ subscribers!

Millions of due diligence documents already change hands annually in unredacted form already for "informational purposes" only. NESAD™ simply formalizes, facilitates, enhances, and streamlines this exchange of real estate information. On occasion, subscribers new to NESAD™ exhibit "wholesale concern" about client confidentiality matters in depositing reports, and in some particular instances, they should be. However, it is NESAD™'s practical, "real world experience" that the overwhelming majority of private property owners, commercial lenders, mortgage companies, and related entities are not troubled by their due diligence documents being deposited provided that their identities are redacted from the documents. The vast majority of property owners want their documents to be readily available for later recovery and reference. Client confidentiality is easily maintained because their name(s) do not appear on redacted report copies.

If so desired, subscriber-depositors are invited to redact documents themselves prior to deposit within the NESAD™ depository-archive. However, and regardless whether a document has been "pre-redacted" prior to deposit, before any document is delivered to any subscriber, NESAD™ conducts a good faith, careful, and critical review of each followed by redaction and Adobe® pdf watermarking. Importantly, the client name [the entity(s) for whom the document was developed] are expunged (or blacked out) from the document as are copyrighted materials that are marked as such. When a subscriber-depositor signs and submits the NESAD™ Subscription Agreement as part of their NESAD™ subscriber registration, they permit NESAD™ to distribute redacted copies of their documents...including any copyrighted material the depositing subscriber themselves may own.

NESAD™'s core interests, and the core interests of its subscribers, include (a) informational document content relative to structural and environmental due diligence, i.e. locational intelligence, and (b) the identification of specific qualified real estate professionals with actual, working knowledge of specific subject properties. The identities of the original clients is irrelevant to NESAD™, the NESAD Network™, and the due diligence goals of its subscribers. Of note, NESAD™ does not maintain "lists" of client's names on documents...NESAD™ redacts them.NESAD™'s subscribers are NESAD™'s clients. All NESAD™ document copies approved for download by subscribers are not only redacted and NESAD™-watermarked, but downloading subscribers must sign the NESAD™ Subscription Agreement before they can download any documents.

Please contact the NESAD™ Help Deck or email us at contact@nesad.us should you have any additional questions regarding redaction and copyright matters.

A "call site" or "call document" is a document that NESAD™ has in its possession for which no signed NESAD™ Subscription Agreement for the document owner(s) exists OR a document that has to be authorized for release on a case-by-case basis, i.e. NESAD™ has to "call" the subscribing depositor for authorization to release the document. In some instances, all of a depositor's documents are "call documents." NESAD™ does not distribute documents without explicit authorization from the document owner(s) in the form of a signed MSLA. In many cases, the subscribing depositor may elect to transmit the document(s) directly themselves...which is perfectly acceptable.

An "unclaimed document" is one that was generated by a company, individual, or entity that no longer exists or cannot be practically located by NESAD™.

A "landfill document" is a document that has been submitted for deposit in the depository-archive by an as yet unidentified company, individual, or entity, i.e. one without a subscriber code or site folder code. Received landfill documents are logged in, evaluated, and posted with an appropriate locational icon...if ownership can be confirmed.

"Quarantine document" is a document whose status within the depository-archive has changed, e.g. the depositing company ceases business operations or is ownership transferred to another company OR one that has been identified as fraudulent or containing grossly erroneous information. Although documents are provided to subscribers for informational purposes only (strictly not for reliance), NESAD™ seeks to archive quality documents with accurate information. NESAD™ discards junk documents.

NESAD™ commonly purchases (or more commonly, receives as donations) single documents or collections of important and relevant real estate due diligence documents for inclusion in the central depository-archive from companies or individuals ceasing business operations or those simply looking to liquidate/sell extraneous document material. If any subscriber has access to and ownership of any such document material and may be interested in donating or selling their interest in same, please contact John Weller, Sr. Archivist, via email at jweller@nesad.us. John may also be reached through the central depository-archive main telephone number (443 548-3065).

Importantly, nearly all of the documents contained in the NESAD™ depository are voluntarily provided by the environmental, structural, and engineering real estate professionals that developed them and, unless acquired by NESAD™, said documents remain the property of the respective depositing professional company. By participating in NESAD™, real professionals offer actual, first-hand, experience and knowledge of your property in exchange for the opportunity to assist you with your real estate lending-mortgaging or acquisition goals. The NESAD™ documents are provided for informational purposes only, not for reliance, and in no way replace the work of an experienced real estate professional; NESAD™ recommends that you contact directly the depositing real estate professional company(s) already knowledgeable about your property and engage their services.

Please be advised that NESAD™ must receive explicit authorization to redact and distribute all document material with a signed NESAD™ Subscription Agreement. If NESAD™ does not have signed MSLA on file, the corresponding icon location will be identified as a "call site" (see other FAQ for definition of a NESAD™ call site).

If a subscribing company is acquired by another company, and once the appropriate signed NESAD™ Subscription Agreement is in place at NESAD™, the depository-archive will change all of the NESAD Map Search™ icons to that of the acquiring company.

NESAD™ archivists have hand-geocoded hundreds of thousands of property location icons within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and other territories. As such, there are bound to be erroneous icon locations or document listings. However, NESAD™ takes great pride in the accuracy of the geocoded location icons. If you discover a missing or erroneously-located icon location, please contact the NESAD™ Help Desk at contact@nesad.us. It's collective intelligence at work...thank you!