About Know The House

Our Mission

At Know The House, branded as BuildLink Property Intelligence, our mission is to provide forensic property intelligence that delivers certainty before you sign. We convert inspection reports and public records into negotiation leverage, uncovering hidden exposures, eliminating blind spots, and empowering agents and buyers to close transactions with confidence. By identifying unpermitted work, ownership red flags, MLS discrepancies, and other risks, we help you avoid costly surprises and secure better deals.

Our Story

Know The House was founded in 2025, inspired by a real-world case where a buyer faced hidden risks in a large Tennessee home. Despite a clean inspection, cross-referencing public records, permits, and ownership history revealed significant undisclosed, unpermitted work. The listing agent, who was also the prior owner, had performed the work without disclosure—a conflict missed by the MLS, inspection, and others. This experience highlighted the need for deeper due diligence, leading to the creation of our service. That buyer gained clarity and walked away informed; that's why we exist—to ensure no one else faces similar blind spots.

What We Offer

We provide two core report paths, tailored to different stages of the property transaction process:

• Property Intel Report: Comprehensive pre-offer due diligence. This forensic analysis cross-references permits, ownership history, public records, MLS data, tax assessments, and environmental factors to uncover undisclosed issues like unpermitted additions, title anomalies, and regulatory exposures. Includes the BuildLink Risk Index™ (a 0–100 score summarizing risks), red flag highlights, prioritized questions, and negotiation recommendations. Same-business-day delivery is targeted whenever timing and scope allow.
• House Analysis: Post-inspection clarity. Transforms your inspection findings into a prioritized action plan with impact tiers, repair sequencing, and negotiation strategy. Features a Property Health Score, risk assessment matrix, scripted talking points, and a one-page Agent Intelligence Snapshot for client meetings.
• Complete Review Path: If a deal needs both pre-offer forensic review and post-inspection interpretation, we can route the request through both workflows.

All reports are prepared by licensed professionals with 15+ years of experience in real estate due diligence, construction, and analysis. We offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee* (see terms on homepage).

Our Methodology: The BuildLink Risk Index™

At the heart of our reports is the BuildLink Risk Index™, a transparent, repeatable scoring framework that aggregates signals from public records, inspections, and other data into a single 0–100 risk score. Higher scores indicate greater exposure.

Key Domains and Weights

• Structural & Safety (30%): Inspection findings, hazards, maintenance issues.
• Permits & Compliance (25%): Unpermitted work, open permits, violations.
• Title & Ownership Signals (15%): Ownership anomalies, flips, title flags.
• Records Consistency (15%): Discrepancies between MLS, tax, and permits.
• Environmental & Zoning (15%): Flood risks, zoning issues, hazardous uses.

Calculation

1. Extract signals (binary, categorical, numeric).
2. Normalize to 0–100 per domain using deterministic rules.
3. Adjust for data confidence (0.5–1.0 multiplier based on completeness).
4. Weighted sum:
   \[ \text{Risk Index} = \round(0.30 \cdot \tilde{S}_{struct} + 0.25 \cdot \tilde{S}_{permit} + 0.15 \cdot \tilde{S}_{title} + 0.15 \cdot \tilde{S}_{records} + 0.15 \cdot \tilde{S}_{env}) \]
   Where \(\tilde{S}_d\) is the confidence-adjusted domain score.