I hope all home buyers read this and ask us. As a home inspector I love to answer all concerns. It makes the job very satisfying when you have a happy customer...Al Herfi Americana Home Inspection

Good post, as usual. We always insist that our Buyers obtain an inspection.

Buying a home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make. Home Inspector's give you much needed "peace-of-mind" which in turn allows you to breath a sigh of relief and enjoy your new home knowing your investment is safe. Home buyers should always ask the inspector questions and at the same time ask how to resolve the problem. Inspectors are also a great referral resource for other repair professionals and would be happy to recommend an expert in a particular field. This process will ensure that your "home" becomes your "castle."

I have found that home inspectors are to help those who have no common knowledge of how things are supposed to work in a home. Sometimes home inspectors are merely a bargaining tool for the buyers. Of course no one likes surprises after moving in, but get real....how does a home inspector know if a heating/cooling unit will go out and when??? I just think if most people will use common sense and do your own inspection, you can save that inspection fee and if there are minor things to be done, use that fee money for a better use. Of course, if a person has no clue about home repairs, etc., then they have to rely heavily on the inspector s opinion. Case in point, my daughter bought an older home and paid an inspector a huge fee and she had problem after problem in the first 2 or 3 years of buying the home, so her "inspection" didn't help her much. I think common sense goes a long way in this process.

Good article, one that I will leave out for any buyer (and inspector)!

It would be helpful to have some specific information on how to find a qualified and unbiased home inspector. Isn't it problematic that the home inspector is usually recommended by the real estate agent, whose primary interest is in closing the sale, and the home inspector needs to maintain the agent's goodwill for future references?

Also, read inspection agreement carefully. Most that I've seen spend a lot more space describing what they WON'T do than what they will. They can provide very little peace of mind.

In answer to Rich's comment, as a real estate agent I always ask first if my client knows of a licensed inspector they like (maybe they have used him before on other transactions), and if not, I always provide a minimum of three licensed inspectors for them to interview and choose from so that they are making the choice. My primary interest is finding the "right" property that best suits my client's needs and if there is a problem with the inspection that cannot be resolved, that would be the last property I would want my client to purchase. A licensed inspector, I have found, is usually very forthcoming in presenting problems with a property and pointing out any issues that could be sensitive to a new owner. At least, that is the way it is at South Padre Island.

Great post thanks! Meeting the inspector at the house with the buyer is the key. I recently closed a deal where there were over 50 items noted in the report! If we had not been there to let the inspector show us that 95% of these were very minor, my buyer would have likely panicked by the sheer number of things "wrong" with the house. Instead we focused in on the couple of items that were a concern and negotiated with the seller for a credit to get them repaired. As a bonus, the inspector showed my buyer how to turn off the water main because neither of us were able to find the valve!

Tara, Great article, thanks, I'll make sure my buyers read it. Home inspections, at least here in CA where inspectors must be licensed, are well worth the money. The inspectors not only know more than any homebuyer I've worked with, they also provide an unemotional assessment whereas buyers often fall in love with a property and may be prone to gloss over problems. I'm always present at the home inspection and request that my buyers also be present - it's a great time to ask questions.

One of the biggest points in here to me, from my experience over the years, is the first couple sentences under #1: "The best home inspectors are pretty even keeled, emotionally speaking. They’re not alarmists that blow little things up into big ones, nor do they try to play down the importance of things. They’re all about the facts."

Of the BEST home inspectors, this is true. The ones that DON'T know what they're doing ARE often alarmists, that often basically are simply trying to cover their own rears by blowing a problem out of proportion. To try and keep it short, most recently I dealt with an inspector who claimed that there was hail damage on a roof on a house my wife was selling. As we read the inspection report, the inspector referred us to roofer who we called, came and looked it over, agreed with the hail damage assessment, and proceeded to give us a $10K estimate for replacement. In the end, we found that the inspector NEVER EVEN GOT UP ON THE ROOF to really look at it; he'd spotted a couple of damaged shingles by binoculars and decided to apparently cover himself. He advised the roofer he referred that it was a house-sale situation and he might be able to get a roof job out of it if he said there was hail damage. There had been no hail in that area since she'd owned the house, which perhaps neither of them knew. We ended up having two reputable roofers look at the roof, state that they could repair what needed to be done with a couple new shingles and about $200, and actually had to get the buyer to get UP on the roof WITH one of the reputable roofers to SHOW him that hey, your inspector flat out lied to you. Sale ended up going thru, thankfully. Unfortunately here in Indiana, home inspectors are NOT required to be licensed in any way. Beware!

I've had good and bad inspections reports....follow up with an estimate by a licensed elect., plumber or whatever the concern may be. Some are free and most low cost.

Good article! I am the owner and licensed inspector of J & S Home Inspection Service LLC in Spring Hill, Florida. I have been inspecting homes and keeping up with school for 6 years. The only remark that did not quite make sense to me was the gentleman who said you would not hire a surgeon because he is the cheapest. My home inspections, Wind Mitigations, Roof Certifications and Four Point inspections are what I would call "very low cost", but I do a full inspection with digital pictures, explainations and so forth. I do my inspections for less because I am in the same boat as most home buyers here in Florida. They do not get any less of an inspection, actually more than likely better than most. I also have an agreement that they sign and read before I do my work. I prefer to have my clients at the home at the time of inspection because this does allow me to explain things they need to know. I have never had any complaints and work with quite a few of the realtors here. So before you hire an inspector ask, are you licensed, what exactly will I be getting with this home inspection, ask questions to see if your inspector knows what he or she is talking about. It's not about the money, it's the quality and knowledge of the services they provide. Great article Tara, would love to see more of this. Stacey Horan

Great posting!

Excellent advice, that article.

Does a home buyer have recourse if the inspector fails to recognize a major problem that ends up costing a lot of money to repair?

Great advice. Both buyers and sellers can benefit from this. Sellers can price their home according to things that need to be fixed and buyers can make more informative decisions when they understand what has be done.

Hi Amy,

Yes, they definately do have recourse. We all have to carry E & O insurance and thankfully I have never used mine. If it is a problem (air conditioning not working, plumbing leaks, etc.) that was working at the time of the inspection, then no. Most inspectors should be able to help with contractors and so forth. Also, if any of this major equipment is ageing the inspector should inform the client of life expectancy of each item.

Some very relevant points and certainly helpful to the new buyer who becomes overwhelmed by what can be the "honey do list" for whomever might be the "honey" in that new household. I appreciate the section motivating the Buyers to ask what it will take to repair. That will often minimize what can be a wave of minor issues typical for any home. Thanks for your help, I have forwarded this to several current Buyers.

Good Points indeed. As a licensed Home Inspector in Florida, I express to the buyers that the purpose of my inspection is to inform the buyers about what they are buying. That information may be that the roof is in need of replacement or simply how to operate the dishwasher, heat pump etc.... An educated buyer is happier, and it truly does make for a smoother transaction in the end. No one likes bad news, however it is always better to communicate any negative information in a positive setting while everyone has a chance to absorb and ask questions pre-purchase rather than after.
Communication is the key to life, in your marriage, your business, and in the home inspection process. Ask questions, don't be nervous, and if something is not clear, ask for more information. A good home inspector will take the time to talk with you or your spouse to ensure your understanding about your purchase. For the cost of a home inspection compared to all the items in a home, we really do sell peace of mind.

I am agent in bay area and I had a bad experience using even reputable home inspection company.Be very careful using the good inspection company so you understand what involves in inspection report.

Make sure the inspector is patient and experienced

Great advice! I find that buyers usually panic when the hear a list of things wrong with an older home but some of them are just minor repairs that aren't worth loosing a house over. The inspector's job is to give you all the information about the home you are buying-good and bad.

Questions #2 and #3 would be better asked to an Architect and or contractor than an inspector. Most of these are way too much responsibility to be given to an inspector. Don't expect to get any more dollar value out of an inspectors answers than you are paying him.

Rich Nailed it. There is an elephant in the room.
If you were buying a used car and decided to have a mechanic look at it first, would you use a mechanic referred to you by the used car salesperson? Not likely. So why would you take a referral for an inspector from a used house sales person? The same person who stands to lose to most as a result of a real and thorough home inspection. If an agent steers a client toward or away from a particular inspector, a red flag should pop up. If an agent says we use or we don't use a certain inspector, a red flag should pop up. Good inspectors are not the agent's vendors.
There are a great number of honest, qualified inspectors who will never darken the door of an R.E. office. They don't down play things for the sake of a relationship with an agent, and they don't use terms like "serviceable" or other terms a sixth grader might use on a report. They are harder to find, but they are out there. You as a buyer, need to take responsibility of who you hire to inform you about the investment you're about to make. Leaving this decision in the hands of someone who has something to lose if the sale doesn't go through, is a mistake. A mistake that you could be paying a long time for.
Eventually, the public will become educated and articles like this won't need to be written. They'll know the truth about how the game is played, and know to hire an inspector on their own. A good inspector will have answered all five of those questions before you think to ask them. Common sense and good judgement should be the deciding factor in who you hire. The fact that inspectors are referred by agents at all, is nothing less than a conflict of interest. Argue with that. Please.

This is a great article. However, I have found that sometimes photos make cracks and damages appear larger and much worse than they really are. So, I prefer an Inspector who doesn't take pictures ( The buyer can see for himself at the Inspection) I also prefer the Inspector to write up the Report the same day instead of waiting days to get the typed up version. Simple and uncomplicated works for me. Time is of the Essence!

By Ray Audain, home owner, Always get a home inspector even if the home is new. There are four main things to a home I want to know. The roof, plumbing, electrical, siding and foundation. If you don't have a good foundation you don't have a home no matter what the price. When I bought my home the inspector took me on the roof and in the crawl space. We found a leak under the house that owner didn't know. He told me what things MIGHT be a problem in the future. His help was worth the price.

***BUYERS**** always have your realtors note on the contract for days of inspections

Great article and comments.
We always ask the realtors to have the client call us or we will call them, so we can sell our own services to the client. The agent is busy enough and we can make sure the client knows exactly what we offer. We work for the client and no one else. This helps the agent and it also gives us the chance to speak with the client to find out their concerns and answer all their questions. We also tell them it is good for them to be at the inspections so we can show them any issues that may arise and also to show them how to use appliances, etc. If they are shopping around that is fine, it's called due diligence! The clients must know too that a "cheaper price" is not the best inspection. We will not be the cheapest, but we are the best in our field. We always point out the "positives" in the home too. This is so important. The client is hiring the inspector to find out what's wrong with the home, plain and simple. They usually do not expect an inspector to point out the hi-lights and positives of the home. We are hired experts in our field and I am proud to be an inspector for the clients.

bunch of tara monkeys! agree with whatever comes along!! First, know if you are getting a qualified inspector,
second, know what you want inspected: mold, chinese drywall, roof, etc. You need to be pro-active, not a mindless monkey asking mindless questions from tara!!

It is also managing expectations of the client - there is no perfect home, there is no value hiring the " cheapy charlie inspector" with no education or credentials. I have been conduction Home, Condo, Pool, Commercial inspections since 2003 in the San Francisco Bay Area and would like to share my credentials.


*FHA Certified Compliant Inspector
* (ASHI) - American Society of Home Inspectors
* (ASHI) American Society of Home Inspection Endorsed Training
* Code Check California 2009 / 2010 Code Compliance Training
* NFPA 73 Residential Electrical Seminar for existing dwellings
* Graduate of ITA (Inspection Training Associates). ITA is the only California
Department of Education accredited inspection school.
* Inspection Training Associates - Commercial Inspection Course
* Pool Inspection Courses, Pool Construction and Code Compliance Experience.
* (ASHI) Advanced & Commercial Electrical Inspection Training

Member:
* ( WCR ) Women’s Council of Realtors
* ( ASHI ) - American Society of Home Inspectors
* Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Contra Costa
* ( NAHREP ) National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals
* CCRIM - Contra Costa Realtors in Motion
* Contra Costa, Delta and West County Association of Realtors

Please visit our website for more info: http://www.castlerockinspections.com

good article

You should also ask if the inspector has any business connections to any contractors he refers. Always look for hidden conflicts of interest!!!!

Inspectors are many, good inspectors are hard to find.

Great questions buyers should know.

Having a home inspector recommended by the real estate agent shouldn't be problematic if it's truly a buyer's agent who wants the client to be well informed and educated regarding the property and any potential issues.
Also, the inspector is being paid by the buyer and should, therefore, represent the property condition in an unbiased manner.

Tara,
I especially love the question: If this was your house, what would you fix, and when.

Buyers need to realize that every home, including new ones will have home inspection items. It's just a matter of assessing the problem and finding a solution that is agreeable for all parties! Very few times have we found items that are large enough to be deal breakers.

We should ask our home inspector to really check and make sure that our foundation is strong enough, and be recommended with foundation repair

Good list of points. Home inspectors are a very use resource in the home buying process. The good ones won't mind at all answer these 5 questions or any others you may have.

Your material is gold, Tara.

Thanks.

TG

Sorry, Rich and Gary, but as a 20 year full-time home inspector, I love getting referred by Realtors with whom I have a long history. One, they understand that sometimes there will be bad news, Two they respect my honesty with their clients (which are my customers too), Three both the customers and the Realtor clients get to send referrals both directions because of the excellence of the "teams" involved. A great transaction requires a great inspector, lender, appraiser, escrow officer (In CA), and two Realtors. Too many inspectors want to fly solo....well good luck with your next career, I have helped 20,000 homeowners and never feel the need to sugar coat or waver on my opinions...like I tell my buyers "You are paying for MY opinions, not anyone elses" and I enjoy and respect my relationships with both past customers and Realtors whom with I do associate with!