It seems like everytime a home inspection is ordered the agent refers to the process as a deal killer. Is it because they find issues to make it look as if homeowners are getting their money's worth?

Well, we wouldn't want that would we?

It depends on how things are presented to the buyer. We had a listing with minor things that needed to be taken care of, but the engineer blew it up and even gave cost for FUTURE POSSIBLE repairs that scared the buyer off. The roof was only 10 years old, no leaks...he said well in 10 years it will need full rip and replacement at a cost of XXXXXX (it had a few layers) and the buyer wanted $20,000+ credit for that and burner replacement, etc. in the future even though everything as working and not old. The house was solid, but did need cosmetic changes that was all. I think this buyer was not prepared for what is involved in owning a home. And so he backed out based on the report.

It is one thing to prepare them by telling them that keeping up a home costs time, effort and money, but a few inspectors carry it too far.

Totally agree besides many of them are working with rehabbers or have referrals. Same with pest inspections, I do not use the same compan that does an inspection.

Layered roofs deteriorate much faster than if the roof was stripped and a single layer was laid. Also, the warranty is usually voided when layered.


Would you not want to know that you might have to come up with a big chunk of cash in the near future? I don't give estimates but I do tell my clients that they should budget for certain repairs.

I find usually what sellers do not replace because of cost is the heating unit,a/c unti,water heater,roof thie big ticket items they do not want to replace.

As a fudiary to the buyer no you don't want to kill the deal but at the same time if the seller is asking market and in 5 years you have to outlay 15 to 20k for maintenance issues did the buyer get a fair deal?For me I would never buy that house,for one you are never supposed to go more than one layer over,anything more than that the weight puts a huge strain on the houses support system.

Some home inspectors do get rediculous,if it's not a brand new house there are going to be things wrong with it regardless,even new houses have problems.The 20k was overkill but it sound sliek the buyer LIKED but did not LOVE the house.

I have one that just closed but the buyers inspection showed lp siding which the time to file for replacement has expired and had other problems but they loved the house,waived the inspection contingency,and closed on it anyway.

My son owned his own roofing company so I am well aware of how it works. Also in this area, three layers ARE allowed.

My point was he was giving prices for things way down the road and the buyer took this as a NOW problem. Yes they should be aware of things, but on a home over 20 years old it is unrealistic to think that nothing will need to be repaired in the future, anything and everything will have to be replaced or repaired sooner or later. So if we look at any house with a roof over 10 years old the seller should be expected to lay out or rebate for this? Not in NY! Most homes on LI were built in the 50's. I can drive thru most neighborhoods and spot 90% of them that need to be replaced.

they call them dealbreakers because Realtors have this fear of suggesting to the seller that physical conditions may erode the price that the Realtor has recommended. An oversight?, or maybe just wishfull thinking.

Layering may be "allowed" but that does not make it right. Ask your son why the manufacturer's warranty is void when roofing materials that are layered.


I just re-read this quote and have to admit I misread it the first time. For some reason, I thought it said that he was recommending immediate replacement. Perhaps it was the way the rest of your post was written.

There is no way anyone can guess the life span of a roof, especially one that is incorrectly installed. It is also not possible to guess what the cost would be in 10 years.

It was explained above that home inspectors are referred to as deal killers and a lot of times they are. At the same time, they kill one deal, you get them into another deal. I'm no expert on home repairs or anything, but when I show a house and see any visual faults I point them out to my clients. I also recommend the same home inspector every time because he does a great job and is very thorough. If a house isn't right for you, it's not right for me. I always recommend the home inspection and when they say they have a friend that can do it, I still recommend they get a licensed home inspector to cover everyone's [censored]. Real estate is a big referral business and having one angry customer can get you a lot of bad impressions (especially in smaller areas).

Home inspectors are great. They offer that opinion that saves everyone involved. They are great insurance plan as far as I am concerned. They get the broker and seller off the hook. You just need to find a good one. Because whenever you inspect a house you will find things. Those things just need to be disclosed in good way.

And selling advertising specialities qualifies you with experience on this subject?

And the period of time immediately following the Home Inspections is called the "re-negotiating period". lol

In NC, we are specifically discouraged by the State to mention remaining life of components. No one has a crystal ball and conditions change almost daily and certainly from house to house. I report the items that need attention and not try to predict how many more years the dishwasher will last.

There is always the option of a second opinion, I often pay for it out of my pocket. If anything it puts the parties at ease if the findings are the same, 10% of the time I save someone money.