Hey everyone,

Those of you familiar with me know that I run a real estate blog. I'm not, however an agent. I'm currently working on an article on Home Inspections for (http://www.housebulb.com) and I wished to gain some insight from the agents out there.

Do you feel that they're worth the potential buyers investment?

What has your experience been with home inspectors? Do you use one specific company and if so, who?

Do you mind if we use your comments within our upcoming article?

Cheers and thanks for your feedback!

Instead of a new questionnaire, why use the search function to the right ------>

Just enter "home inspector" or "building inspector" or Inspector or inspection . . . . always using quotes on multi-word inquiries and then read those results to see what has been discussed in the past ? Then you'll know plenty.

I could not agree more. Search just isn't used with enough frequency. I'll admit that I was hoping to get comments AND permission to use said comments in my article. I was taking a short-cut is all. Hope nobody holds it against me :)

I know you asked for agents opinions...

As a home inspector, I usually find defects that cost more to repair than my fee. The cost benefit ratio is more benefit than cost of the inspection to the buyer. The seller often has a different take on the equation.

The most common area of problems is the crawlspace. Very few buyers ever look in the crawlspace. High moisture in the crawlspace causes all sorts of problems. In my area, the HVAC units are often in the crawlspace. The high moisture and lack of regular maintenance take their toll. The insulation becomes water logged peeling away. Mold and mildew grow on the framing structure. Piers and columns sink and settle causing uneven floors as well as racked doors and windows. Open wire splices, under sized wires feeding large appliances, plumbing leaks, failed HVAC duct work, and rotted subfloors.

The next big ticket item is usually the HVAC systems. I regularly find ducts disconnected and not supplying the living space. Returns are disconnected and sucking air from the dirt floor crawlspace or dusty attic. The inside of these HVAC units is caked with crud making them less efficient, shortening their lifespan and not adequately conditioning the living space.

Occasionally I find homes in great condition with very few problems. The buyer has bought peace of mind knowing they have a home in good condition and low probability of major suprises in the near future.

If the house is the right home for the buyer, a few defects are worth negoiating away. If the defects outweight the percieved value of the home to the buyer, than the agent completes his/her job by finding the right home for the buyer.

Pre-listing inspections by sellers would identifiy issues ahead of time. Defects can either be repaired or declared and the price set accordingly. The buyer knows up front what they are bidding on and the deal is more likely to complete. The inspection process needs to chanage from a buyer inspection to a seller inspection.

One of my buyers recently hired a home inspector for a 2-family house that on surface appeared to be the best home we looked at out of about a half dozen. The home inspector (known as a deal killer in my area) discovered leaking pipes, toilets not properly seated, PVC pipe used for incoming water supply (which doesn't meet code in our area), dropped ceilings concealing missing sheetrock above (also not to code), rotted window sills due to vinyl siding not being completed correctly around windows, and numerous other items that were significant in total if not individually. My buyer withdrew his offer.

Still waiting on the return of his earnest money deposit, I called the listing broker's office a few days ago. Turns out there has been a significant fire at this property. I guess I'm glad the home inspector killed that particular deal.

EagleEye - Thank you for your detailed response. Are you an independent or contracted inspector?

Neudot - Thank you as well for your response. It is OK to quote you in an article for http://www.housebulb.com ?

Thanks again and I'd love to hear more from people.

Good thing they inspected BEFORE the fire . . . . many items could be missed afterwards.

I imagine there was good Insurance Coverage . . . . to make it right this time.

Insurance Companies still buy many homes when they don't sell.

Well, filling in more of the story above. Turns out the fire wasn't from a deficiency in the structure. A tenant was burning a candle and it got away from him. Seller is very unhappy right this minute.

Yes, HouseBulb, you may use the story. I think everyone's anonymity is sufficient that no one will be able to identify the parties in the transaction.

[quote]Yes, HouseBulb, you may use the story. I think everyone's anonymity is sufficient that no one will be able to identify the parties in the transaction.[/quote]

Thank you. I'll share a link to the article once it goes live :)

That's weird. It would appear as though I am not able to quote. I wonder if this is another limitation of being a new member?

yes it is

[quote=HouseBulb]EagleEye - Thank you for your detailed response. Are you an independent or contracted inspector?[/quote]

I run my own inspection business. Typically buyers hire me to inspect the home. Agents often refer me clients. One has called me her "picky inspector". Several agents have used me when they have bought homes for themselves.

The state home inspector licensure board requires home inspectors to report on more items than are in the standard real estate contract used in my state. As a result, agents periodically claim that I should not be reporting various defects. Some agents don't understand that I don't work for the agent and don't care what the real estate contract says. I am not part of that contract. I work for MY client and have to meet the home inspector licensing requirements.

[quote=EagleEye][quote=HouseBulb]EagleEye - Thank you for your detailed response. Are you an independent or contracted inspector?[/quote]

I run my own inspection business. Typically buyers hire me to inspect the home. Agents often refer me clients. One has called me her "picky inspector". Several agents have used me when they have bought homes for themselves.

The state home inspector licensure board requires home inspectors to report on more items than are in the standard real estate contract used in my state. As a result, agents periodically claim that I should not be reporting various defects. Some agents don't understand that I don't work for the agent and don't care what the real estate contract says. I am not part of that contract. I work for MY client and have to meet the home inspector licensing requirements. [/quote]

Great. I wonder if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions for the aforementioned article via PM? I'd love to get a quote that I could use speaking to the benefits of a home inspection from an inspectors point of view.

Thanks!

There is nothing wrong with “picky” inspectors, I prefer them. What I don’t want are inspectors who blow deals because they don’t know how to act around the buyer.

There is a local inspector who walks around going “oh no”, “terrible” writing lots of notes and gets the buyer all worked up, but in the end comes up with a $500 list of repairs. He blows deals.

On the other hand a preferred inspector is one that inspires confidence with the buyer, so they are still willing to make the purchase even after he finds a potential $15,000 repair bill.

Inspectors, based on what I've been told (by someone who ran an inspection company) some people just aren't cracked up to be inspectors. They just can't seem deliver news in a way that doesn't scare potential buyers. It makes sense. I think that when discussing the financial implications of some of the required repairs that can come up, I think it requires a certain level of carefulness.

Home inspectors need to distinct and separate skill sets. They have to have a very broad technical base about buildings. It is not enough just to be an expert in plumbing but they also must be knowledgeable about electrical, roofing, structural, mechanical, concrete, insulation, weatherproofing, etc. The breadth of knowledge is amazing.

They must also be excellent communicators, both spoken and written. My state SOPs say a home inspection is a WRITTEN evaluation. So the home inspector must be able to take the information gathered during the physical inspection and convert that into a written document that A)meets the state requirements for reporting, B) and informs the buyer about the condition of the home. Ideally the report conveys the information in a very simple manner that is easy to understand.

A home inspectors job is to find all the negative things about a home and write them down. Very few people really want to hear about all the negative things. Or at the very least, they want to hear that the negative things are minor, cheap to repair, and don't really matter anyway. That is seldom the case.

I am on my associations peer report review committee. I view other inspectors reports to determine if they meet the state requirements. My reply has 2 sections: how well it meets the state mandated reporting requirements, and how to improve the understandability and readability by a layperson.

Most reports overlook a few of the state mandated requirements due mostly to the item not being in the subject house. Even if there is no trash compactor, it still must be documented in the report. The area that often needs the most work is the readability and understandability of the report.

Most times the problem is not that it is too alarming or not alarming enough, it is just plain poorly written. Descriptions don't describe. Locations are confusing. Not enough information is included to pick out the defective item from a host of similar items (which bedroom has the problem?) Writing is a skill that improves with practice and refinement. Not all home inspectors have the necessary practice or desire to write well.

If the inspector has the deepest techncial knowledge base but can't translate his findings into a well written document or express them to the client in a clear and concise manner, then they are only doing half the job. Many home inspectors have sample reports on their websites. If you are looking for a new home inspector, get a sample of the report. Longer reports are not better if they don't add value. Shorter reports are not better if they are leaving out information.

One time I had an agent complain during the inspection that everything I was pointing out was not important and it should not be in the report. Her regular inspector was much better. During the re-inspection she complained that there was not information in the report and that her normal inspector would have listed more detail. She was afraid I would kill her deal during the inspection but during the re-inspection she want to show the client that she was working hard.

My biggest complaint with home inspectors is that some of them seem a bit lazy when it comes to following through on something in particular.

For instance, they may note that deck support posts are "on the ground" and not "on concrete footings" Then their report software writes a bunch of stuff warning about the dangers of posts coming in direct contact w/ soil, and the buyer is all worried. You then submit to the seller a corrective proposal stating that there will be concrete footings installed (in our area, 48" deep) or a credit of X amount given to the buyer."

Come to find out, the seller merely covered the area under the deck with pea gravel and/or mulch, and if the inspector had taken about 5 minutes and brushed away the mulch/gravel, he would have seen the concrete footing, plain as day.

This kind of thing is just an annoyance, but it makes the inspector, the buyer and the buyer's agent look dumb...

I understand inspectors claim they are not going to be "uncovering" things such as carpet-covered floors to make sure the floor is not rotten, or they will not cut thru sheetrock to make sure some plumbing thing is OK....but sheesh, you tell me they can't take a few minutes to scrape away mulch and/or gravel to see if there may actually be a footing under that brand new porch post????

My most recent inspector gripe was the time it took to complete the report. We had 14 days from contract signing to have the inspection completed and the results (if they influenced the purchase) to be reported back to the seller. Inspection was conducted on day 14, and the results not received back for an additional 3 weeks.

Unfortunately, the inspector discovered significant defects that made the buyer decide to withdraw his offer. But as the dates were totally out of whack with what was agreed upon, there is now a significantly unhappy seller who wants to retain at least some of the earnest money.

This could have been totally avoided had the inspector completed his report in a timely manner.

3 weeks? Holy cow - we usually have the report within 24 hours, even on weekends.

North Carolina licensing requires a written report within 3 days unless specific other arrangements have been made. Most inspectors I deal with email the report the following day.

3 weeks is unacceptable. Find a new inspector.

Neudot, did the inspector commit to getting a completed report to you on or before day 14? When representing a buyer, I have never had to wait longer than one day to get a report in writing. 3 weeks would unacceptable in most anyone's book!

I agree that the time frame was unacceptable. This inspector is not one I would choose, but the choice was made by the buyer, not me. I have never had one delivered within a day, but 3 days or so would be workable. Three weeks is not.

It's unfortunate that, even with today's technological advantages, this still occurs. I have to wonder about the accuracy of a report that is being compiled two or three days after the inspection, based on "notes" that were taken on site.

I enter all information directly into the report as I am inspecting each system. My reports are delivered via email on the same day as the inspection - usually within 2 hours after completion of the inspection.