Here's my situation: I am scheduled to close on a condo in the next two weeks and met with a home inspector referred to me by an agent I have known for quite a while. The home inspector is very knowledgeable and was described to me as someone "who won't make you sweat the small stuff but will definitely let you know if there is anything seriously wrong with your property." My answer was "great coz I don't care about cosmetic issues but I definitely want someone to look out for me and my investment."
I gave the inspector the address and she said she would go online and pull the permits and meet me at the property the following day for an inspection. The following day, as I am on my way to meet her, she calls and said that she "had some things she wanted to discuss." When we met, she said that she wasn't able to pull any records off the web but "thought" this complex had been "red tagged following the 1994 Northridge earthquake," saying that she was not 100% confident but still pretty sure that we were talking about the same property. Now, we were told the property was built in 2000. (????) Now, there is another complex listed under the same tract # that was there in the 80's and I'm wondering if there's a possibility for confusion. Anyways, she quickly walked around the building going "oh my gosh, look at that without really explaining why she looked so worried then we went inside the unit and pointed out how the floor was slainted, the cracks on the garage's floor going "oh wow can you believe that???" and yes she had me completely freaked out without giving me anything concrete to go by except her gut instinct. Amount of time spent inspecting: 15 min. Amount of time spent scaring the hell out of me with nothing to back her claims up: 45 min.

She ended the tour by saying that she would look into it, make some calls, research some more and that she would give me a call that same evening to give me the low-downn on what she refered as "the property with the stigma attached to it" but that as of "right now" she wouldn't want her name on the inspection report so she wasn't going to charge me for the time she spent "inspecting."

Alright, here are the issues that I have:

#1 that evening, she never called. Yeah, thanks a lot! My bf and I were on pins and needles waiting for her to call us to tell us facts vs. theories of what she thought the story was...and nothing. Not cool!
Call me crazy but making as bold of a statement as "hey I think this property was there prior to 2000 and Im pretty sure it was red-tagged once" is nothing to take lightly...but give me something to back it up, some proof or something so that we have ammunitions to get out of our contract based on your SERIOUS FACTUAL findings. That's all I ask, really.

#2 The next day, mid-day, still no call. Between me and my bf, we left 5 messages urging her to call us to let us know what she found. Finally, my bf calls again in the evening and she picks up saying she was just gonna call us. Fine whatever. She proceeds to tell him that she really wasn't able to pull any records so she didn't have anything new to tell us except "I would go to the building and safety department if I were you and try to pull as much info as you can and fax me everything you find then I'll tell you more."

FINE. The next day, I spent 5 1/2 hours there and get every record, permits, certs...I can find. From what I was given, no document indicates that the property was red tagged. Fax everything to her. Leave a message and ask her to call to let me know she received everything. She never does. Now I'm fuming.

Next day, my bf finally gets a hold of her as she says "oh it's funny i was just gonna call you guys." OK STOP THE BLEEDING, FOR REAL!
My bf asked her what the lowdown was and all she can say is "well, I wouldn't buy it, it's high risk."
Us: "ok why?"
Her:"i don't know why you want to buy there, you could get a lot more home somewhere else."
(ok, this is not what we're asking here. What we're asking of you is to give us facts backing up your claim that the property is high risk. We can't possibly go back to the developper saying "we're backing out because some inspector THINKS the property is high risk. As a matter of fact, she thinks she remembers it getting red-tagged at some point in time but she can't prove it. GIVE US SOMETHING!!!
my bf: did you look at all the documents we faxed you (37 pages), the occupancy cert was issued, we have the permits but we need your expertise to tell us what all these documents mean...You DID take a look at what we faxed you right?"
her: "huh, hmmm, yea and I can't put my name on the inspection. You should really look for something else, there are so many properties on the market right now, you could get a house for that price. Call me if you want us to look at another property."

And that's basically IT. THANKS A LOT. THIS IS THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL THING SHE COULD HAVE DONE!
How can an inspector who's very well known and reputable in our industry leave someone hanging like that??????
How can someone make such a serious claim on a huntch and not back it up!?????
What? Are we supposed to forget it and buy it while thinking that there might be a chance that the bldg is going to collapse on us at any given time???? ARE YOU FOR REAL???!!!

If that was the case, and the property was indeed red-tagged or there prior to 2000, wouldn't the developper disclose that? This is serious stuff and I'm sure if it wasn't disclose, i'm sure they would face the biggest lawsuit ever recorded. (I did mention that to her and her answer was: " oh they can chapter 7 the corporation as soon as all the units are sold and you would have no recourse. Then they could start up a new corp. and do it again. Developpers do it all the time.")

GREAT, ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD TO MAKE OUR PURCHASE TRANSACTION EVEN MORE SCARY????!!!!

Bottom line: I need some serious advice because i'm freaking out (over something, maybe...over nothing, maybe). What can we do to get peace of mind here? Please help. Thank you all.

If she didn't charge you, then you still have money to get a professional home inspection done. Try finding a good inspector from the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. They have about 9,000 members, hundreds in the Los Angeles area. They are at http://www.nachi.org.

Thank you Russel Ray, I appreciate the effort. That inspector IS a member of nachi so I thought for sure that I would get good, professional service...well so much for that!.. so now what?

I'm so frustrated. Don't worry I'm not putting all nachi members into one basket but it goes to show that affiliations doesn't guarantee anything.

Well it's true they can open up under a new company.Contractors are notorious for this they give lifetime warranties and then a few years later close that business and reopen under another name making the warranties useless.The builder usually only gives a 1 year warranty or extended 2/10 warranty that handled by an outside company.

I would make sure they are ashi or cabo certified.Anyone can belong to some of these organizations and pay a feee and be called an expert.I am not a home inspector but i know a little and i purchase homes and rehab them.

A house built just 6 years ago should not have cracks in the driveway or the garage.Nor should floors be offcenter or slanted.Inspectors are not experts and if they see something abnormal they should recommend you see an expert in that field.

Example cracks in the driveway and garage and house is uneven.They should refer you to a structural engineer for further examination.If you don't want to pay the money then the inspector should get you to sign a form stating you were advised to seek a n expert on these items and you declined.

Usually if the crack is small enough that you can't fit a credit card in there then usually there is not major shifting going on.Hairline cracks in concrete are normal.If the doors have trouble opening or there are lightning bolt cracks going down the wall you could have setllement problems.

good luck and not giving legal advice

Alea that inspector was worthless to say the least and all they did was eat up some of your inspection time. Get a referal for an inspector and I wouldn't care if they sweat the small stuff. Your realtor would let you know what is common to ask for in repairs in your area. I want someone to go over the property from top to bottom. Home inspection is as much an education for the buyer of the property as it is to look for defects. A good home inspector will let my client know about maintanance items that we will not ask to be repaired but should be done to a home to keep it in top shape.

As for the comment that you could buy a house for that much money what does the inspector know about your lifestyle? Do you really want to take care of the outside maintance of a property or just come and go as you please and not have to worry about it?

Inspectors like that trying to play realtor need to find another line of work and would not be on my list. I hope you give some feedback to the agent that recommended this person to you.

Hey, Alea.

Since you're in California, email me at thehometeamsd@aol.com and I'll see what I can do for you.

Being CABO or ICC certified simply means that one was able to study and pass a test. We probably all know from college that such a task is fairly easy to do, depending on one's interest in the subject matter.

With that said, while Alea had problems with a NACHI inspector, NACHI is the only major trade association for home inspectors that requires that a prospective member at least pass a knowledge test before sending in money. None of the other major national trade associations require that.

ASHI and many of the state trade associations simply require that one send in money and then they call one a "Candidate" member until one has a certain number of inspections and pass a knowledge test. During the time that one is a "Candidate" member, is that ASHI "Candidate" member really better than any other trade association?

There will be newbies in all professions and all trade associations (although we don't know anything in that regard about the home inspector in question). Some of those newbies are not yet familiar with appropriate Codes of Ethics and Standards of Practice. And, of course, I'm sure we're all familiar with the home inspector who is too dependent on Realtor referrals for his livelihood and, thus, doesn't want to upset too many Realtors with the "small stuff" so that he never gets referrals again. In my industry, we call them "soft inspectors" because they issue a "soft" report that either doesn't detail the problem, skips over the problem, or downplays the significance of the problem, all of which help the Realtor since s/he doesn't have to put too many of those negotiating skills into practice dealing with too many issues or significant issues that might require someone else (i.e., structural engineer, roofing contractor, etc.) to come in for further evaluation.

Two more problems here in California are:

(1) E&O insurance is so expensive, resulting in more than half of the home inspectors in my area not carrying such insurance. If I were not carrying E&O insurance, I also would not put my name on a home inspection report.

(2) There is no licensing for home inspectors in California, so anyone with a little money can do some marketing stating that they are a home inspector. Many of those same inspectors start of with good intentions, but once they find out the true cost of being in the industry, or face their first lawsuit, they are out of business.

The home inspector industry has just as great a turnover as the Realtor industry, so the best thing to do is to check your home inspector's references (as well as the references of all people you are considering hiring to work for you), check to see if they are a member of a trade association (at least that indicates some interest in the industry), check to see if they are a member of the Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau, etc., (at least that indicates an interest in being a good business person), and ask them if they carry appropriate insurance for their industry (and don't be afraid to ask them for a copy of their insurance coverage certificate--all insurance companies provide them). If you don't know what appropriate insurance is for any specific industry, contact the BBB. They usually have the requirements for each industry for which they have members.

Russel does bring up a good point about NACHI being the only HI organization to require everyone to take a test before they join. The problem with this test is that it is online, unproctored and is extremely easy to pass. As it is unproctored anyone can take the test but then put a different name on the paperwork.

If the test was too hard NACHI would have few members and it's sole owner would not have the income or lifestyle that he now has. A person can be a hair stylist in the morning and a Certified Home Inspector that night. They have no experience requirement before a person can call themselves "Certified".

If you are in CA, I would look for a CREIA member who has passed their proctored exam. Outside of that I would also look for an inspector who has passed the National Home Inspector Exam. This exam is used in 20 states for their state home inspector licensing exam. It is a proctored "High Stakes" exam, similar to most state real estate license exams.

Another good site to find inspectors is http://www.ashi.org . ASHI requires their members to pass the NHIE a Standards Exam and complete either 50 or 250 inspections before they can even say or advertise that they belong to ASHI.

Keep in mind that a home inspectors professional affiliation does not make them a good or bad inspector. Look at their experience and past track record. As for a reference or two, they should be willing to provide them. My suggestion to real estate agents is to provide a list of 3-4 inspectors that work in your market. Do not single any particular inspector our as "my favorite", this might come back to bite you!

Just another point of view.

It sounds as if this inspector simply bit off more than she could chew, although I'd be interested in hearing what she has to say.

I'm also curious as to the comments about "pulling permits," and "making some phone calls" to gather more information. This is not a "standard practice" for most inspectors.

I have inspected several home/structures that were "red tagged" as a result of the Northridge quake. Those that were not repaired have long been condemned and/or demolished.

As for any recourse, at this point you have none with regard to the inspector. Service was not paid for, nor was it provided. Take whatever opportunity you have left to find another inspector.

You disappoint me, Scott. You know that's not true.

The passing rate at this point is, I believe, in the 60s, not exactly easy if one is using college standards of A-B-C-D. and F.


Have you seen the houses and cars that the administrative folks at ASHI drive, as well as CREIA and some of the other state trade associations. Not to mention your local preacher. I'm not sure how anyone's lifestyle is really relevant. But I know that you do tend to overreach sometimes, Scott.


More disappointment from you, Scott. There is no "certification" at NACHI. Hec, if anyone wanted to be a home inspector in California, anyone could call themselves "Certified." That's part of the problem with the home inspection industry--eight national trade associations and 50 state trade associations, all trying to do their own thing, not necessarily what is in the public's best interest.

Is there any difference between a being a "hair stylist in the morning" and a "Candidate" member of ASHI. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Speaking from experience in going to the monthly ASHI and CREIA dinner meetings here in San Diego, I can personally state that CREIA members who have "passed their proctored exam" are no better and no worse than the great majority of home inspectors. Unfortunately, I left CREIA because they had no interest in the public or helping its membership. They also were simply interested in money.


And as with all tests, including "real estate license exams," the NHIE has its own set of problems, such as wrong answers, etc.

You know that's not true, Scott. "Candidate" members can say and advertise that they belong to ASHI. They just can't use the trademarked logo, and they're supposed to say that they are "Candidate" members. And they don't have to pass the NHIE before sending in their money to become a "Candidate" member. I state facts while you seem to be in a mood to twist them.


Finally you say something that can be useful to Alea and anyone else reading this post.


And in spite of the spin, thank you.

I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to reply to my post. It means a lot to me, thank you.
The agent who referred this inspector to me is a friend of mine but she is not the one representing us in the transaction as we were pretty much forced into a dual agency. So I'm not mad at her, she truly was trying to help me and had nothing but good things to say about her.
As a successful agent, I wholeheartedly trust her judgement and still do.
As for the credentials of the inspector...well we're talking p.h.d, construction consultant, CRI, and the president of CA chapter so...you know.
I'm not saying that she is not qualified because she is and the $495 price tag I would have been glad to pay it to get the facts. I never got the facts. All I got was assumptions and theories.
I'm not trying to sue anyone either; what I want is someone who's going to advise me based on concrete facts. The one thing my bf and I are really mad about is the fact that she took plenty of time to freak us out, sent us to the deparment of building and safety to pull the records...for nothing. I am not an expert, I can't understand what the 37 pages I pulled mean and meanwhile she never looked at them. Ok, based on what she "remembers", what she "hears", what she "thinks" the property was red tagged, is high risk etc...Ok, I've made a mental note of that, JUST BACK IT UP, LOOK AT WHAT I PULLED AND SHOW US THE FACTS IN THERE THAT CONCERN YOU. I don't think I'm being unreasonable.

When I went to pull the records, there was a lot of confusion because 2 different complexed were on the same tract number, the developper seemed to have applied for permits under a different address (...DR. vs. CIRCLE) so nothing was coming up. Then they try to match the amenities and number of units to the property and the other older complex was the one that kept coming up. Until finally, we entered the address of the first bldg that was built instead of our own bldg address and that's how we retreived the permits, occupancy certs for all the bldgs.

Yesterday, I pulled the soil composition of the property we're trying to buy in, lots of information but unfortunately that's just plain chinese to me. Now, they told us the property was built in 2000 and no building was there in 94. The inspector thought there was a complex there that got red-tagged. Now, i'm looking at the report and there's an arial picture of the site with a note that says: "map comprised of arial images photographed on these dates: 6/1/1994; 10/3/1995" (???? huh????) Ok, if that's true then there's an entire complex standing there (???)

Now, we asked the listing agent to clarify and he keeps saying there was nothing there. Let's assume that there was and everything was actually red-tagged and demolished, shouldn't he have disclosed that when we asked? Aren't we entitled to know the full story so we can make an informed decision. Some of the records we pulled showed 1987 on them, so could there be some truth to that?

Now, let's assume all the above is true and the whole complex got red-tagged, then the builder (or the city) came in demolished because of soil unstability issues, and then the builder rebuilt...Wouldn't the city of Los Angeles make sure that everything is fine and dandy before issuing occupancy certs? See, all this I don't know. Did they build from the ground up or did they keep the foundation and rebuilt on top and if so is that why the developper was ordered to go back and drill underneath the buildings an additional 6ft??? I need someone to help me get to the bottom of this asap. I just want facts, that's all i want and i'll pay the $495 to protect the $560,000 I'm about to spend on this condo.

Hey, Alea.

If she is CRI, that seems to indicate that she is a member of CREIA. Granted, one can be a member of multiple organizations, but it is rare because of the money involved.

I'd be happy to look at them if you would like to fax them to me. Let me know.

If you have an MLS listing number and a tax assessor's parcel number, that would also be helpful.

Hopefully you have postponed close of escrow until you get your questions answered.

Hey, Alea.

Just FYI. I've been involved with over 800 property renovations in 7 states in 33 years, so I am familiar with pulling permits, resolving property problems, etc.

So let me know if I can help you.

Hi Russel, I was just in the process of emailing you. Thank you so much for wanting and trying to help. Believe me we are doing everything we can to buy time at this point. If you could look over what I pulled that would be so great! I'm sending you an email right now.

Are you trying to purchase a single unit, or the entire complex? I would be happy to inspect your unit for you, but it would not include permit research or geo-testing.

FYI - There is no "CA Chapter" of NACHI. So your inspector could not be Chapter Pres.

Russ - CRI is a NAHI designation.