Inspectors for Real Estate

Inspectors in my state are licensed. You can check the status of their license on line at the state home page. Before we had licensed companies, they would make some pretty crazy statements. Now that they have to pay for Errors and Omissions insurance, they are much more cautious about what they spout off about.

A good inspector will look over the exterior and the interior of your property with a lengthy check list. On the list is everything from the electrical pannel to roof life. Some inspectors test appliances, make note of broken glass, and suggest treatment for bugs if they are found.

If possible, get a "Home Warranty" from a company like American Home Shield. They will take care of appliances, plubing, electrical and other things if they break. The cost is usuaylly under $400 so it can quickly same you money.

If you have a septic system, you will have a septic inspection. If you use this as a contingency, make sure to ask your lawer about including the words "acceptable to the Buyer". These words will keep your options open even if the system passes. Why is that important? If the home is being used by 2 people and you plan to put 4 people in it, then you need to make sure the system will be able to handle the increased effluent (poop). If the system is old, you may want some concesions from the seller to cover future improvements.

When there is a well on the property that is used for drinking, an H2O test will be required by the lender. It is good to get one for your own records if you don't need a lender. Obviously, if the water is bad, so is the property. Remember, no deal is so good you can't walk away from it. Fixing a water problem may be easy and there may also be no sure fix. You can soften, filter, add minerals, etc.

For the most part, an inspector is interested in helping you decide if a property is in good enough shape for your purposes. They will let you know of as many problems as they can find. They'll usually refrain from telling you if you should buy a property, but they'll probably be able to tell you if the issues they find are normal or unusual, and how many people deal with them.

When there are fewer transactions, some companies will try to find so many problems that you won't want the property. They do this so you'll think they're great and use them for another inspection. If you use an ASR, you probably won't be surprised by the results of a home inspection. Real estate listings and inspectors

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