House Inspections

Do You Know How to Get Good Home Inspections?

Depending on the type of financing you choose, there should be either 2 or 3 separate inspections on the home you want to purchase. The first should be your own basic inspection (see the bottom of this page for what to look for), the second should be a professional whole-house inspection by a reputable person.

Should you select a government loan (FHA or VA), the third inspection should come at the time of the appraisal, which to some degree amounts to a "mini-inspection". Do not, however, rely on this appraisal as your only inspection of the property!

The value and necessity of an extensive inspection of a home cannot be emphasized enough. Many home purchasers, either in the desire to save the $200 to $500 that a good inspection costs, or due to simple ignorance, have spent enormous sums of money repairing items that any good home inspector would have pointed out.

Any offer you make to purchase should be contingent upon (subject to) a whole house inspection with a satisfactory report. Do not let anyone - not the agent, not your family or friends and especially not the seller, talk you out of having the property thoroughly inspected!

Not only will you sleep much better after you have moved into the house but a professional inspection can give you an escape hatch from a contract on a defective house. If the contract is written contingent on an acceptable inspection, any defects in the home must be either repaired or monetarily compensated for. If you are not satisfied, you have the option to cancel the contract.

Inspections are designed to disclose defects in the property that could materially affect its safety, livability or resale value. They are not designed to disclose cosmetic deficiencies (for example, an interior wall that needs a paint touch up). You will need to determine on your own those type of items that will need attention: don't expect a whole house inspection to reveal them to you.

Don't wait until you have placed an offer on a house before you begin the search for a home inspector. There will be a time limit in the contract designating when the inspection must be completed (typically between 7 and 14 days).

If you start trying to find an inspector at that point but cannot find an acceptable one to schedule it in that time frame, you will only have two choices:

• go with an inspector that is not your first choice
  or

• risk running past the deadline for the inspection (which could void any chance of having the seller take care of repairs)

Neither is an acceptable alternative!

If you are looking for a professional home inspector, Service Magic offers a locator service throughout the U.S. Simply fill out their easy form and they will contact you will the names of pre-screened Inspectors in your area.

Anyone looking to actually save money with their home financing can Contact Me Directly to get the process started.

On the other hand, if you are a Real Estate Professional and you would be interested in keeping more of the profits originating from all the home loans you initiate, you can Become an Associate of My Team by filling out the form on that page.

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