Home Inspections
Now more than ever it is important for buyers to pay for a home inspection by a qualified home inspector, ask your REALTOR for a referral. I say qualified home inspector because home inspectors are not licensed, however some may belong to ASHI American Society of Home Inspectors, I think they have little hats. Anyway, your inspector will look for structural integrity of the home, whether the electrical is safe, check to see if the plumbing drains.
Nothing worse than the first night in your new home and the plumbing doesn’t work, except for maybe the electrical and the plumbing not working.
He/She will also look to see if there are any problems with the roof which would require further inspection from a licensed roofer, check to see if the fireplace and chimney have any obvious signs of damage and so on. Inspectors generally do not report on things that are beyond their scope such as pools and spas but they will make recommendations if there is obvious concerns. Now this inspection is so much different from a structural pest control inspection which is only looking for wood destroying organisms or conditions that could lead to said destruction.
Here is the explanation why this is so very important now in this market. With the multitude of foreclosed property on the market that are being sold as is, (except when the home has been completely demolished), it is extremely important for you the BUYER to satisfy yourself with the condition of the property and Home Warranty Companies generally do not cover pre-existing conditions. Banks are not required to fill out a Transfer Disclosure Statement so this is really the only way to find out the general health of your new home.
So jump on out there buy your new home at a much lower price than in the past and make sure to have it inspected before you close escrow and you can potentially avoid a slew of nasty little ole headaches.
Happy Hunting…
Kelly…
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