How To Choose A Home Inspector

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Don't Make A Mistake With Your Largest Investment! A home is the most expensive purchase any of us will make in a lifetime. Isn’t it a good idea to get a good home inspector to come to the home and point out if there are any major defects? Buyers out in the market for a new home need to look beyond the amount of land or the huge living room, or the amount of square footage of living area. They need a professional person to come in and check out the structure, the condition of the roof and all of the home’s systems that only an expert can see. Do you know how to hire a home inspector? Do you know the questions to ask when you are shopping for price? Do you know what qualifications you are looking for in an inspector? Do you know if a referral from a Realtor® is in your best interest? A few years ago, there really was not any information out there for consumers on who to hire, or what the qualifications were of a particular home inspector. Now there is! Home Inspector Standards Massachusetts has a law that as of May 1, 2001, anyone who claims to be a home inspector must have a license issued by the state. According to the law, home inspectors must have the following: · License in hand · Errors and Omissions insurance · At least 3 yrs in the home inspection business · And an education background in construction Up until now, there were no standards for home inspectors and anyone could say they were qualified to do the job to check out your house. Now, the state has a fact sheet for consumers at http://www.state.ma.us/reg.consumer/fspagehi.htm, on this sheet, it lets the consumer know what to expect the home inspector to look at. It also states that an inspection is not the same as an appraisal or a building code inspection. It is not a guarantee or insurance policy of any kind. A home inspection is simply a visual review of the property by a trained professional. An analogy on the fact sheet that makes this even clearer is that "the inspection is likened to a physical exam by a physician". The exam will look for items that are damaged or need to be treated and if there is a problem the physician can’t diagnose, a referral may be made to a professional in that area. The same happens with a home inspector.   In addition to the law the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) has an even higher set of standards for inspectors to become a member. They must have a range of experience, have performed 250 home inspections, and completion of 2 written exams. Being a member gives inspectors a continuing education requirement as well.

Standards for Realtors®

In the past, any Realtor® could suggest a home inspector to a homebuyer. Now the law states that:

• ONLY a Realtor® who is working strictly as a Buyer Broker for a client can refer a home inspector to their client

• If the buyer does not have a buyer broker, listing agents have the responsibility by law to provide the buyer with a full list of licensed home inspectors. They can not bias the list in any way.

These standards will keep lenient or easy home inspectors from being favored by the listing office. Some agents are afraid a thorough home inspector will be a "deal killer" and get in the way of a sale. If a deal gets "killed" because of something wrong with the house, the house killed the deal, not the inspector that pointed it out.

So how do you select a home inspector?

Well, now you know the facts and what the law states. If you have a Buyer Broker working for you, ask them for a referral, they are the best source and are working for your best interest. Other good sources of referrals are friends or family members, neighbors or business acquaintances that recently bought a home. Ask them who they used and if they were happy with their service. Another good place to look is on the ASHI website at www.ashi.com. Also, you can check the status of an inspector’s license on the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure website at www.state.ma.us/reg/boards/hi. You should pick a couple names of inspectors to interview.

Next you need to check out what type of services they provide and reporting the inspector uses. Make sure it meets your needs as a buyer. No inspector is exactly the same when inspecting a house, and most inspectors don’t use the same reporting methods. Some use a checklist report that they give to you onsite after the inspection. Some use a software method that can be printed onsite or others that go back to the office to write their report. Call the inspector you chose to find out what they use. Low price or a quick report does not necessarily mean they are working for your best interest or will give you the best service.

How Home Inspectors Work

A thorough home inspection will usually take between 3-4 hours to complete. Most licensed home inspectors will work for your best interest and you want to have a good understanding of the home by the end of the inspection.

You want an inspector who is thorough but not reactionary. If there is an electrical problem, you want an inspector who will catch the problem and explain what will be necessary to make it right.  Also, the value of a home inspection is not just in finding out what may be wrong with the house, but more importantly (especially for first time buyers) is to understand how a home works and how to maintain it.

A good home inspector can also tell when repair problems might arise during the first year of home ownership. For this reason, inspectors welcome the homebuyer’s presence at the home inspection so that you can see things for yourself, the items they inspect, and understand the report better once you receive it.

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IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO TAKE CONTROL! How to Make Your Realtor® Get You the Best Deal By: Mollie Wasserman & Ken Deshaies A guide through the real estate purchasing process, from choosing a Realtor® to negotiating the best deal for you! MORE... Available in all major book stores. Order online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. OR receive a complimentary copy when you schedule a Buyer Consultation with a member of our team.

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