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Why?
Everyone else involved in the
transaction gets paid only if
the property closes. The
inspector gets paid whether or
not the buyer decides to buy
the home. That is why
you should choose a home
inspector who is totally
independent; and who feels no
allegiance to a any real
estate agency.
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| The
role of the Inspector:
An inspector's job is to
disclose. You, the buyer do
not pay us to give you good
news! We don't get paid
to make you or the realtors;
or even the seller feel good
about a property! We get
paid to disclose items in need
of repair! That's the basis of
the Texas State Standards of
Practice! And that is
what a Professional Home
Inspector does! |
| All
inspections; structural
and mechanical; are Limited
Visual Inspections; and are
based on what is visible on the
property site on the day the
inspection is performed. A
Home Inspector cannot warranty
or guaranty a property;
or an inspection. A Home
Inspector cannot see inside of
walls. We cannot tear
things apart; we
cannot move a seller's
personal items; and we cannot
do "destructive
testing". All
inspections are Limited Visual
Inspections! |
| The
inspector's responsibility is
to to disclose and report by
means of a written report to
you the visual defects of the
home; both structural and
mechanical, if any. The
difference in inspectors is
knowledge, experience,
background and conscience. The
sole purpose of the inspection
is to disclose to you, the
buyer, on the day of the
inspection on "what is in
need of repair on that
day"! Home
Inspectors cannot predict the
future performance of any
structural or mechanical item! |
- Prices:
Our prices are
comparative with other
professional inspection company's) in the home
inspection industry.
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- Do
not choose an inspector
based solely on price!
This is one of the biggest
mistakes buyers make!
If you are paying
$250,000.00 for a home;
and squabble over the cost
of a home inspection;
trying to save $50.00 or
$100.00; that may be a
"costly mistake"
on your part! A
reputable home inspection
company will charge a
reasonable price based anywhere from
approximately $375.00 to
$750.00 or more. If you can
get a home inspection for
$150.00; then you
will probably "get
what you pay for"!
But then again, you will
probably not get too much
information about the
problems with the home
which you are purchasing.
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(The Bitterness of
Poor Quality Lingers Long After the Sweet Taste
of a "Low Price" is Forgotten)
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- Some
consumers may assume that
all inspectors are
"created
equally".
Not so! It is total
nonsense to believe that
all inspectors are the
same or that all
inspection reports are the
same If a person has been
in the private sector and
was a fireman; or a shoe
salesman; a mailman; or
manager of pizza hut; and
then became a home
inspector; their
qualifications may not be
the same as that of a
contractor and/or builder
who has been in the
building industry for
years.
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-
So
do not assume that all
inspectors are
"created
equally" and that the
"cheapest"
inspector will do a good
job! He may do a job
which he may be
"licensed" to
do. But a real estate
inspector's license costs
$27.00 a year in the State
of Texas.
Think about that when you
go to "re-sale"
the property! You
may discover that a
"cheap
inspection" was not
such a good idea now that
You are the seller!
(Remember,
a quality home inspection
requires a "qualified
inspector!")
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- You
may discover at re-sale
time you were had by a
"Realtor
Inspector" (which is
what professional home
inspectors call an
inspector who works to
save a sale in return for
more work from a real
estate agent and/or real
estate agency!)
These inspectors do
approximately three (3) to
five (5) home inspections
a day. They have to
do volume to stay in
business as they
charge 150.00 to
250.00 dollars for an
inspection and their
reports are normally
hand written! Remember
the inspector and realtor
don't have to live there;
and they don't have to
make the payments either.
You and your family do!
Think about putting one of
the largest investments
most of us ever make
(which is buying our home)
in the hands of a realtor
inspector that is more
interested in the realtor;
in the future work than he
is interested in his
client, which is you the
Buyer! A bad
inspection report takes
away all your negotiating
power and can cost you
thousands of dollars
in repairs! Don't
make your biggest
investment your
biggest mistake!
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|
A
fair and honest inspection
survey can save you
thousands of dollars
and/or prevent you from
making a huge mistake!
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- So
how much can you save with
a cheap inspection?
You decide! It's
your money!
Remember! Don't base
your decision about
selecting a home inspector
based "strictly"
on the price which he is
charging you for
performing the home
inspection! And
remember, you get what you
pay for!
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- New
Homes:
We also perform
inspections for new homes
under construction
[at the consumer's
request]. Over sixty-five
(65%) per-cent of our
business involves
inspection of new
construction. (see
purchasing a new home)
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- Final
Inspection:
A
final inspection is done
on the home when
everything is completed.
This gives the consumer at
least an opportunity of
knowing that some of the
problems found during the
frame
inspection were
(hopefully) corrected by
the builder; as well
as being quite a valuable
(negotiation) tool in the
re-sale of the home. But,
before closing on the
property; make sure that
those repairs were done;
and don't close on
the property until all
repairs are made!
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Note:
We are seeing a
trend with some
builders that is very disturbing!
They are refusing to
let buyers have their
new homes inspected.
In fact they are
refusing to let buyers
on site to inspect
their homes until
closing and/or
settlement! This
should tell you (the
buyer) something about
your builder! Do
they have something to
hide? Read the fine
print of your
contract!
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- It
is up to the consumer to
ensure that all items
which are found to be
"in need of
repair" are corrected
prior to closing and/or
settlement!
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Remember,
buyers are the only one
who can set the standard
of quality in a new home!
Homes are bought on the
"Golden Rule".
"He
who has the Gold
"Rules".
Prior to closing on your
home, You have the
"Gold".
After closing, the Builder
and/or Seller has the
"Gold"!
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| Additional
Information:
Due to our extensive
history and knowledge of
the building industry; we
also provide support to
builders; attorneys and
insurance companies.
Additionally, we also
provide expert testimony. |
| Extras/Visual
Aides:
We use digital cameras to
substantiate and
corroborate our findings;
and incorporate 8X10"
color photographs into the
inspection report of the
"severe
problems" which we
encounter during our
inspection of the home.
It is easy for the
consumer to "see the
problem" and pretty
tough for the party on the
other side of the
transaction (i.e. builder,
seller, etc.) to
controvert a "color
picture of the
problem". |
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Some
Realtors refer to us as:
"The
Inspector from Hell!"
"The Deal Busters!"
"Too Picky!"
But
we are not! We are just doing our job!
Disclosing to our Buyers what is
in need of repair on the day of the
inspection.
We
have one goal in mind, CONSUMER
PROTECTION. It is our
obligation and duty to provide
you with as much information as
possible about a home so that
you can make a responsible
decision about your purchase.
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(The Bitterness of
Poor Quality Lingers Long After the Sweet Taste
of a " Low Price" is Forgotten)
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What's
Wrong With A Real Estate Agent
Recommending A Particular Home
Inspector To A Prospective
Home Buyer?
Most
real estate agencies work on
an average commission of 6%
paid by the seller of the
property. On a house selling
for $300,000 there is a
potential commission of
$18,000. Sometimes an agent
will recommend a particular
inspector to a prospective
buyer, sometimes a list of
three is given out. Who are
these recommended inspectors?
How did they
"qualify" to get on
the "approved" list?
Is the agent recommending a
thorough non-bias inspector or
is the agent recommending
someone who will help protect
the potential $18,000
commission?
Unfortunately,
some real estate agents view a
thorough and non-bias home
inspection as a threat to
their sales commission. A
prospective homebuyer has the
right to use an inspector of
their own choosing. If a real
estate agent tells you that
you cannot use an inspector of
your choosing, or insists that
you use one of their
"recommended" or
"approved"
inspectors, you should contact
your attorney. (You should
also wonder why they don't
want you using an independent
inspector of your choosing.) A
real estate broker or sales
agent who tries to get you to
use an inspector of the
agent's choice is trying to
control the inspector
selection process.
Prospective
home buyers must keep in mind
that real estate agents who
receive a commission from the
property seller, are working
in the best interest of their
client, (the seller.) As the
prospective home buyer,
shouldn't the home inspector
you're paying for, be working
in your best interest?
How
Does A Real Estate Agent
Control The Inspector
Selection Process?
There
are many tactics used, some
subtle and some not so subtle.
The agent may discourage the
potential buyer from using a
certain inspector by making
comments like:*"That
inspector is a deal
killer", "that
inspector is too
expensive," "that
inspector takes too
long", "we've had
trouble with that
inspector", "we
don't allow that inspector to
inspect any of our listed
properties".
The
tactics used to encourage a
prospective buyer to use a
particular inspector include:
"We've had good luck with
this inspector", this
inspector has the lowest
fee", "we use this
inspector all the time",
"this inspector can
schedule an inspection on a
day's notice", "this
inspector only takes an hour
and he gives you a report
right on the spot."
"What
Is A "Deal Killer"?
The
derogatory phrase "deal
killer" is often used in
the real estate industry to
describe independent home
inspectors who give buyers
objective information in an
inspection report, which may
lead the buyer to renegotiate
or to look at other
properties. Many real estate
agents view independent home
inspectors as a challenge to
their ability to generate
income. They view these
"deal killers" as
foes and will use a number of
tactics to make sure that
their buyers do not retain
independent home inspectors.
For
instance, in the first stage
of discussion about having the
home inspected, the real
estate agent may recommend to
the buyer a "good"
home inspector with whom they
have worked with for several
years. Some agents may have a
list of three inspectors who
have been carefully screened
not to be deal killers. The
list, however, will be long
enough to protect the agent
from any referral liability
should the buyer want to blame
the agent for any inspection
mistakes. This gives the agent
the perfect combination of: A)
No liability for the referral;
B) The buyer
"chooses" an
inspector the agent prefers;
and C) The buyer’s choice is
limited to home inspectors who
will not hurt the sale.
If
There Is A Potential
Conflict Of Interest With
Sales Agents Recommending
Home Inspectors, Why Doesn't
The Government Do Something
About It?
A
home inspector licensing law
has been passed in
Massachusetts and signed by
the Governor, to become
effective May, 2001. This law,
to some degree, does address
the potential conflict of
interest of real estate agents
referring home inspectors. The
new law amends Chapter 112
section 87YY of the Real
Estate Broker and Salesperson
Licensing Law.
It
will prohibit real estate
brokers and salespersons from
directly recommending a
specific home inspection
company or home inspector.
Instead, upon request, provide
a complete list of licensed
home inspectors prepared by
the Board of Home Inspectors.
The
prohibition does not apply if
there is a written agreement
between the buyer and real
estate broker that the broker
is acting exclusively for the
buyer as a buyer's broker.
Potential
buyers must still be aware
that regardless of who the
real estate agent claims to be
working for, his or her
commission is still coming
from the successful closing of
the sales transaction.
Why
Don't I Read About This
Conflict Of Interest Situation
In The Newspaper?
Very
simple answer, money! Look at
the real estate section of any
local or regional newspaper,
lots of houses being
advertised by real estate
agents. Those newspapers don't
run those ads for free. How
many home inspection
advertisements do you see in
the newspapers? Almost none.
Do you think a newspaper is
going to bite the hand that
helps feed it? There have been
a few articles written about
the potential conflict of
interest, but these have
appeared in national papers
which have very little real
estate advertising.
Why
Don't Home Inspectors Organize
And Change The Current Control
Real Estate Agents Have Over
The Inspector Selection
Process?
You would
think inspectors would want
consumers to have a free
choice when it comes to
selecting a home inspector.
Unfortunately many inspectors
rely upon real estate agents
to steer clients their way.
This is especially true for
large multi inspector firms.
In response to this situation
a new home inspectors
organization has been formed
called the Independent
Home Inspectors Of North
America. Prospective home
buyers can search for an
independent inspector near
them.
In a
free marketplace, companies
that offer a poor product or
provide a poor service
eventually go out of business,
but this is not true for some
home inspectors when there is
an artificial marketplace
controlled by real estate
agents.
What
About Inspectors Who Claim
They Have No Real Estate Agent
Affiliations?
If
an inspector claims to have no
real estate agent affiliations
it doesn't necessarily mean
they do not solicit real
estate agents for client
leads. The best way to qualify
the relationship is to ask the
inspector whether he or she
solicits real estate agents
for client leads. If you find
that the inspector or
inspection company maintains
brochures in real estate
offices or if the inspector or
inspection company is on the
real estate agent's
"recommended" list
given out to prospective
buyers, this should tell you
something.
Why
Doesn't The American Society
Of Home Inspectors (ASHI) Code
Of Ethics Prohibit ASHI
Inspectors From Soliciting
Real Estate Agents For Client
Leads?
Good
Question! This question
has been raised and discussed
with ASHI National. The
response has been that ASHI
does not want to dictate to
its members, how they should
obtain their client leads.
This is unfortunate for the
home buying consumer.
What
Can Be Done To Prevent This
Potential Conflict Of
Interest?
Do
not ask the real estate agent
for the name of an inspector.
Do not accept any short list
or recommendations from the
agent. Do a little research
and choose your own inspector.
The best source for referrals
will come from people who do
not have a vested interest in
the sale, this includes your
attorney and past clients of
the inspector. Remember, it's
your money and your potential
future home.
Choose your inspector wisely.
