One morning last week I dropped by 590 Baltimore Ave in Lilburn to meet with the sellers and the inspector.  They were having a pre-listing inspection performed to make sure that everything was in perfect condition.

It is obvious from just walking through that the property has been well cared for during the fifteen years since it was custom built.  While I have yet to see a perfect property… even brand new construction… this one ranks pretty well.

When the results become available, we will share them with any interested buyers.  Of course, I still recommend that buyers have their own inspector perform a thorough inspection of any property they wish to purchase.  At the same time, buyers can offer with confidence that there won’t be giant hidden defects uncovered during the inspection that derail their dream home… or worse, defects that aren’t uncovered during their inspection that turn the dream home into a nightmare.

But there is something deeper here.  Some agents specifically instruct sellers NOT to get an inspection.  The idea is that if anything is uncovered, they want their seller to have deniability about the issue.  If the buyer doesn't catch it, or their inspector doesn't catch it, then they figure they are home free. 

There are two problems with that... 

The first problem is that the vast majority of buyer WILL have an inspection... and any problems are likely to turn up.  Instead of burying our collective head in the sand, I think it is better to be proactive, find the problems and correct them as needed.  The inspection period doesn't turn into a nervous time... rather the seller can cruise through with the knowledge of the approximate results. 

The second problem is that it might NOT remove the seller's liability if there is an underlying problem of which they should have been aware.  Inspections aren't perfect, and there are problems that can escape detection... and some of those might be known to a seller before selling...

Just food for throught...

And as a buyer, even if a property, like 590 Baltimore Ave in Lilburn, GA, has an inspection, you STILL need to get an inspection from your own inspector.  But, it should set your mind a bit more at ease that you are dealing with sellers that are acting in a transparent manner and not looking to hide the condition of their property.  Of course, it helps that it is a well-kept property, but even if it weren't it would be better to be honest.