Excellent point Erby.  Sounds like shortsighted agents looking to ensure a commission. Keep making those recommendations.

Nothing wrong with safety upgrades being acknowledged as long as they are identified that way and identified as not being a required action item.

Now Have a Blessed Day, and

Remember the Reason for the Season!

John Occhi, Hemet REALTOR®
Mission Grove Realty

William: 

I don't mind agents working to ensure a commission.  You bust your butt, you deserve to get paid for it.

But, geeze, safety is safety.  Live with it or die!

John:

Home Inspectors have no authority whatsoever to "REQUIRE" anything.  None, nada, zip.

We are consultants hired for our opinion.  Period.  We have no authority and are NOT part of the negotiation between sellers and buyers.  That's your baby.

I don't care who pays to have it fixed.  It just oughta be fixed. 

Merry Christmas to you too!  I hope you get all the goodies you need.

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Erby makes a very good point that most folks don't get.  That is a "home inspector can not require anything".  All we do is report what we find and what should be done.  It is up to our client to decide the next course of action.

Many times the inexperience of the agent(s) can be the downfall of the transaction, not the items in the report.

Just thought I'd chime in here with my agreement with Erby and Scott.  We home inspectors do not require anything, we recommend based on our opinion (which for this inspector is based on a lifetime of industry experience).  Any realtor (small r emphasized) who balks at Safety upgrade recommendations is doing his/her client a major disservice.

I couldn't agree more guys. It goes a lot further too, safety items, fire related issues, smoke detectors,etc...

None of these items were around years ago either.

We are the messenger, please don't shoot! 

Erby I always deal directly with my clients and have never had that problem yet.

Sorry you gotta deal with those kind of comments.

Maybe you should do a presentation at these offices so that these representitives learn their resposibilities to their clients.

Hi Erby,
People are so foolish at times--personal safety has no price!

Thanks for swinging by and commenting Scott, David & Jim. 

Bob:  My client is usually at the inspection.  Those comments usually come later in private or over the phone.    I'm not sorry about dealing with them.  I view it as an opportunity to educate the agent.  I lead them to the water, I shove their head under, but it's up to them to drink.

I don't do real estate office presentations.  I'm usually too busy inspecting to mess with that.  I did try it.  Donut's and all.  (ONCE)  I get paid for my time and experience.  Real estate office presentations didn't pay.  When they are ready to pay for the education I provide them, I'll consider it again. 

I donate my time to a non-profit that does first time home buyer seminars and a few other things I have an interest in.  Don't get many, if any, inspections out of it, but the buyer's get some education and I enjoy it.

Yes, Cynthia, people are foolish.  But then, we've all done foolish things a time or two. 

We live and we learn.  Or we don't.

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Personally, I don't see any reason NOT to make the necessary modifications to protect your family besides money.  That's what it basically comes down to.  Now can you let my head out of the water!!!

I always recommend upgrading to GFCI protection. Agents now and then ask "Was it code in 19XX?" I say I don't know but we are smarter now!

I think Frank that when you gt these kind of questions the Agent asking may somehow think a recomendation to upgrade systems is in some way threating to the sale .

It is not and should not be looked at this way.

The pro Agents know whats up, and what to expect.

The client should also know whats up.

I do not think any Inspector is going to hand in a report that reflects these type items as mandatory to the sale.

This is why I may start doing office presentations in the future if it helps the part timers understand we are not there as adversaries.

You know, I have had Realtors say, well that (say a defective GFCI or a missing handrail) is just a minor thing but yet you wrote it up in your report. I reply, well that GFCI may only cost $20 to replace and the handrail may cost $200 to replace and those may be considered minor as far as expenses go but if a person gets electrocuted or trips down the steps and breaks their back who is going to pay for that and those fees WILL BE major. When asked "what should I fix" I reply, I suggest fixing or replacing first things that will hurt someone, such as a bad GFCI or missing hand rail or missing P&T discharge tube, then second replace or repair things that would hurt the home, such as a leaking roof, or plumbing leak then third replace or repair those things that do not really matter such as a broken window screen, cracked counter top, worn out carpet etc....  I don't give prices for repairs but this is always my priority list I give them. First what hurts people, Second what can hurt the home and Third what really does not matter. www.pillarposthomeinspection.com

Martin:  OK, OK, here's a towel.  Did you drink the kool-aid?

Bob:  I agree, it's not about the deal or how minor the defect is.  It's about death and serious, life altering injury as indicated in the links above.

Frank:  I like your priorities.  I use them to.

What are the chances of something actually happening.  Given the number that's not been upgraded to the number of incidents of death & injury, probably about the same as winning the lottery.

BUT, people do win the lottery and people do get hurt or killed by these defects.

I roll the dice in favor of giving my clients all the information I can AND in favor of protecting my liability ass-ets.

To each their own!

"Penny wise pound foolish" (has to be a British saying).  We sold a rental this year and the home inspector flagged the Federal Pacific panel box. We paid to upgrade and closed the deal. Right after he finished, I sent the electrician up the street to my mother's house and had him upgrade hers too. Rather pay a few dollars than have a tragedy and be safe not sorry, just my opinion.

All good points, that is why I believe we do as much education and training as we do inspecting.

And for the most part most of our clients have not had home inspections before and would want the info.  It's some of the realtors that don't want to here these things.  The good ones do! We all should have the clients and our fellow earth occupants well being at the top of our list.

have a safe and happy holiday season.

Debbie:  I share your opinion on both the "Penny wise, pound foolish" and the FPE Panels.  Glad to see you also changed out your mother's panel.

Rick:  I've never had a client say I gave them too much information.  Remember, there's good and bad in every crowd, including ours.  Educate and train is a good theme to follow!

Often when that is in the report the buyers always want it done on the home inspection report.  I always tell my buyers if they put it in it probably won't get done.  The ones I get from other agents expect it to be done because the home inspector flagged it. 

Great post Erby! It happens to me a minimum of once a month. 

A lot of peoplehave the mentality that it's only a problem if something happens to one of their loved ones.

Keep educating my friend! 

Gene:  An Inspector's job is to educate the client about the physical condition of the house.  We don't have anything to do with the contract or what is or is not repaired or who pays for it.  That's your bailiwick.  I leave it to you.  I do point this out to you though. 

If I ask you for something, the very worst thing you can do to me is say no.

If I don't ask, you won't even have the opportunity to say yes!

Chris.:  Thanks, same to you sir.

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