Q. I'm interested in a Westland MI home that's a short sale. Who pays for real estate city inspections and how do I know if one has been done?

A. Unless specifically negotiated in the purchase agreement, it's the seller's responsibility to schedule and pay for the inspection, which is $180 for a single family residence. A City inspector reviews the major mechanical systems, health & safety items, and any issues that violate the Property Maintenance Codes.

Call the City of Westland Building Department at (734) 467-3210 to see if the inspection has been completed. If it has, you can go into their office and review the report. If it hasn't, I'd have your agent call the listing agent to find out when they plan to do it.

Since it's a short sale, if there are any issues that need to be addressed from the inspection, the seller may not have the funds to address the issues. Because the inspection period can take 3-4 weeks, it's important that it be done ASAP so that the bank is aware of any issues that need to be addressed to sell the property.