Just this past week, someone near and dear to my heart opened escrow on a charming home built in the year 1900 on Joy Street. This house is going to be 110 years old in about two weeks, no joke! So, just like every other escrow, it is contingent upon the loan, buyer inspection periods, etc. Well yesterday, during an office meeting we had a guest speaker who happened to be Stacey Tjarks with ProSpect Home Inspections. While he was talking, I heard him mention that he just recently performed an inspection on a home built in 1879 - initially I thought, WOW, that's an OLD house... and it's older than the one on Joy Street. So, after the meeting, I decided I should pick his brain on what to tell my near and dear buyer to ask and look for in his home inspection that day at 12PM, which was in like 45 mins.
After about 20 minutes of talking about old houses, knob and tube wiring and the possibility of foundation issues, Stacey decided he'd like to take a look at the house with me... being a Real Estate buff, looking at old houses is like Christmas morning when you're 5 years old.
At about 330PM, Stacey and I met at the property and did our inspection. The house on Joy Street has been subject to a few rocks through the front window and no one knew who the culprits were... the first thing Stacey did was talk to the Principal of an Elementary school down the street (who had just happened to be driving by the house on Joy Street at the most perfect time), and together they talked to a few neighbors and figured out it was a few of the Principal's students. BUSTED!
One thing you should know - I am not an agent to this transaction - neither listing side nor selling side. The buyer is buying this house anticipating the fact that he and I may one day live in it together - do you get the picture? :)
This home inspector was amazing, and I would love to introduce any and all of my clients to him! Not only was he great at his job, but super funny!
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Did you know...
There is no such thing as a LICENSED Home Inspector in the state of California?
Home Inspectors are merely required to take a 10 hour course on inspections and upon completion are simply handed a certification stating they are knowledgeable enough to perform home inspections on the biggest investment of most home buyers' lives.
What do you think of this?
Would you let a doctor who has only taken 10 hours of schooling perform open heart surgery on your spouse, your first born, better yet, yourself? I would assume the answer to this question is most definitelt a huge NO!
A Home Inspector should be certified by one or more of the following associations: California Real Estate Inspection Association (CREIA), National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI), and finally, American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Once a Home Inspector becomes a member of one or more of these associations, they are governed by a hierarchy of codes and regulations and are bound to a specific code of ethics.
Here is what you should ask when choosing a Home Inspector for this BIG job:
What qualifies them as a Home Inspector?
What kind of experience do they have. About how many inspections have they performed. What makes their service special?
How long will the inspection take? (It's best for you to be present)
On average, a good home inspector should be at the property between 1-2 hours. They should be thorough and not afraid of creepy crawlies!
Do they produce a narrative or checklist type of report?
A Narrative Report will explain in full detail the findings of the Home Inspector, and possible remedies to any issues currently found. A Checklist Report merely states whether things are 'Serviceable', 'Operable', 'Non-servicable', or 'Non-operable'. Leaving your agent to decipher the mess and most times just as confused as you are. If you can't tell, a Home Inspector who offers a COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE NARRATIVE Report is the kind you should go with to protect your investment.
Does the Inspector's company offer to do repairs on the home should there be any found?
They SHOULDN'T. This is most obviously a conflict of interest. How are you supposed to know whether the inspectors opinions are professional or just a simple sales ploy? Sometimes it is best to kill two birds with one stone, but in this case, it's more like a circling vulture; and when vultures circle, there's prey about.
Does the Inspector encourage the you to attend the inspection?
As I mentioned earlier, it is always best for you to attend the inspection! In fact, it is recommended by a GOOD home inspector and should always be recommended by your real estate agent. You should be able to follow the inspector around like a fly asking tons and tons of questions about your potential investment. When you've got a 'don't ask, don't tell' kind of inspector you'll often times be left with unanswered questions. And since the Home Inspection is an out-of-pocket expense for a buyer 9 times out of 10, you want to make sure your money is well spent and that you can sleep soundly at night knowing your investment that is 100 years old and historic isn't going to burn up from the attic down because the inspector didn't have a clue about knob and tube wiring.
Can you contact your Home Inspector after the inspection with any questions?
Usually, this is a strictly customer service based trait. And in my experience, it has never even been something that crossed my mind after the close of escrow, or even after the initial inspection has been done. HOWEVER, I recently developed an EXCELLENT Real Estate relationship with an EXCELLENT Home Inspector who urges the home buyer, real estate agent, etc. to contact him after the fact should anyone have any kind of questions. This is an amazing service, from a busy inspector with 26 years of experience and a certification from CREIA. If you look hard enough, or ask around enough, you WILL be able to find service like this!
How much will the inspection cost?
Costs of Home Inspections vary from company to company and usually depend on age, square footage and scope of services. Nonetheless, the last defining factor in your choice should be the cost of the inspection. A heartache is better than a headache... and take it from me, Real Estate can turn into a migraine!
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