We've all had home inspectors we've had to deal with --- some good, some not-so good; some efficient with time, some who take so much time we wonder if they're homeless --- but there are a few that make you wonder how they got licensed. One of my least favorites --- a Bergen County, NJ inspector --- introduces himself (in a rather loud and self-important voice) as "The Deal Killer." On can only assume it's to put the fear of God in everyone present, or maybe he thinks He's God. In any case, none of his inspections take less than 5 hours, and that has nothing to do with the size of the home. I've had Sellers come home after leaving their home for several hours, only to be shocked we're all still there waiting for him to finish. One inspection in particuar stands out in my mind as the worst: it was a contemporary home of about 4500 sf. He started at 9am, and when he wasn't done by 4pm, I asked him to wrap it up, at which time he told me he'd let me know when he was done. The problem is this: how do you tell the buyers of your listing that they can't "occupy" the sellers's home for 7 hours, particularly at dinner time?
Buyers have a right to do a full inspection of the home their buying, but can we put limits on the time they can be there? My feeling about such inspectors, and this one wasn't the only one of his kind, is that it's all about their ego.
I'd be interested in other Realtors' experiences.
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