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8 Essential Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector
Congratulations! You've decided to purchase a home. We all know that when purchasing a home, every detail is an important one. And choosing a home inspector is no exception. It's critical to choose an inspector the same way you've chosen a real estate professional - very carefully! You'll get a great educational experience when you hire a professional with the right credentials. Working with a home inspector isn't complicated; however, unless armed with the right questions to ask, you may get stuck with a less than capable individual. Here are my top 8 questions to ask your next home inspector: It's great that your inspector is a nice person, but what did they do before inspecting homes? Do they bring a wealth of knowledge about the construction trades, building, or remodeling? Or were they a hairdresser in a previous life? Don't get me wrong, I'm not picking on hairdressers - but that occupation certainly doesn't have anything to do with inspecting a house! This question may not be applicable in all states - there are states without licensing requirements for home inspectors. But if your state has some kind of requirements, you need to know what they are, and where you can go to verify that your chosen inspector has done what it takes to be state-compliant. Verification is essential, because many states have the capability to track continuing education of the inspector as well as complaints. This is critical! ASHI is the oldest, largest, and most respected organization for home inspectors in the country. They also maintain the highest standards and ethics for home inspectors. If your inspector is a member of this organization, you can be sure that they have passed The National Home Inspectors Exam, and they have completed all training and administrative requirements for membership. You can even verify membership status at www.ASHI.org. The inspector may be a member of other organizations, but none have requirements as strict as ASHI. And don't be fooled by those companies who claim to inspect to "ASHI standards" - if they aren't a bonifide ASHI member, find another inspector. Longevity gives comfort that the inspector will be with you in the future as new needs and issues arise. But if he's only done 12 inspections during his several years in business, that's not good! Your home buying decision is far too important to be a practice place for a part-time inspector. All homes have some systems and features in common, but a brand new home has risks and issues that differ from an historic beauty from the year 1855. Only someone who has walked the walk and crawled the crawl numerous times in similar homes can sleuth out those important items that are specific to your age, size, and type of home. Your inspector should be capable of going and willing to go into those places where others fear to tread! These are the places that must be seen to best protect the customer. There a times when those locations cannot be completely inspected due to physical risk to the inspector, risk to the equipment, or seasonal limitations. But for the inspector to not inspect those locations because he doesn't want to, is scared of the dark, or is too ample to fit into those spaces is unacceptable. Often, the report will contain descriptions of damage or defect in locations of the home that only the inspector was able to access, like roof-tops or crawl spaces. You will want pictures of these areas to make your understanding of the scope and location of the damage clear. It also makes repairs simpler to get estimated when a photograph is available. Often the buying decision is time critical, you want to be sure you will receive your completed report in time to read, review, and respond. The best companies can deliver the report to you on-site, right at the home, just as the inspection is completed. Finally, be sure to attend the home inspection. There is no substitute for the complete inspection experience; the report generated is only a small piece of the inspection. When you attend the inspection, see the process, ask questions, and become educated about your home, you'll gain great comfort and confidence in your buying decision. Good luck, and happy home buying! Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. Wally's expertise and experience has been sought after by HGTV's "House Detective", the Florida Times Union, and many real estate boards and associations. As a speaker, writer, instructor, and host of The Happy Home Inspector radio show every Saturday at 3 PM on WOKV 690, Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit http://www.WallyConway.com for more information!
MORE RESOURCES: Real estate transactions — April 10-16 SteamboatToday.com Real estate is facing the worst fair housing crisis since the ‘60s Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Real Estate Transfers ~ April 3, 2025 The Bedford Citizen Norwalk's 2024 grand list drops to $16.2B, led by $1.3B decline in real estate values - Norwalk Hour Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have Made Some WILD Real Estate Moves in the Past 8 Years House Beautiful Real Estate Investing: 5 Ways to Get Started NerdWallet Former executive sues Pat Connaughton's real estate company Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Real Estate Market Report (Feb./March) highlandscurrent.org The Michael Houck Real Estate Guide for April 20 Oil City News Agent Spotlight: Jim Smyth The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel How the Pandemic Changed New York City Real Estate Behind The Hedges Beyond the Boardroom: LIVE Real Estate Group's Dionne Clifton The News-Gazette Many first-time homebuyers are pushing 40 as millennials wait in vain for a better market - NBC News Mandatory NAR membership facing a new legal challenge Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Brokerage Beat: News from Compass, eXp, The Agency, more Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Accused Houston real estate fraudster connected to dozens of stolen properties caught attempting new deed filing Click2Houston Zillow just started an all-out war over real estate listings Business Insider Houston real estate lawsuit: Harris County suing couple in forgery case and theft of 35 properties ABC13 Houston The Hollywood Reporter Celebrates the Big Apple’s Top Real Estate Agents at New York Power Broker Awards The Hollywood Reporter Real estate options slim for Grove City dispensaries The Columbus Dispatch Portland homebuyers rush into combative spring market OregonLive.com Tucson, Ariz.: Western Skies and Competitive Home Prices The New York Times Who’s Buying What in the Big Apple? Ask NYC’s Top Realtors The Hollywood Reporter See how much real estate prices have changed in Petaluma last week The Press Democrat Trump Official Scrutinizes N.Y.’s Attorney General Over Real Estate The New York Times Real estate sales in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties for April 19, 2025 - Peoria Journal Star Real estate sales in Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties for April 19, 2025 Peoria Journal Star Housing Market Crash Alert? Zillow Turns Negative on Home Prices Norada Real Estate Investments Sandwich house on market in 'awesome location' for $680,000 Cape Cod Times Trump’s latest crypto venture will be a video game, and sources say it will be like Monopoly Fortune Q1 Estin Report for Aspen Snowmass real estate shows growth AspenTimes.com Dodge County Real Estate Transfers Fremont Tribune Page C13 Post and Courier Page C10 Post and Courier Real estate Sales include business buildings in Westfield, Jamestown observertoday.com Licking County real estate sales for March 31-April 4 reach $2 million The Newark Advocate Phoenix land on Camelback Mountain with Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home for sale for $30M The Arizona Republic Imran Chaudhary, leading the real estate project in East Plano, says his planned Islamic Center is misrepresented by politicians IslanderNews.com House of Week: With its indoor heated pool, this Marcellus property is ‘like a vacation’ Syracuse.com $20M Coldwell Banker real estate calls class action settlement Class Action Lawsuits Real Estate Notes: Rutledge Hill hotel to open July 1 Nashville Post Historic flooding locally impacts commercial real estate market The News-Enterprise MLS that quit enforcing Clear Cooperation gets back on board Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Main Line home with 3 golf holes on former Penshurt Estate asks $2.3M The Business Journals Post-hurricane real estate market hard to pin down Your Observer Battle Of The Listing Sites. Zillow Bans Pocket Listings, While Homes.com Welcomes Them Yahoo Finance Stafford County supervisors vote to increase real-estate tax rate by 3 cents Fredericksburg Free Press Westmoreland County Real Estate Transfers The Latrobe Bulletin Berkshire County Real Estate Transactions for March 31-April 4 The Berkshire Eagle Buc-ee's travel center may mean more residential, commercial development in St. Lucie County Treasure Coast News The Mountain city where thousands are selling their million-dollar homes amid 'cloud of uncertainty' Daily Mail How Eliminating Property Taxes Could Impact Florida Homeowners U.S. News Real Estate Kohl’s real estate head joins CBRE’s retail group Chain Store Age CoStar CEO takes on Zillow in letter to agents Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Check out the number of homes sold, listed for sale in March across Flower Mound, Highland Village, Argyle Community Impact Real estate news: 2-tower office campus in Newport Beach sells at a loss for $33M Orange County Register Housing Market Predictions for 2025 Ramsey Solutions $2.1 Million Homes in Muskoka, Ontario The New York Times News of public record: Muskingum County real estate transfers Zanesville Times Recorder Blackstone warns tariffs ‘may slow’ CRE deals The Real Deal Mr. Zuckerberg Goes to Washington and Buys a Mansion The New York Times Department of Taxation and Finance dos.ny.gov The 15 Best Real Estate Apps for Agents in 2025 HousingWire |
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