Finding the Right Home Inspector For You

You plan to buy a house, you saw one, you made an offer, the offer has been accepted and your funding is now ready. However, before you continue with the home buying process, ask yourself, are you sure your soon-to-be-home doesn’t have any major defects that will eventually cost you a lot along the way?

Therefore, you should never neglect one of the most important parts in the home buying process and that is doing a home inspection by an excellent home inspector. But how do you choose one? We’ve prepared for you some important tips to remember when choosing a home inspector.

Assess the inspector’s experience. You can do this by checking into how long he has been in the business and how many home inspections he has performed in the past. Ask about his expertise, the way he conducts the inspections, what will be included in his report, and how much he charge for his services. If possible, ask the inspector to give you a sample copy of a written report he has completed before. Remember, there is certainly no equivalent to experience as it enhances and broadens a person’s knowledge and skills in inspecting homes.

Check if the inspector is associated with a professional inspection organization. Although this won’t totally eradicate the bad options, it can help a lot in weeding out fly-by-night inspectors. But this doesn’t mean you’ll simply chose an organization, we highly recommend those professionals affiliated with groups like the National Institute of Building Inspectors, American Society of Home Inspectors, or the National Association of Home Inspectors.

Make sure the inspector has errors and omissions insurance. Your potential home inspectors should have errors and omissions insurance specifically for conducting home inspections. The purpose of the insurance is to cover mistakes of a home inspection – any flaws of a home that the inspector may have overlooked.

Ask for the type of equipment he’ll use for the home inspection. Never hire an inspector who’ll only use a flashlight throughout the inspection because he will not be able to provide you with the best and comprehensive home inspection results. There are actually now lots of sophisticated testing device today and if the inspector is serious about his job, he will invest in such delicate yet costly device to give the best services to his clients. Proper equipment will include electrical circuit analyzers, digital moisture meters, digital cameras for documentation, electronic carbon monoxide and fuel gas analyzers, along with the traditional necessary equipment.

Get feedbacks and recommendations. One of the most effective methods to get the best home inspector is to get recommendations and feedback from family or friends who have worked before with such professional. In this way, you already have an overview about his knowledge and skills. As much as possible, do not hire an inspector who’s affiliated with the seller, the seller’s agent or the agency selling the house.

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Key To a Successful Home Purchase: Home Buying Team

Buying a home, especially for first timers, is a daunting endeavor. Some of us might even consider this as their most significant purchase. Therefore, it just makes sense that you surround yourself with the top-notch professionals that you can count on and will put your best interests in mind always.

Although not all home buying transactions necessarily involve each of these professionals, it’s still important that we know which professionals should be in our team and what will be their basic responsibilities to you throughout the process.

Real estate agents. The main job of real estate agents is to look for the home you want based on what you want with as little problem as possible. Therefore, you have to discuss well with your agent what exactly you’re look for in a house and the amount you are willing to pay. In choosing an agent, you should interview them like you’re interviewing a potential employee. Check their background, their experience, get any referrals, and if possible, they know well the neighborhood where you want to live in and they’ve got an office in the area.

Mortgage lenders. There are different institutions that lend money for mortgages like banks, trust companies, insurance companies and finance companies. As a first time homebuyer, be sure to look around and speak with as many lenders as possible before you make your final choice. It’s a smart move that once you’ve determined how much you can afford, get a pre-approved mortgage as it conveys that you’re serious about your transaction.

Lawyers. The responsibilities of the lawyers usually come in once you submit your offer to purchase. Their usual tasks include review the offer to purchase, doing a title search on the property, ensuring no outstanding disputes regarding the property lines, checking that there are no liens, mortgages, or taxes owing on the property, and arranging the transfer of title, and payment of land transfer fees and taxes. Referrals from some family members or friends can absolutely help you choose a great lawyer to work with.

Home inspector. A professional home inspector is now a valuable addition to the home buying team and his/her duties include examining the home and assessing its overall structure (plumbing, insulation, roofing, etc.). The home inspector should also identify any repairs and provide you with estimates on how much it would cost you to repair them. In choosing inspectors, be sure they meet the professional standards in the area aside from checking their experience and getting feedbacks from past clients.

Appraiser. The responsibility of a home appraiser is to perform a value appraisal of the property you plan to purchase to get the fair market value of it. This professional will take into consideration the size, features, property’s condition, location, neighborhood, recent sales in the area similar to the home you plan to purchase, and other important details.

Must-Know Things About Home Inspections

For all homebuyers, having your home inspected by a professional is an important step in the home buying process. Home inspection is an educational process that helps reduce your risk when buying a home. Therefore, as a homebuyer, it’s important that you have a good understanding on the home inspection process. Therefore, we have discussed below some important things you need to know about home inspections.

• Choose an accredited home inspector. This step is one of the most important things you need to do once you have decided to buy a house. At present, several professional home inspection organizations are trying to set new standards of quality through accreditation. For instance, members of the National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. or NAHI, need to meet strict membership criteria for each level of their membership. Therefore, when you’re looking for a home inspector to hire, check their credibility, background and license. It also recommended that you consider at least three licensed inspectors before choosing the one you’ll hire. Be sure to interview your prospective candidates and ask for referrals from their past clients. Lastly, hire the inspector base on his qualifications and not because he offers the lowest fee or he’s the only one available right away.
• Attend the inspection together with the inspector. Once you’ve decided the date and time of the inspection, be sure you attend the inspection and never leave the inspector’s side. This allows you to see for yourself the different aspects of the house especially those that need renovations or repairs.
• The inspector should be thorough with the inspection. You have to ensure that the inspector turns on all appliances to make sure they work especially if they are included during home selling. Furthermore, check the two most expensive and important parts of the house, which are the roof and foundation, that are best viewed from the attic as well as the basement.
• Inspect what’s outside the house. When you’re done checking the interiors of the house, you’ll also need to check what’s outside. Experts recommend staying away from homes that are near main roads, high-tension electrical wires, and sumps as these will eventually cause a lot of problems when you start living in your new home.
• Get a report of the property inspection. You can request a verbal and a hard copy of the summary of the property inspection especially one that focuses on the deficiencies. And if there are lots of deficiencies found, it’s your responsibility to obtain three quotes for the repairs from independent firms. The inspector should not provide estimates or recommend firms to hire for repairs or renovations.