Home Inspections…what you need to know

Happy HOT Sunday!

Yes…I am a wimp!  Today, I am grateful for my AC…whew!!  🙂  I
hope you had a wonderful, and safe, 4th of July…and that you were able to take
a moment to thank a veteran…  Remember, if you are a veteran (90 days of
active duty) then you qualify for a VA loan, and honestly there isn’t a con to
the VA loan!  If you are interested in ALL the pros/cons of ALL the loans that
are available….come to a class.  🙂

I have an inspection scheduled for tomorrow at 9am.  Inspections
can be scary….I mean, what happens if the inspector finds something?!  Well,
guess what?  The inspector WILL find something!  🙂  I don’t care if the home
is 100 years old or brand new….you should get a home inspection.  Not all
inspectors are the same…you need to make sure you ask the right
questions…and PLEASE, as the buyer, you SHOULD be at the inspection, and so
should your buyer’s agent.  As a buyers agent, my job is to be with you through
the entire process, and this is a big one.

So…what happens during the inspection?

Home inspections are very important in your home buying adventure,
and even brand new homes should have a home inspection done.  Remember, it’s not
the home builder you are checking out, but the work done by the contractors they
have hired.  The city/county inspectors who come out do NOT check for the same
thing a home inspector does.

When hiring a home inspector some good questions to ask them are:

How long have you been licensed?
Licensing for home inspectors in the State of Washington has only has
only been required since September of 2009.

How long will the inspection take?
The average home inspection should take between 2-3 hours.

What does your home inspection entail?  What will you
do?
A home inspector should be walking and checking the roof.  A roof must
have a 3-5 year certificate for state loans, VA loans, and FHA loans.  A home
inspector should be walking around the exterior and checking the siding, and
looking at the housing vents for broken/missing screens.  The home inspector
will also be looking at vegetation around the home, and look at the water meter
on the curb for current activity.
Inside the home, the inspector will crawl the crawlspace looking for leaks,
groundwater, evidence or signs of current, or past animal activity, etc.  The
inspector should also be checking the atticspace for signs of current or past
leakage and/or mold.
The inspector will also be looking at all water faucets and toilets for
leakage, drainage, and more.  The inspector should also be checking all windows,
electrical outlets and the main electric box for safety hazards, vents and
heating units, and more.

Do you (the inspector) have a water reader?
Some inspectors have a water reader that reads moisture 1 inch into a
surface, be it wall or floor.  These are wonderful for finding such things as
leaking wax seals in toilets (very common), moisture in a wall around a window
that hasn’t had its’ weep seals cleaned, moisture in walls or flooring around
such places as washer/dryers, fridges, dishwashers, showers, toilets, and
bathtubs.

What paperwork will be included at this
cost?
Some inspectors will charge you extra for a FHA Dry Rot and Pest Report,
or for a print out of your inspection.  You will need a FHA Dry Rot Pest Report
for the state loans, VA loans, and FHA loans.  Make sure your cost includes a
copy of this.  Also, ask how the inspector will get you a copy of your
inspection, in what form will it come to you, and how soon can you expect it.
The average cost for a home inspection is around $325-$350, but the cost can
vary with the size of the home you are purchasing.

Some things to Remember:

• •    The home inspector works for YOU.  You pay for the home inspection at
    time of service, and this is a non-refundable fee, but it is also a legal reason
    to back out (if you want) and get your earnest money refunded to you.

• •    A home inspectors job is give you a run down of the homes condition and
    what you can expect in the areas of maintenance, and what needs to be done for
    safety and/or health reasons. If you want to be a part of the home inspection,
    make sure you let the inspector know that you want to follow him/her around.

• •    Anything that is a health or safety concern, or that needs to be done by
    a licensed contractor is something that needs to be discussed with your buyer’s
    agent for repair.

• •    Both YOU and YOUR AGENT should be there at the time of the home
    inspection.  Again, the home inspector is your employee for the day, so be sure
    to walk with them and learn about your potential new home.  Ask questions!  Take
    notes if you want…

•       In case of a bank owned home, make sure that the water is turned on
  for the home inspection.  Both your agent, and the inspector should be assisting
  with this.  If the water is NOT turned on then it is outside the scope of the
  inspection.

If you know anyone who is thinking about buying a home, our next
class is Saturday, July 28, 2012, at the Vancouver YMCA located at 11324 NE 51st
Circle from 10am-1:30pm!  With reservations, lunch is included….
🙂

Please let me know if you have any questions! And again as always, if you are looking for a buyer’s agent,
please give me a call or drop me an email…I would love to help you with your
home buying adventure!

Please call,
email, text, or even facebook me (at Tracie DeMars Real Estate Q&A)
anytime with
any questions, or if there is anything I can do to assist you with your home
buying adventure! As a buyers agent, I am, as always, here to help!!
😀

Thank you
again for your business and for your referrals!

If there is anything
you would like to see on here…please let me know and I will make it a weekly
note!

…as always…if you
have already purchased a home, or no longer would like to receive these emails
from me, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from receiving any
more.

Thank you again for
attending the home buyer education classes, and I hope that you will continue to
refer the classes out to your friends, family, and co-workers. Upcoming class
dates and times are located at www.freehomebuyerclasses.com.  Just click on the link
on the left hand side.  Or you can go to www.learningtobuyahome.com and click the links.

We appreciate your
referrals and word of mouth!  Also, if you have somewhere that we can place the
flyers at, please let me know….
:-D

Next Week: Why is your rent going up?  Don’t
think you can buy a home?  Why? or Home Loans Pros/Cons
Last Week:
what happens AFTER you make the offer?

Remember
that you can always go to ‘Free Home Buyer
Education’ on
Facebook for all of my weekly blogs and upcoming
class dates/times/locations. I
post the weekly blogs on there as
well.

Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,
;-D