Home Inspectors are our friends
Published January 29, 2008 by Terry Rush CremiaI hear other real estate agents saying how they dislike Home Inspectors but I know there must be people out there who like and respect them as I do, right? If not, consider these points:
When representing buyers, I want my buyer client to hire the pickiest Inspector he can get–he’s paying for it, he should get the best report possible.
Even on new construction, we always recommend an objective report be obtained by a licensed Home Inspector to uncover any hidden structural or mechanical defects, which, in our market, are items that if the buyer requests be repaired, the seller must either comply or remediate in monetary form, or the buyer may terminate with release/return of his earnest deposit.
This does not apply to code issues or cosmetic issues. Certain “necessary repairs” are stated clearly in the NC Offer to Purchase and Contract and deal with true structural or mechanical defects.
As I tell my buyers, you can ask a seller to paint the walls orange and install purple carpet, and he just might…but it doesn’t mean he has to!
I try to advise my buyers to be reasonable and only ask for those items which are truly in need of repair and to not nit-pick because it can hinder their chances of getting the truly necessary work done, and done properly.
The seller always has the choice to fix items or do nothing, and should know up front he is not required to do anything, but doing nothing can kill the deal and subsequently, something discovered might then become a material fact.
So when representing sellers, I advise them to FIX THE IMPORTANT STUFF to sell the property to their “bird in hand” Under-Contract buyer who has money on the table ready to close, who actually wants to buy the property at the price the buyer and seller took the time and effort to agree upon (getting rare these days, huh?), or else risk paying one way or the other later.
A seller balking at doing any “necessary repairs” (as stipulated in the NC OTP and Contract) and going back on the market with a material fact might need to reduce the price and sell for less than the first buyer agreed to pay because now the house has known issues that really need repairing in order for all components to function to the degree for which they are intended.
Better yet, sellers would do well themselves to hire a licensed Home Inspector prior to listing and marketing the property to discover these sames issues early, fix them ahead of time, be proud of the fact and not be surprised later!
How could this NOT be a win-win situation for the seller? It could be well worth the several hundred dollars it costs to have a licensed professional check out the property beforehand.
A good, professional licensed Home Inspector can be a great asset to both buyers and sellers.
Re-thinking one’s opinion about Home Inspectors now can be a way to change one’s entire outlook into a positive one, and actually get ahead in the long run.
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