First time home buyer. I don't get it.

#1

I’m in the process of buying my first house so I’m experiencing everything for the first time and kind of learning as I go. I’m not embarrassed to say that my mechanical skills are horrible, my ability to fix problems related to plumbing or electrical issues is non existent.

For this reason, getting a certified home inspection was an absolute necessity for me. The inspection went very well, a few issues with the wiring in the electrical box, minor plumbing leaks, and he recommended the seller replace the hot water heater. The seller agreed to fix everything and replace the hwh so everything is great.

I asked my Realtor when the final inspection is and he tells me that the certified inspector won’t be coming back to check on the seller’s changes. The realtor told me that it is our job to walk around and judge for ourselves based on the inspectors recommendations whether things were fixed appropriately.My realtor said followup inspections are rare.

I just don’t get it. I’ve asked for an expert’s help to determine the problems with the house because I’m not capable of identifying or recommending a fix for these problems. Now I find out that I’m expected to be able to determine whether things are fixed appropriately or not. I know that the inspector doesn’t work for free and neither do I. I just wish that he would have quoted me a follow up inspection price after he finished the first one. One of my issues was a potential safety hazard regarding improper wiring in the electrical box. You think that he would care about something like that being done properly not because he is a certified inspector, but because he is human.

Maybe it is all about the money.

Thanks.
Mike

#2

Mike,

Follow-up inspections are not a norm in my area.

I always tell my clients to obtain all paperwork related to the contractors repairs that were made, so they can have something in writing in case something goes wrong with the component in question.

If an Electrician did upgrade work inside the panel, tell your Realtor that you would like the Electrician’s paperwork to state which repairs were made and that the panel no longer contains safety issues.

#3

Many inspectors do offer to do re-inspections of specific items. Some (like me) offer free re-inspections of any previous inspected items for as long as the client is in the home to provide an unbiased professional opinion. Of course, others charge for the service, but many inspectors offer it.

Occasionally, these inspections will lead to the recommendation for evaluation by qualified trade professionals. Ususally, the inital recommendations will contain a recommendation for repairs to be made by qualified trade pros, as well. This is so you know that they were performed properly by someone with insurance (not the homeowner’s Uncle Bob - unless he is Uncle Bob Vila). If it was done by a trade pro, there should be invoices indicating so.

Also, many times the buyer’s opt for money back from the seller to have the items repaired by their own choice of pro, so quite frequently, no repairs take place.

In the end, it sounds like your inspector may need some work on his marketing skills, or perhaps they do not offer this service (fear of added liability). If you look in your area, I am sure you can find someone who will do a specific item inspection for you at a reaonable rate.

#4

Hi Mike…Listen up.
The key part of what you said is that this is something the agent told you.
Please call the inspector and ask him yourself,as I find it hard to beleive he will not come back to check.
At the worst he may have a fee for doing so,as most home inspectors love to see corrections made on their recommendations.

#5

Mike, maybe you should ask your realtor to put it in writing that all the corrections were made correctly.

#6

Mike,

The issue for many inspectors is that our E&O insurance does not cover re-inspections. The insurer’s logic is that once we re-enter the property, we essential take on liability for everything we might have seen which has changed sine the original inspection, which means that we would need to re-perform the entire inspection.

So if you want me to perform a pre-closing inspection, my insurer wants you to sign a new contract and for me to perform the entire inspection as outlined therein.

Neither of us may like it, but that’s the way the E&O carriers write it; it’s just another cost of living in an increasingly litigious society.

#7

Bob is exactly right! My guess is also that the Realtor is just telling you this. I do them all the time. Free for one item very close to my house. $100 for a list of items close or further away.

#8

Mike,

The first inspection was to provide you with a report to inform you of the condition of the property you were considering.

The purpose of the second inspection is to provide a report on the quality of the repairs which many are reluctant to do since it may be seen as a statement of warranty or assumption of liability.

Why not contact the contractor(s) who affected the repairs and inquire as to their warranties and what was encountered in doing the work. If the seller made them take shortcuts that will show up later, many will tell you that just to cover their own reputations.

#9

Hind sight is always 20/20 … but this is how we learn.
Here are a few lessons from this problem.
(I inform all my Clients of these rules).

Lesson #1
When the Realtors lips are moving… let the buyer beware.

Lesson#2
Have all repairs done by a qualified and licensed Professional
and obtain written warranty and specs on every repair item.

A re-inspection may not serve you as well as having the written
warranty of a licensed Professional who was present when
the repairs were done and things are covered up or put back
together (an inspector does not have x-ray vision to see inside
the repaired items after it is done).

If at this point, you discover that the repairs were NOT done
by Professionals and that there is NO warranty… STOP EVERYTHING.
Insist on quality and written warranty and not “johnny fix-it”.

Lesson #3
When the Realtors lips are moving… let the buyer beware.

#10

John,

You need to keep your anti-Realtor crap in the members ony section. For someone with 25 years of experience, you dont appear to know much.:roll:

#11

Joe Michalski–“spot-on”

John McKenna–also “spot-on”

What does “spot-on” mean, exactly???

#12

Interestingly, one of our illustrious members here (non-members do not have this option) anonymously gave me a negative review for my post, presumably indicating that they disagree with the message.

Sine I offered two basic points, either the NACHI member disagrees that re-inspections should be offered by home inspectors (as a general concept) or they disagree that they should be offered for free as part of continuning customer care.

Your Realtor is probably more familar with this kind of inspector, who feels that they should not perform this service, or fears litigation and liability. This may be why they mentioned that it is not the inspector’s job - that is what their interaction with some inspectors has lead them to believe.

You may also have encountered this type of inspector who does not understand how to really HELP and CARE for their customers. They did not make a mention that they do re-inspections, let alone free re-inspections and continuous customer care - so your experience did not lead you to believe that this was something that was offered.

Look around in your area - through this site, Google, the phone book, and other inspection sites. You will likely find hundreds of inspectors in your area - and I am willing to bet that more than a couple of them offer this service.

Like any other trade pro you are looking to hire, you should interview them extensively to determine if they have adequate background and experience to evaluate the repairs, or if they would defer to a trade pro.

Like John M. stated, you are best off having the repairs backed by a qualified professional who offers a warranty. Failing that, proper repairs of some common items can be made to some items by knowledgable individuals, but re-inspection makes sense in this case.

Good luck!

#13

Interestingly, one of our illustrious members here (non-members do not have this option) gave me a negative review for my post, presumably indicating that they disagree with the message.

Sine I offered two basic points, either the NACHI member disagrees that re-inspections should be offered by home inspectors (as a general concept) or they disagree that they should be offered for free as part of continuning customer care.

Your Realtor is probably more familar with this kind of inspector, who feels that they should not perform this service, or fears litigation and liability. This may be why they mentioned that it is not the inspector’s job - that is what their interaction with some inspectors has lead them to believe.

You may also have encountered this type of inspector who does not understand how to really HELP and CARE for their customers. They did not make a mention that they do re-inspections, let alone free re-inspections and continuous customer care - so your experience did not lead you to believe that this was something that was offered.

Look around in your area - through this site, Google, the phone book, and other inspection sites. You will likely find hundreds of inspectors in your area - and I am willing to bet that more than a couple of them offer this service.

Like any other trade pro you are looking to hire, you should interview them extensively to determine if they have adequate background and experience to evaluate the repairs, or if they would defer to a trade pro.

Like John M. stated, you are best off having the repairs backed by a qualified professional who offers a warranty. Failing that, proper repairs of some common items can be made to some items by knowledgable individuals, but re-inspection makes sense in this case.

Good luck!

#14

I’m not anti-realtor or pro-realtor (neutral) but I am a firm believer in asking the person who is providing the service. Did you contact the inspector and ask him? Who knows he may offer the followup and you just didn’t ask the right person.

Myself, I will offer a followup if the client does request it at no charge. I think of it as part of my customer satisfaction.

#15

Home inspectors are not mind readers (although a few think they are). Chances are real good your inspector has no knowledge of you wanting or needing a re-inspection and most (including myself) do not push when it comes to re-inspections. If someone asks me to perform one, I do but I typically do not like doing them for two reasons; I find the cost benefit trade off not worth while, and secondly it can often spiral down into a pissing contest about the “quality” of the work performed. We always insist any work be performed by licensed tradesmen with written documentation. More often than not it is done by someones Dutch uncle or an unlicensed handyman (often a relative). We do the initial inspection. Frankly, once I have done that, the repairs, decisions about repairs, who is going to do it, when it is going be done, how much it should costs and anything relating to it are outside my area of concern. Too many think the home inspector is on some kind of long term retainer, partly perpetuated by Home Inspectors in an effort to be helpful and partly because their egos tells them they are a fount of wisdom and the best source of information on planet Earth.

#16

Hey, Jerry, are you a practicing Realtor (Associate Broker) in Traverse City now?

I remember that TC was your home away from home.

How’s the real estate business for you?

If not, there is someone doing it in your name.

http://www.grandtraverseresort.com/index.php/do/Grand_Traverse_Resort_Village

http://ecom.director.firstamericanmls.com/traverse/roster/roster.pl?Param=traverse-roster&pass=memberSearch&NAMME=Stewart&FIRM=&CITY=&ZIP=&SORT=NAME&MAX=40&WEBPAGEONLY=

#17

You scored a direct hit. So…
“Spot on”.
T.Neyedli
www.alphahomeinspections.ca

#18

Larry, doesn’t sound like anti-realtor crap, sounds more like a Consumer Protection Plan, so you don’t get raked over the coal. This is probably something you’d find at your local consumer affairs office.

Mic

#19

Well said.

Call your home inspector directly and ask.

The Realtor is correct in that a great supermajority of home inspectors do not do re-inspections. However, many of us do because, as you stated, we are humans trying to help other humans.

#20

Re-inspections do two things for my business: First of all they help the clients. If a client wants or needs me to come back, to answer questions, to explain whatever, then that’s part of providing good service. Second, they are a good marketing piece. Re-inspections are built into my prices for standard inspections. Only about 5% of my clients actually have a re-inspection, but people like to know it’s available if needed. That makes my prices a little higher than the local competition, but that’s ok within reason.

I only go back once, and yes, I make it clear that there is no warranty implied. The warranty, if any, is provided by whoever did the work.

I have a new construction inspection this afternoon, and the buyer insisted on choosing one of my limited inspections, instead of a standard inspection which includes re-inspection. Both the mortgage lender and I advised him to get a standard inspection, but his realtor told him the limited would be fine since it’s a new home and there won’t be any concerns anyway! He wouldn’t be getting an inspection at all, except that his mortgage loan requires one - but it doesn’t specify any particular type of inspection. The buyer is coming from out-of-state without having seen the house, and I suspect he is going to wish he had chosen the standard inspection.