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Old 08-13-2015, 03:29 PM
 
Location: Living on the Coast in Oxnard CA
16,289 posts, read 32,270,302 times
Reputation: 21891

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I would just want someone that is not emotionally attached to the home. As a buyer you may think that you are getting the best home in town. Or maybe you just want to think that. You want everyone to tell you things are looking great. I want someone to tell me that the home is a dog and you don't want to live there.
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Old 08-13-2015, 05:00 PM
 
3,463 posts, read 5,645,405 times
Reputation: 7218
Ive had very bad luck with inspectors as a buyer and seller in four different states. It is not regulated and it is not a very hard process for anyone to be licensed as an inspector. there needs to be more oversight and accountability. If you read an inspectors contract, it is written in a way that they are not liable for any issues that arise post inspection. The last inspector who really didnt inspect my house wouldnt even return my calls about a legal proceeding I was taking against the previous owners/sellers of my house. My Wife kept calling to she got a human on the phone. The secratary finally picked up and told my Wife before hanging up on her: "He doesnt like run stuff or anything, he just checks it out to see if it's ok"
I would pay a journeyman of each discipline to look over the house. Electric, plumbing and foundation. Might cost a little more, but the chances are that it is a legit inspection by a knowledgeable pro are astronomically higher.
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Old 08-13-2015, 05:41 PM
 
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
11,936 posts, read 13,053,397 times
Reputation: 27078
Quote:
Originally Posted by hgnance View Post
And aren't the inspectors more apt to be up on current building codes?
Bingo!

And to the OP, good luck getting a mortgage without a licensed inspection. You can't get insurance without one and you can't get a mortgage in Florida without insurance.

It may be different in other states.
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Old 08-13-2015, 06:08 PM
Status: "Made the Retirement Run in under 12 parsecs!!!" (set 21 days ago)
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,176 posts, read 76,815,786 times
Reputation: 45533
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueherons View Post
Bingo!

And to the OP, good luck getting a mortgage without a licensed inspection. You can't get insurance without one and you can't get a mortgage in Florida without insurance.

It may be different in other states.
Definitely different in NC.

Home inspection is a consumer choice.
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Old 08-13-2015, 06:11 PM
 
72 posts, read 115,559 times
Reputation: 103
Georgia it's an option. Though I'd rather have an inspection than an agent.
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Old 08-13-2015, 07:06 PM
 
Location: Salem, OR
15,539 posts, read 40,308,808 times
Reputation: 17422
Quote:
Originally Posted by thunderkat59 View Post
Ive had very bad luck with inspectors as a buyer and seller in four different states. It is not regulated and it is not a very hard process for anyone to be licensed as an inspector. there needs to be more oversight and accountability.
It depends on state. Out here they are licensed by the construction contractors board. They have a points system for getting your license based on college courses (like engineering, architecture, etc), construction work (framing, electrician, etc), ride alongs with another home inspector (I think they have to do 8 inspections with another inspector), and then classes. They take a 200 question test too.

Most home inspectors out here are former contractors. There is one who is a fire fighter as it works well in their on/off schedule.

They are all licensed and bonded, and gross negligence is different than the limited liability clause they have in the contract, but I would never hire nor recommend a home inspector that showed up at a house without a ladder like the OP did.
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Old 08-14-2015, 05:36 AM
 
Location: Howard County, Maryland
1,539 posts, read 2,296,990 times
Reputation: 2450
You don't hire an inspector to find issues you can find yourself; you hire an inspector to find things the average person cannot spot. And in this particular case, it appears this house didn't have any big surprises. So good job to you for choosing a house carefully and having the inspector as merely confirming what you already knew. I know a lot about houses myself but no way I'd skip this step. Not only that, if you want something fixed by a seller, you'll need a professional's report to give your request some power.
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Old 08-14-2015, 06:57 AM
 
129 posts, read 188,677 times
Reputation: 121
A good inspector is worth the money. Good luck finding a good inspector. Mine was total crap even though he came highly recommended and got great reviews and umpteen years of experience. Well I should say the firm was highly reviewed. They sent me out a crap inspector.
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Old 08-14-2015, 09:55 AM
 
175 posts, read 225,538 times
Reputation: 426
Quote:
Originally Posted by urbex View Post
But after reading his report, and paying attention to some of the stuff he was doing while he was there, I really ended up feeling like I paid someone $350 to tell me things I already knew or could easily see myself, as he's only reporting problems that are easily seen.
If you went to a doctor for a checkup and got a clean bill of health, would you feel like you'd been ripped off because you "knew" you were fine?

I do agree that the issue of poorly-qualified and/or lazy inspectors is a real one; a good inspector is invaluable, but they can be hard to find.
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Old 08-14-2015, 11:08 AM
 
12,016 posts, read 12,695,396 times
Reputation: 13420
You ever hear this saying, replace lawyer with inspector

A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client
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