Real Estate News And Views

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Your Buyers Need a Certified Home Inspector

Agents, think back to your real estate license course. Remember home inspection? It's a crucial process that protects your client, as well as adding to your credibility.

As a professional real estate agent, it's your duty to make sure the biggest investment of your client's life isn't falling apart. Otherwise, you could be committing real estate career suicide - no one wants to work with a negligent agent. Instead, provide every assurance your buyers crave. This includes the expertise of a licensed home inspector.

A home inspector provides an unbiased opinion as to the overall condition of a home in a report. This detailed report could be your red flag to look for another property, a warning for problems to come or minor situations that can easily be fixed. The home inspector's report can also be used as a negotiating tool. An inspector gets paid for their services whether or not the sale of the house goes through, so they have no stake in the outcome of the inspection.

So what does a licensed home inspector inspect? They visually evaluate a home's systems, components and structure including: foundations, floors, windows, drainage, insulation, garage doors, chimney, piping, wiring, heating, air conditioning, and more. Home inspectors also look for violations of building codes.

"Before you buy, you should hire an independent home inspector to carefully review the house and give you a written report," cautions Benny Kass, a practicing attorney in Washington, DC and a Yahoo! real estate expert. "Also, many states have laws requiring sellers to disclose known defects. Finally, on the day before you go to settlement (also called escrow in some states), you should go to the house and carefully inspect it yourself. Do not do this at night, because you will not be able to see all of the possible problems."

Align your clients with a trusted home inspector. If you don't have any sources, ask fellow agents for recommendations. You can also contact the National Association of Home Inspectors or visit their website at www.nahi.org.

By Danielle Macklin,Allied Schools,www.realestatelicense.com

Labels: Certified Home Inspector