Tag Archives: home inspection

Home Inspection or Offer? Which Comes First?

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A reasonable question posted recently on a real estate website can open an interesting discussion. It’s one that touches on a fundamental component of most Sapphire real estate sales.

The question was, “Can I request a home inspection before I make an offer on the home?”

The answer from the moderator was, “I can’t think of one good reason why you would do this.” The moderator should have thought a little harder! And the truth is, for any would-be Sapphire buyer who has never been involved in buying or selling a home, it’s a pretty logical question.

Take a fictional example. We have a young couple who have no previous real estate experience. Their parents never walked them through how they had gone about buying the homes they’d been raised in, and although both husband and wife have college degrees, neither has been exposed to the first thing about buying and selling a house (this is a hole in the educational setup that would seem to be pretty easy to fix…but at least for now, parents have to fill the void).

Our couple has fallen in love with an existing home. They like its size, style, and its Sapphire neighborhood—which is in a superior school district. They have some reservation about the asking price, which is a little more than their pre-determined target, but they decide to make an offer that shaves a few percentage points off the asking. They agree with their agent that for the seller to entertain their offer seriously, they need to accompany it with a 1%-2% earnest money deposit.

Just as they are on the verge of taking the leap…one other thing occurs to them. What, they wonder, will guarantee that there aren’t serious mechanical or other difficulties with the house? The solution would be simple—just order an inspection—except that, not yet being in a contract, the $300 – $600 inspection fee could be a waste of money. What if the sellers accept an offer in between the time the young couple orders the inspection and submits their offer?

In practice, a “before offer” inspection IS done in some cases – usually when a multiple offer situation is expected. In such cases, multiple sets of buyers would probably be advised by their savvy agents to invest the money on the front end to increase their odds of writing the offer that will be accepted. The way savvy agents help their seller clients avoid this problem for buyers is to have the sellers order a home inspection report themselves—and make it available to any potential buyers for review. This helps the sellers to get ahead of any unknown issues that might come up, as well as encouraging offers. When buyers have information about the basic condition of the home, it frees them to write an offer with more confidence.

A sound offer triggers the start of a process that ends in handshakes and smiles all around—and the transfer of a very valuable set of keys.

Whether buying or selling, strategic guidance regarding the offer is just one contribution of your chosen Sapphire real estate agent—and another reason why teaming with the right one is so key to getting the result you are looking for. I hope you’ll give me a call to discuss how I will help you reach those goals!

Goal of a Thorough Home Inspection: Future Peace of Mind

5-13-homeinspectionWhenever we think of how our Sapphire home staging professionals approach their craft, it’s all the positives that come to mind—how they transform a ho-hum living room into a welcoming showplace; a run-of-the-mill front porch into a curb appeal magnet, etc. That is true, but equally important are the negatives they address. Stagers locate and eliminate elements that detract.

This is all by way of pointing out that another element of the Sapphire real estate industry—the home inspection part—provides an extremely positive contribution by zeroing in on negatives. It’s pretty darned important that a Sapphire home inspection do just that!

Picture this: it’s just under a year since you bought your home, but what started out as a dream home is beginning to take on aspects of a nightmare. Cracks have appeared in the foundation (were they there all along?); asphalt tiles are raining down onto the driveway (am I seeing gaps up on the garage roof?); and puddles are springing up in the basement underneath the network of pipes that (now that I’m looking closely) do seem to show a bit more rust than they probably should…

This is the kind of evolving nightmare no Sapphire home buyer should have to deal with. A thorough home inspection unearths problems before you close on the home—so while it may require an investment of a few hundred dollars, it’s the most sensible way to prevent expensive (but foreseeable) maintenance surprises down the road. Going about tapping a professional whose home inspection credentials measure up won’t take an undue chunk of your time:

Survey the ratings
This is an area where the Better Business Bureau is truly invaluable. Likewise, customer feedback sites like Angie’s List offer reviews of Sapphire home inspection services that are full of useful information. The only detail that’s less attention-worthy is cost. When you’re in the process of investing hundreds of thousands of dollars, paying a bit extra for a superior home inspection is “pound-wise.”

Note ties to the Sapphire community
Home inspectors who have maintained strong ties to the Sapphire business community have their reputation riding on the line with every inspection. Their incentives are perfectly aligned with yours for providing a thorough inspection with written findings that will hold up over time.

Consider a structural engineer or another specialist
If there’s a question about the structural integrity of the home, look for an inspector with engineering credentials. Likewise, if there are questions about other areas of the house (like the electrical system), be open to calling in an appropriate specialist to take a look. It’s really your peace of mind that will benefit.

When you choose me as your Realtor®, I will also be happy to recommend several Sapphire home inspectors who have demonstrated their skill and reliability for my clients over the years. I hope you won’t hesitate to give me a call!

Choosing a Sapphire Home Inspector with the Right Stuff

Home inspectionThe importance of hiring a reliable home inspection is one of the bedrock principles every home buyer reads and hears about from all quarters. Any Realtor® worthy of the name will be able to recommend a Sapphire home inspector with the kind of strong credentials that establish the validity of his or her report—it’s part of the full service a real estate professional brings to the process of buying a home.
The object of the inspection is, of course, to prevent the unexpected: repair bills that might otherwise go undetected until after the purchase. A good inspector finds problems before you close on a property. Although a home inspector’s fee may require an investment of a few hundred dollars, it’s certainly better than spending tens of thousands down the road.

A thorough inspection and the report that follows are what you are looking for—what earns a new home buyer peace of mind. And choosing the right candidate isn’t difficult, as long as you are willing to follow a few common sense procedures. For instance, the written inspection report is an important part of the process, yet some inspectors wind up sending only a checklist. The best ones accompany that with their more detailed written observations. Before you commit, ask the candidate if you can see a sample of the kind of report that will be prepared.

It’s a very good idea for you to be present when the inspection is made—it’s a one-time chance to see for yourself some of the workings of the property from a professional’s point of view. A good inspector may suggest it…and certainly will not object when you invite yourself to the party. If he or she objects, my advice is to find someone else.

As with any other expert, check the candidate’s reputation online. The Better Business Bureau website, Angie’s List, Yelp, and all the other websites that post continuing reviews of professional service providers can supply good feedback. But again, be thorough: watch out for ‘paid’ ratings; check more than one source; and if a complaint is registered, be sure to bring it up when interviewing an otherwise-qualified candidate.

Home inspectors who are strongly tied to the Sapphire business community, or who are involved in national-level home inspector organizations, have their reputations on the line with every inspection. These inspectors may provide higher quality service than others, and although choosing a leading Sapphire home inspector may wind up costing a few dollars more, when you’re about to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a home, paying a bit extra is usually money well spent.

Whenever my clients ask for advice in choosing a home inspector in Sapphire, I supply a choice of several, along with what I have heard from other clients who have used them recently. It’s part of the service I’m pleased to offer—and another good reason to give me a call!