When Buying A Home-The Selection Of Inspections

When your offer is accepted on a home, one of the next steps you need to take is to get that home inspected.  Being that there is a limited time frame on the purchase contract to have inspections done in, I suggest to my clients to get the general inspection done right away just in case the inspector recommends having further inspections done. If the home is a single family residence (not a condo) then I tell them they may want to get a sewer inspection, especially if the front yard has a lot of trees or shrubbery.  And if the house has chimney's, I always suggest getting a chimney inspection (even though these can be a double edged sword).  There are a number of other types of inspections you may want to get as well including roof, HVAC, pool, geology, mold and other hazardous materials, structural or foundation, pluming, and the list goes on.  In most cases, the general inspector will go over as much as they can and point out the areas where a specialist may be needed to do further inspections (although most general inspection reports say you should have a specialist check out every area that can be looked at)  But two of the more common inspections I see that can be big red flags, and you should pay close attention to, are the sewer and chimney.  First off, I think every real estate agent should prepare their clients if the home they are looking to buy has a chimney.  Most chimneys here in SoCal, should just be considered decoration and not meant for real firewood or even gas logs usage. There are so many homes here that were built over 50 years ago and most chimneys have not been maintain or repaired over the years.  And on top of that, we have earthquakes here which always wreak havock on those.  So most chimneys need a good amount of repair which can run in ranges from $1,000 to $20,000 and upward in order to be in proper working condition.  Unless the chimney can do structural damage to the house (as in fall away from the house) then repairs may not be necessary and you may just have a nice mantel with a great location for a candle collection.  And to top that off, I run across chimney inspectors as well as sewer inspectors all the time that seem to give an extreme, over-exaggerated diagnosis of issues that may or may not be there.  Another good thing to look into is getting a chimney inspection done by someone who does not do the repairs as well so there is no conflict of interest. And on a sewer inspection, make sure you see the video camera go through the pipes and have the inspector go over what they see so you can see it as well.  As for any other inspection you may have, if an inspector gives you alarming news that seems to coincide with putting a big dent in your wallet, consider getting a 2nd or 3rd inspection.  Unfortunately, some of these inspectors are more out for work for themselves rather than giving proper diagnosis. So while it may cost you an extra $300 to get another inspection, it may save you thousands in the end if you can avoid getting unnecessary work done.  And as always, you may want to get recommendations from your realtor on who to call for these inspections and services since we may have some insider knowledge on whether they are on the up and up or just out for some extra $$. 

                                                                 

Good Home Inspections VS Bad Home Inspections

Have you ever wondered what makes a good home inspection good? Or just the same, a bad home inspection bad? Here are some clues to look for when choosing your inspector:
I hear it time and time (and time) again from people buying a home "I want an inspector that is going to be very detailed and go over everything" But, do you think that is the only thing you should want in an inspection? I hope not. Or sometimes I will get the buyers who choose an inspector based on price. Maybe the cheap inspection will save you some money, right? Not in the long run folks. If he misses things or doesn't recommend further inspections that may be needed, then you could be left buying a house and finding out very soon that there were things that were overlooked that can cost you a pretty penny to rectify. And at the other end of the spectrum, maybe the guy who charges more will be extra good, right? Not necessarily. So then what makes a good inspector and where do I find one? Well, the best place to find one is to ask your real estate agent. We see dozens of inspections each year, so it is likely that we have a few people's names and numbers that we can give you to choose from. It is also likely we have a few names and numbers you should avoid.
Finding a good inspector is really like finding a good doctor. And sometimes you want someone who delivers the news in a way that best suits your personality. Some people like it as frank as you can give it. Others need gentle explanations of what is going on. And a good inspector should be able to read you, read the situation, and do the same. They should treat a first time home buyer the way a first time mother-to-be should be looked after. You don't want an inspector to overload you with negative news delivered in a harsh, cold, matter-of-fact way. You want someone who is going to give you all the important news, in a way that you can understand, and also let you know that there are solutions to just about everything. And this is VERY important so listen up here...some inspectors like the roof, chimney and sewer inspectors may also give you news in the hope that they can benefit by fixing what they find (and I have seen inaccurate diagnoses plenty of times). I hope you got that point.

Here are a couple of real stories from inspections:

 During a recent sewer inspection the man doing the job said there were a lot of roots in the pipes (by the way, no trees anywhere near the front yard where the pipes are) as well as some separation. (This man was hired based on his low quote to do the inspection) He estimated anywhere from $5,000-$10,000 to fix the problem. Another sewer inspector came out for a second opinion (this company cost a only $100 more than the other one) and wound up cleaning the pipes out, which were just filled with bathroom products and viewing the separation with a higher grade camera to point out that the separation was extremely small and minor. The total cost from this company for repairs was about $200.

At a home inspection this week the buyers chose an inspector that was recommended by their friends because he was said to be thorough.  This inspector delivered his findings to the buyers in the same manner Rush Limbaugh delivers his news. This inspector was so over the top, matter-of-fact, and dramatic. And the clients are first time buyers. Some of the issues he pointed out were that the board along the floor surrounding the water heater in the closet it too high and could cause you to trip and that, to him, was a big safety issue. To paint a clear picture to you about this, the closet was only big enough to hold the water heater and not much else...therefore walking into it is not an option. He also mentioned that a small pipe that drains water from the A/C needs to be looked at since the water coming from this pipe can create a puddle in the dirt on the side of the house. When I asked him why this was a problem his answer was "Because mosquitoes like water and you don't want that" This puddle is situated just near their pool, by the way. 

So hiring the right inspector is a very important decision and the cost of a good inspection is worth more than you will ever know.  Your real estate agent most likely knows a number of good ones you can call, or they should easily be able to find some from other agents they know. So please take the time to find a good one, and listen to your real estate agent's advice. After all, our main job is to look after you and your best interest.  And if you live in the LA area and would like any recommendations on good inspectors, feel free to give me a call and I would be happy to help. And when you are ready to buy or sell, I am happy to help with that as well.
                                                             

What To Expect When Inspecting

The process of buying or selling a home can sometimes be a lot to take it. There are a lot of hoops to jump though and sometimes, you can be faced with unexpected challenges or information. Here in this article, I would like to give you an idea of what you can expect during the home inspection process.
So you've had your offer accepted or you have accepted an offer and now things are moving forward.  Sometime usually within the first week to two weeks you will have an inspector come into the home and look around for things that the typical person may not see or recognize on their own.  This process typically takes about 2-4 hours for a standard sized home but could be more for a large home or one that may have a lot of amenities.
 When it comes to the inspection process, let me make this analogy.  Let's say you went in to the doctor to have your body examined to make sure everything was working and looking good. Could you imagine at the end of that appointment all the things you may hear? What if you read that list and it said:
1)You have a funny looking mole on your arm that needs to be looked at further
2) your nose is crooked but we can fix that
3) the levels in your blood work are a little off and we will do more tests to see what that is
4) you put on 15lbs since your last visit and we need to talk about that
5) those headaches you mentioned are a concern and we should run a scan
6) and also on your eye exam you said you saw a "Q" but that was an "O"

Now you may think and know that everything about you is fine. Your nose was a childhood accident, but it works fine, that mole has been looked at before, these headaches have been happening your whole life etc...  Now think of yourself in this situation as the seller and someone else is in the room hearing all this news is  the buyer. That is kind of what it feels like in a home inspection. As the seller, you may know a lot of what is reported and that it has already been fixed, or maybe you've learned to live with it, or perhaps it does indeed need to be further looked at and remedied. But as the buyer, this can feel like a lot of overwhelming information and mostly bad news. And maybe it is...but maybe it isn't.  Things can be further inspected by specialists, things can be fixed or paid for to be fixed, or things can be left how they are. And these are the choices as a buyer and seller you will have to make.
It may be more common that in a buyer's market (where the buyer may have the advantage)  that some of the issues found may be fixed by the seller. In a seller's market, it may behoove the seller to fix larger issues that any subsequent buyer would be concerned about as well. But you may find yourself, in any market, with the seller saying they are unwilling to fix or pay for anything. And then you have to make choices about how you feel about that decision and move forward or maybe move on to another home. But, when you are the buyer, especially a first-time buyer, ask your agent about each step throughout the process of a sale and what you should expect. It is better to go into each situation knowing an idea of the possible outcomes as oppose to being blind-sided with a shocking bit of information. And know that even if your real estate agent keeps you informed and educated along the way, there is always the chance that something new and unexpected may come up, so always expect the unexpected and if you are looking to buy or sell, please give me a call and let me help you get moving!