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What Is Insurance Fraud: Don’t Be Fooled

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Insurance fraud is the act of using false information to received undeserved compensation by your insurance company. Insurance fraud can be committed in many ways. Unfortunately, as a home inspector, we run into homeowners that don’t understand the seriousness of this offense. Here are the three most common requests we deny that would result in home insurance fraud.

Using old reports

Some homebuyers will ask us to use old reports as part of our documentation for a home inspection. However, using outdated reports is considered falsifying a home inspection report. Our job is to show up at the home and inspect the home in its current condition. We cannot use an old report, even if it is only a few years old.

In Florida, codes are constantly updated. What was once allowed three years ago may not be allowed today. Homebuyers may think their home is up to code only to find out the new code now disqualifies them. This can be really upsetting news, and we understand that. But, we still have to do our job. We still have to let you know when something in your home needs to be fixed. We will never use an old report just to pass your inspection.

Overstating the value of the home

When you buy a home you hope that you will get some equity out of the home. We understand that. Even so, overstating the value of a home is a type of home insurance fraud. When we inspect your home we want to give an accurate estimate of the value of your home in the condition it is in. We will even detail what you can renovate or fix and estimate how much the value will increase.

Our goal is to help you be as informed about your home as possible. Whether you are using us for a pre-listing home inspection or a home inspection before you complete the purchase. We want to make sure you are completely educated about your home, as well as any issues or concerns.

Missing information on the inspection report

Sometimes a homeowner will request we leave something off the report because they intend on fixing it right away. This is especially common when a homeowner is conducting a pre-listing inspection or an inspection to receive a discount on their home insurance.

Be that as it may, asking us to leave information out of a report is a type of home insurance fraud. And simply put, we won’t do it. Even if you have clear intentions of fixing an issue in your home – do yourself a favor and fix it before the inspection. We cannot report that something has been addressed unless we see that is has with our own eyes. We cannot write a report built on “promises”.

Divinity Inspection Services takes insurance fraud very seriously. We are always on the homeowners side and we always want to be helpful. That being said, we will not help you commit insurance fraud and we would hope that you wouldn’t ask us to. If you are looking for an honest and truthful home inspector who will give you as much detail about your home as possible, then that’s us! Schedule your home inspection here today.

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Tampa Hurricane Prep: We Did Good

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Some might say we got lucky, some say it doesn’t make sense. According to one meteorologist, it was the and of God why Tampa got off so easy. We were expecting a direct hit from an intense hurricane and yet, what we experienced was mild. To say the least. We did good Tampa. And just in case, here’s what you need to know for the next hurricane prep.

The earlier you prep, the better

We ran out of a lot of things. We ran out of sand for the sandbags, gas for the cars, water in the stores, and plywood for boarding up our home. The people who decided to go ahead and get what they needed early are the ones who suffered the least. Lesson learned, the sooner you get what you need, the better.

Prepping for no power or water is difficult

I can honestly say the most difficult effect of the storm was losing power and water. Some were without power and water for almost a week. Others didn’t even lose power or water. Now that you’ve had the experience you can prepare even better. For those that didn’t, here’s what you need to know: everything takes longer to do and it will get hot pretty fast. I suspect more people will be investing in generators.

Hold on to your plywood

While we’ve dodged a bullet, hurricane season isn’t over quite yet. We’ve still endured the effects of flooding in various areas around Tampa Bay and we have seen what others have endured as a result of the hurricane. Before you quickly rid your home of your hurricane supplies, wait for the end of the season. You can also hold on to your supplies for a rainy day.

Divinity Inspection Services will inspect your home rain or shine. While we don’t recommend scheduling a home inspection during a hurricane, sometimes learning about a home best is during a storm. Schedule your home inspection online or give us a call to answer any of your questions!

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The Home Inspection Process: A Buyer’s Guide

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The home inspection process if fairly simple. Yet many new home buyers feel very intimidated by the process. Here is an essential guide that explains a home inspection.

Research your inspector before you choose to use them

You want to choose a home inspector that you feel comfortable using and that you feel you can trust. The first thing you need to do research them. Look at online reviews, customer testimonials, and their website. You can also ask for references or ask for a recommended inspector from a trusted source.

Attend the inspection

We highly recommend you attend the inspection. Even if this means you need to get permission from the homeowner or the real estate agent. And if any homeowner does not want you to attend your home inspection, that’s a huge red flag. You want to be there to ask any questions, give the inspector and opportunity to educate you on your home, and become familiar with any uncovered issues.

Read the report

Even if you attend the inspection, unless you are taking thorough notes, you won’t remember everything. Read the detailed report. The report will be a good reference and may further detail issues you discussed in short at the inspection.

Your inspector cannot quote the cost of repair, but they can give you a good idea

Your home inspector should not be expected to tell you exactly how much a repair will cost. Who you use for the repair is the only person that can quote you. But a home inspector can give you a ball park figure of what to expect a repair will cost, especially a major one.

These essentials should make you feel more comfortable about your home inspection. You can give Divinity Inspection Services a call to schedule your home inspection. You can also schedule your inspection directly on our website. We’ll do everything we can to make your inspection as comfortable and simple as possible.

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How To Prevent Flooding In Your House

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We thought the rainy season was over, but we were wrong! Tampa is still in for quite a bit more, and already it seems we have a pretty active hurricane season. If you haven’t already noticed the flooding all over the area, you certainly will soon. Here are a few things you can do to prevent flooding in your house.

Elevate your important things in the garage

If flooding occurs around your home, likely the first place the water will get into is your garage. Even if your garage is unorganized, get the important things off the ground.If water does enter, at the very least, you won’t have to worry about anything important getting ruined.

Keep sandbags on hand

If water is already at your door then you may have lost the battle. However, if you’ve noticed an influx in the rain and a potential for flooding, having sandbags on hand can make all the difference. Before the rain, put the sandbags out around the house where the flooding would occur.

Dig a trench

This is certainly going the extra mile but might be necessary. If you find your yard is completely saturated and more rain is headed your way, a trench would help your lawn drain and could prevent flooding into your home.

Depending on how much rain and the potential for flooding, extreme action could be necessary. The idea is to prevent flooding in your home from happening instead of having to deal with the after-damage. Don’t forget that during our home inspections we’ll be able to tell you if the house has had any flood damage.

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Signs Of A Sinkhole

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The huge sinkhole that opened up in Land O Lakes have taken a total of 10 homes with it. Two homes were swallowed and eight more were condemned for signs of a sinkhole. A sinkhole can truly be tragic, both financially and emotionally. Here are some warning signs of a sinkhole you can look for.

1. Cracks in interior joint areas

Cracks are one of the biggest giveaways of a potential sinkhole. Specifically, you want to look for cracks around doors, windows, and joint areas.

2. Areas with existing sinkholes

Neighborhoods with existing sinkholes are likely to show signs of other sinkholes in the area. Be sure to find out through your real estate agent if there are any sinkholes near or around the homes you are looking at.

3. Foundations that slant

Foundations that slant are signs that the ground underneath is giving way. A slanted foundation could tell you that you need to have the foundation inspected to know for sure.

There are many more signs of a sinkhole, and you can find the entire list of them here. Sometimes the signs are not as obvious but that’s why getting a sinkhole inspection is so important. We’ll be sure to let you know of any signs that might point to foundation issues in your home, plus anything else.