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The Home Inspector and the Real Estate Agent Relationship

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The home inspector and the real estate agent have a unique relationship. In most cases, this relationship is good. Both the home inspector and the real estate agent tend to look out for the home buyer’s best interest when considering a home for purchase. However, you may hear about this relationship becoming a strain on either party or within specific cases. Stories claim some real estate agents try to pressure the home inspector to “take it easy” on their inspection with a concern that any major issue with the house will kill the deal. I promise you that even if a real estate agent tries to pressure a home inspector, they still have the home buyer’s best interest in mind. The relationship between a home inspector and a real estate agent can become very delicate but there are a few things you should know.

Use the Inspector your Agent refers

If you trust your real estate agent then you should trust their reference. Your agent doesn’t just want to sell you a house, they want to sell you a home. When an agent knows and trusts a home inspector to do a good job they will always refer that inspector. You should consider their reference first. If your agent is on your side then you know the home inspector will be too. That being said, you must understand that the home inspector’s job is to make you aware of any potential problems with the home. We are not trying to ruing your “dream home” or break your heart. At the end of the day, you still get to decide if you want to purchase the house or not but now you can make a much more informed decision.

Let the Home Inspector do their job

So many home buyers quake at the thought of a home inspection. Especially first time home buyers. They get so worked up that the home inspector is going to find something that will completely dash their dreams of buying the house they have fallen so in love with. But you have to let the inspector do their job. Do you want to move into a house and find out after 6 months that you need a new roof? Which can cost upwards of $10,000 by the way. Of course you don’t! If there is ever a time to spend money on a home it is to make sure you are aware of exactly what you are purchasing before you complete the transaction.

Trust your instincts

There are a few cases where the home buyer does not feel comfortable with their real estate agent. For whatever reason, they just don’t trust that their agent is on their side. In these same cases, being open and honest with your agent might be all you need. Sometimes it’s a miscommunication, sometimes personalities don’t blend, etc. But whatever the reason might be, don’t stay with an agent you don’t feel comfortable with. Purchasing a home is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your life – both financially and emotionally. You want to go through that process with someone you trust.

You know you can trust Divinity Inspections to perform a thorough inspection on your home. We will always walk you through our reports, explain everything we find, answer all of your questions, and even give you references if you need any. We also work with some really fantastic real estate agents that we are happy to refer. Because referrals go both ways! Contact us today and tell us how we can help.

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Infrared Cameras and Home Inspections

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Infrared cameras and thermal imaging are some two of the many technologies you might see your home inspector carrying with them to your home inspection. Technology advances with home inspectors as it does with just about every other sector and these gadgets sure do come in handy! Some home inspectors have been using these tools for many years but as they advanced they make inspecting a home and finding hidden issues significantly easier.

Infrared Cameras: What They Do

Infrared cameras are excellent at detecting many issues that might others try to “hide” in a home inspection. For example, an infrared camera can determine how much heat (or lack of heat) a radiator might be emitting. Infrared cameras are also necessary for detecting water stains that have been painted over. To the naked eye you couldn’t see where there might be or have been a water leak but with the infrared camera it’s as easy as taking a picture.

Infrared Images: Unusual Finds

There are some unusual home inspection issues that you may never realize an infrared camera is used to find. Heated floors show up quite nicely in a thermal image and helps us ensure the heated floors are working properly. Even electrical issues can sometimes be spotted with an infrared camera. For example, if a breaker is being overloaded it might look extremely hot in a thermal image. One last unusual find might be air leaks in walls and attics, especially if they are covered by insulation.

Infrared Cameras: New Technologies

At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, FLIR Systems announced five new thermal imaging cameras. These new cameras are smaller, easier to manage, and improve image quality. The cameras include two new third generation FLIR ONE thermal camera attachments for smartphones, two dual-sensor thermal cameras from drones, and one compact thermal camera for building inspectors.

Sources:

FLIR Systems introduces five new thermal imaging cameras at CES

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Why do I need a home inspection?

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Often people have a misconception about what a home inspection is all about or what it is intended to provide. Divinity Inspection would like to clear up some of your concerns. First of all, no inspection should be considered to be a guarantee of finding all defects. In the real world this just cannot be accomplished. Inspectors do not have the option of probing into finished surfaces or concealed areas.

That being said, what we look for are indicators of some condition that may raise a question or concern of a past or current situation. Some conditions may only present themselves only occasionally such as flickering lights or waste line back ups. It’s every inspector’s hope that such situations crop up during the home inspection, but we’re not always that lucky.

A property inspection is not intended as a code compliance evaluation. Building codes by the way are minimum standards and can vary widely by state, country and even village. There are also new versions of each code that are generated from time to time. Keeping up with all them is next to impossible. So we look for conditions that meet national standards as well as what we call “best practice.” Our inspection is based upon the conditions as they exist at the time of the inspection. We cannot warrant that conditions will not change after our evaluation.

In our inspections we are primarily concerned with issues that have to do with safety and/or significant repair cost. Much of what we find we consider to be normal wear & tear items that would be corrected after settlement. These are not conditions that would necessarily warrant a request of the seller to repair. Such issues are secondary to us, ones that we do not give as much attention to when we go through a home. For example, the need for some minor grouting or caulking in a shower stall would be minor. On the other hand, loose tile and indication of water damage in the wall would major and be of more concern; and be a reasonable request of the seller to correct.

We have no authority to enforce standards but rather to merely point out conditions as they exist and make recommendations. We will recommend repair to minor grouting in the shower stall just as we would for a leaking roof. Our goal is to help our client distinguish between the significant needs of the home and those that are more commonplace.