Foreclosure Properties

[Rex A. Kulla]

We've all done them. I'm tired of getting told the water and gas is on when booking the inspection with the listing company, then getting to the property and the water meter is unhooked and the gas is shut off. I think this has happened at least 5 times this year.

The client and Realtor want you to come back to reinspect it. It's not there fault it hasn't been turned back on. It's not fair to charge the client for the listing companies error.

It would be nice to charge the listing company some how for our time. How's everyone else handling this?

[mnahrgang]

I always tell them to make sure it is on.

If it's not, then I inspect what I can, disclaim what I can't and move on. If they want me to come back I tell them what the charge will be, and how long I think it will take to re-inspect.

If it's not their fault, they can ask whomsoever's fault it is, to pay.

Of course this is not a rock solid policy. There are always exceptions.

[klott]

Originally Posted by rkulla

We've all done them. I'm tired of getting told the water and gas is on when booking the inspection with the listing company, then getting to the property and the water meter is unhooked and the gas is shut off. I think this has happened at least 5 times this year.

The client and Realtor want you to come back to reinspect it. It's not there fault it hasn't been turned back on. It's not fair to charge the client for the listing companies error.

It would be nice to charge the listing company some how for our time. How's everyone else handling this?

It is their fault for not making sure it had been done, let the agent take the loss out of their 6%, not your fees. JMO

[Jorge L. Perez]

We ask when booking the inspection if water and power is on. If the answer is no, they are advised to wait until it can be turned on or if not I inspect what I can and if they want me to go back later there is an additional charge. With foreclosures down here, the customer usually has to call the utilities and get power and water turned on for 1 day if they want a thorough inspection. We have learned to note the name of who states there will be power and water. Sometimes the agents say yes without checking. The customer doesn't know it is an issue until too late.

[iniquette]

Lately I have been calling the client and listing agent reminding them everything needs to be on. Today, for the 3rd time this month(same listing agent), there was no power when I stopped to drop off a radon monitor. I called the listing agent and asked them what the problem was with this. He told me to wait around and he would get right on it. I told him I could only wait for a maximum of 2 hours due to my schedule, and my fee was $120.00 per hour and the clock was running. He was upset, but eventually understood. It never did get turned on, so now I have to go back again, and it's on their dime(time and mileage). I just had to start playing hardball with some of these brokers cuz they just don't care sometimes. They do when the clock is running though.

[Larry D. Kage]

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f11/cancellations-30343/

We ask about utilities while filling out the appointment sheet. We make sure our clients know that they (maybe through their Realtors or maybe the homeowner with a FSBO) are responsible for the utilities being on so that that scope of the inspection is not limited. And we follow up that we charge for return visits.

The key for us is managing the clients expectations...really, letting them know what to expect.

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by rkulla

We've all done them. I'm tired of getting told the water and gas is on when booking the inspection with the listing company, then getting to the property and the water meter is unhooked and the gas is shut off. I think this has happened at least 5 times this year.

The client and Realtor want you to come back to reinspect it. It's not there fault it hasn't been turned back on. It's not fair to charge the client for the listing companies error.

It would be nice to charge the listing company some how for our time. How's everyone else handling this?

I ask both the clients agent, and the listing agent, if both say the utilities are on I book the inspection for the day they want, or sooner if possible, three times the utilities have been off lately, I just inspect what I can and email them the report---

I usually get a phone call immediately after they receive the report asking if the utilities were turned off...I say yes of course they are off, did you read the report?---...then I usually hear a "Dammit" in the background---

Realtor says yes, I did read the report, that's why I am calling.---

I tell them to call me back again when the utilities are on again and I will go back, I charge $175.00 now to return...so actually I am hoping the agents don't know their asz from a hole in the ground, I am making more money, and I really don't care who pays it, but they don't get the report until its paid for---

I think I have made about an extra 525 bucks from realtors lately paying me because they do not know if electricity, water, and gas are on or off---

Unfreaking believable---