Inspector Mistakes Are Costly

[John McKenna]

Poll Reveals That Home Inspection Oversights Lead
to Major Expenses for Homeowners;

Angie's List (http://www.angieslist.com/AngiesList/) reveals the results for its recent home inspection poll. Drawing on the real-life experiences and feedback from many of its members across the U.S., Angie's List has put together a list of tips to help consumers.

(PRWEB) August 2, 2007 -- A home inspection (www.angieslist.com) is an important step for in the property buying process, says Angie's List (www.angieslist.com) founder Angie Hicks. According to a recent nationwide poll* of Angie's List members, 30 percent said their home inspector's oversights ended up becoming a major expense down the road. Some of the costly mistakes included mold, asbestos, termites, leaking roofs, even rats on one member's property!

"These scenarios are all too familiar," says Hicks. "Each day, thousands of home inspections are done across the country, with potentially costly ramifications for homeowners if they aren't done thoroughly and properly."

Angie's List talked to home inspectors as well. They shared their stories about the unusual situations they've come across. In Denver, an inspector found a section of a house being held up by a car jack. A Charlotte inspector discovered sewage backing up into the air conditioning vents of one house and in Portland an inspector found a skeleton from a house built on an Indian burial ground.

Hicks says home inspections (www.angieslist.com) are typically the "last look" a buyer will get before making what will be their largest single investment. "That's why it's important to take the time to find a qualified, experienced professional who is going to do a comprehensive home inspection that you can rely on."

Other findings of the Angie's List poll:
• 62 % homeowners say they have been involved in a home inspection within the last two years
• 68 % found their home inspector through their real estate agent
• 36 % spent between $300 and $400 on a home inspection (The cost of an inspection depends on a number of factors including the size of the house, its age, and other services such as septic and radon testing).
• 14 % were not satisfied with the inspection
Drawing on the real-life experiences and feedback from its more than 500,000 members in 124 cities across the U.S., Angie's List has put together its own list to help consumers:

Read the rest of the article at


http://pr-gb.com/index.php?option=co...=9251&Itemid=9

[jrivera]

That's alot to pull apart, ingest, swallow, correct


Mic

[nwagner]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

According to a recent nationwide poll* of Angie's List members, 30 percent said their home inspector's oversights ended up becoming a major expense down the road. Some of the costly mistakes included mold, asbestos, termites, leaking roofs, even rats on one member's property!

The mold could have been concealed behind drywall cover, asbestos is an environmental hazard that is outside the scope of an industry standard home inspection and comes in many forms, termites and roof leaks and rats can unexpectedly occur at anytime after the inspection without any warning signs. I wonder if that was factored into the poll and accurately checked for. I wonder if these clients had enough expert knowledge to determine if their inspector indeed messed up or if they were simply duped by the specialists trying to look like heros.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Some of the costly mistakes included mold, asbestos, termites, leaking roofs, even rats on one member's property!

Dumb article, only roof leaks fall under the scope of a HI.

[John McKenna]

This information is useful in that it helps us see what to educate our clients
about on some of these issues, even if outside the SoP. If most clients EXPECT
these issues to be found, and it is not part of our SoP, then I feel it would be wise to
clearly state this in plain sight. It would appear that most of these inspectors were
chosen by the Realtor and most did not communicate the limitations of their
of report.

Here are some disclaimers I put in my reports:

NOTE: The Client should provide for personal safety and health concerns by
seeking further inspections, to verify possible risk that are outside the scope of
this inspection. This company does not inspect for fungi, mold, asbestos, lead,
insects, rodents, pollutants, radon, environmental, biological, indoor air quality,
hazardous substances-conditions, or compliance with codes and restrictions.
Be advised that everyone's health and safety concerns are a personal responsibility
and it is recommended that further inspections be done, by qualified Professionals,
to ensure that this property is safe and healthy for everyone. These limitations are
in compliance with Texas Real Estate Commission standards of practice.

Note: Although evidence of visible water stains are identified, water penetration
during raining conditions are unknown. Some leaks may be active under certain
conditions (rain and wind from specific directions) and appear cured until the
conditions reoccur. If there have been previous leaks (water penetration or
plumbing leaks), and they have not been professionally repaired, leaking may
reoccur. It is prudent to assume leaks are active unless you can verify all repairs
were professionally accomplished with copies of invoices and warrantees.This
should be resolved to your satisfaction prior to closing.

Moisture problems can be conducive to fugi-mold, decay, and wood destroying
insects that are not always visible.

[nwagner]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

This information is useful in that it helps us see what to educate our clients
about on some of these issues, even if outside the SoP. If most clients EXPECT
these issues to be found, and it is not part of our SoP, then I feel it would be wise to
clearly state this in plain site. It would appear that most of these inspectors were
chosen by the Realtor and most did not communicate the limitations of their
of report.

Here are some disclaimers I put in clear site, in some areas of my reports:

You're right on the money! It just ruffles my feathers when the idiot media and clueless "watchdog" organizations that produce these sensational exposes about our profession that are less articulate than the plot line of a 30 minute porno.

[Joseph Burkeson, CMI]

Originally Posted by jmckenna1

Other findings of the Angie's List poll:
• 62 % homeowners say they have been involved in a home inspection within the last two years
• 68 % found their home inspector through their real estate agent
• 36 % spent between $300 and $400 on a home inspection (The cost of an inspection depends on a number of factors including the size of the house, its age, and other services such as septic and radon testing).
• 14 % were not satisfied with the inspection

Good news, I like these stats 86% approval rating and the Realtors lost ground (14%) with only a 68% of the home inspections being referred. Let's keep up the good work and tighten up these numbers even further.