Mandatory Inspections

[John Cahill]

A Texas Realtor told me she heard on the grapevine that home inspections may become mandatory. I am not sure if that applies to Texas or national. I am not sure who might drive this. Perhaps the lenders?

Is there is gossip out there on this?

[rramsey1]

How many other state require home inspections for each change of ownership real estate transaction ?

[Emmanuel J. Scanlan]

John,

That would certainly be good news for consumers as many choose not to have an inspection. However, I can not see that happening and the Agent might have either been not properly advised or misinterpreted what was said. There is a movement by cities to perform COO inspections for all property transfers and some even require it for rental occupancy changes.

I helped spearhead a safety COO inspection of all occupancy changes (sales or rental occupant changes) for our little town of Josephine. This was after I was called by the City to check a local residents home, found her conditions from a flip home a significant hazard, and already affecting her health. During that inspection I immediately notified local paramedics due to the situation. Josephine now requires a basic health and safety inspection.

Other cities such as Garland, Sachse, Flower Mound are all doing similar programs. Garland also has an aggressive inspection program for rental properties to weed out the Slumlords. These are all very good programs but are very basic in nature. Unfortunately I feel they will be pushed by certain groups as all that is needed, and consumers again will be taken advantage of during RE sales.

[Carl [Tobin] Crosland]

Originally Posted by jcahill

A Texas Realtor told me she heard on the grapevine that home inspections may become mandatory. I am not sure if that applies to Texas or national. I am not sure who might drive this. Perhaps the lenders?

Is there is gossip out there on this?

I have heard the same rumor. I asked a friend of mine that is in the lending department of a large bank and he has heard nothing of the sort.

[Jeffrey R. Knight]

Originally Posted by jcahill

A Texas Realtor told me she heard on the grapevine that home inspections may become mandatory. I am not sure if that applies to Texas or national. I am not sure who might drive this. Perhaps the lenders?

Is there is gossip out there on this?

This has been going on for years here in the Twin Cities. Every single-family home in Minneapolis, St. Paul and in the suburbs of Bloomington, Maplewood, So. St. Paul and Hopkins are required to have a Sellers home inspection done before they can be put on the market. The reports are different from each other although over the years they have tried to all least agree on specific things they are looking for. I am assuming the main drive behind it many years ago was to try and clean up the homes that have become very rundown or dangerous. The reports started off as a 2-4 page report but have continued to grow over the years. It is one of the only places I know of in the country that does this. I am surprised there are not more.

[James E. Braun, CMI]

NAR will never allow full mandatory home inspections. Sad but true.

[Gary Farnsworth]

Banks, lenders, even insurance companies may require some sort of evaluations of homes anyway before they invest time and money into the properties. I am in favor of them being mandatory. Why have home inspection laws at all unless home inspections are required in any home sale transaction?

[David A. Selman]

Interesting John. Let us know if you hear anything more about mandatory inspections.

[John Cahill]

It was a dead end rumor. Smoke through a keyhole.