• Why the need for an inspection
• What an Inspection Covers depends on the inspector
  • What he can see.
  • How much does he know about buildings.
  • How hard will he work for you.
  • How well he can write.
• Agents and the Buyers choice of inspector
  • An agent is in the business of selling buildings to earn commissions. Inspection reports do not always help them sell the property.
  • They can’t always fairly recommend the best inspector because that will negatively affect the end result and their commission.
• The influence of an Association of Home Inspectors
  • Some Associations have many standards, BUT are limited on education, and next to nothing for report writing. The inspector is left to his own devices and writing skill.
• The best test of an inspector’s skill is his reports.
• BEWARE the inspectors who turn salesman during an inspection to help sell the property.
• Beware 3rd party quality control / code inspectors on a builder’s payroll
• Newly Constructed Houses or Commercial Buildings.
  • Building code enforcement is influenced by politics. Much code is NOT enforced.
  • Try to avoid letting the seller fix any significant problems found by the inspector. Ask them to amend the sale price so that YOU can fix it once you become owner. They have no vested interest in fixing it properly because it won’t be their problem once its yours.
• IX. Prior inspection reports
  • Reports are questionable and may be invalid if it was done for someone else.
  • They’re invalid if the due diligence period is over (no fiduciary duty to you).
  • Buyers and sellers have an adversarial relationship when it comes to the inspection report. Buyers want all issues reported. Seller doesn’t.
  • Inspector’s performance can be strongly influenced by the entity that chooses him.
• Repair prices
  • Some inspectors give estimates.
  • Repair estimates vary enormously from one contractor to another
  • MOST inspectors are not qualified to give valid repair estimates because they aren’t going to fix anything anyway. Some Associations don’t allow an inspector to do repairs on a building they’ve inspected without the consent of all parties to the inspection.
  • An Inspector’s insurance does not cover claims related to an inspector’s inadequate repair estimate

Contact a KARCI inspector today for a reasonable quote on an inspection that goes “above and beyond”.