Home inspections - who should be there?

Steve McLinden. Bankrate.com's real estate adviser, writes this-

Must seller be present at home inspection?

When the home inspection is being performed, should the buyer, buyer's agent or seller (and agent) be present? I think the seller wants to be there. But what is best for me, the buyer?

-- Sherry B.

Dear Sherry,

Both you and your agent absolutely need to be present. As for the sellers and agent, umm, ideally no.

 

Your buyer's home inspection will not only give you and your agent an up-close assessment of what flaws and issues need to be addressed at the house and which items are minor and critical, it will also serve as an informative primer on how the home works, where the fuse box and water shut-off valve are, where the furnace filter is changed and what components require regular maintenance, among a litany of other practical things. And this way, you won't have to rely only on a written inspection report, which can be a little confusing, plus you'll get a valuable glimpse of some of the home's underpinnings from an expert. Moreover, a trustworthy and seasoned agent should be able to chime in with important questions for the inspector that you might not have even considered.

Why you don't want the seller around?

A seller's presence, on the other hand, can create tension and discomfort for the buyer and sometimes for the inspector, plus it tends to make the buyer more reluctant to comment freely or ask potentially sensitive questions about the home's condition. Most good seller's agents, by the way, know the protocol for keeping themselves and their clients out of the way and will advise accordingly, though some sellers will persist. In fact, Realtor chatter out there indicates that sellers tend to be showing up at inspections -- and home showings -- more frequently these days.

There's more to the story, but it common sense seems to suggest the above is correct.

Read the full story here.
 
For your next commercial real estate transaction, house purchase, mortgage refinance, reverse mortgage, or home equity loan, contact us. We can help. Located in Fairfield, NJ, we are the title insurance agent that does it all for you.

For your next title order or

if you have questions about what you see here, contact

Stephen M. Flatow, Esq.

Vested Land Services LLC

165 Passaic Avenue, Suite 101

Fairfield, NJ 07004

Tel 973-808-6130 - Fax 973-227-0645

E-mail sflatow AT vested.com

Sphere: Related Content