Category: Inspecting the Home
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Is it wise to waive a home inspection?
Dear Monty: Is it wise to waive a home inspection? We recently bought a home, and we agreed to waive a home inspection. There were multiple offers on the house. Our agent suggested a competitive advantage by waiving the home inspection. Yesterday, a heating contractor told us we should replace the twenty-year-old furnace. Since moving…
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The problems with home inspections
Reader Question: You have written numerous articles over time about the problems with home inspections. We are near our savings goal and preparing to buy a home. What is your current opinion of home inspections? Monty’s Answer: Home inspection laws came into existence because home sellers were unaware of the defects, hid, or made…
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Who should have caught this condition problem?
Reader Question: I bought a house a year ago with some permitted room additions. However, the flipper replaced the electrical box from 100 amp to 200 amp non-permitted. This work was not disclosed to me or caught in the homeowner’s inspection. So now, I have been experiencing electrical issues at my house. The utility…
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Home buyer is afraid of hidden home defects.
Reader Question: We like a home and want to make an offer. The seller is offering the home in “as is” condition and did not complete a seller condition report. While we do see conditions that will require repair or replacements, those repairs do not seem severe enough to go “as is” on us. Our…
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How to verify lot lines
When buying a home it is important to verify lot lines. Avoid angst in the future when you build a fence on your neighbors property.
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Not Knowing Your Property Line When Buying a Home Can Be Expensive
Reader Question: I recently had my lot surveyed, and it turns out one neighbor’s fence is three feet over my property line, butted up against the back of my garage. The neighbor to the side has a fence that is about five feet inside their property line. I have someone cut my grass and don’t…
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Nine high-odd flashpoints for home condition issues
Reader Question: We are planning on buying a home soon. Many of our friends and co-workers have purchased homes in the past few years. Between stories we hear from them and the stories on real estate websites, home inspections are one of the most common trouble spots in the process. Are there certain circumstances where…
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Homebuyer finds foundation problem after closing
Reader Question: We bought a one-hundred plus year-old home. Tenants occupied it at the time of purchase, and we couldn’t move in for three months. It is our first house. It has a stone wall foundation and wooden beams supported by screw jacks. An addition has a concrete block foundation. The home inspection called for…
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Homebuyer questions the value of a home inspection
Reader Question: We don’t see the value of a home inspection. We are going to be buying another home soon. In the house we sold, the buyer’s inspector missed some items of which we were unaware. It created a few problems after they moved in, but we worked with them, and all turned out well.…
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Four steps to handle a broken trust
Reader Question: We have a broken trust. We bought our first home last month. Our inspector found several problems, one of which was a rodent problem in our attic. We trusted our agent when she told us the rodent problem was taken care of when they fixed the roof. We did not know what to look…
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Seven answers to a home inspector’s question
Reader Question: Here is a home inspector’s question. Customers tell me I am a good inspector. I always want to improve my methods when I can. Your answer to this question may help focus my efforts. What are the main questions you get from consumers about home inspectors? Monty’s Answer: Incorporating the continuous improvement philosophy into…
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Real estate agent hassles home inspector
Reader Question: I am a home inspector. I work with an agent from whom I always get agent pressure to “take it easy.” I refuse to lower my standards, but I’m concerned about him finding a replacement. How would you suggest I approach this? Monty’s Answer: The situation you describe may be a very delicate…
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Ten questions to ask when hiring a home inspector
Reader Question: We will looking to buy a home in the near future. When thinking about hiring a home inspector, how do we pick a quality one? Randy and Mary Ann G. Monty’s Answer: Now is a good time to be thinking about hiring a home inspector. Because a home purchase or sale is likely your…
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A home inspection is not always enough
A home inspection does not reveal defects that are not visible. Occasionally, additional testing can provide information you need to proceed.
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Six new home inspection points costly to fix later
Reader Question: We are nearing a decision on having a new home constructed. Not having built a home, what should we be looking for once the contract is signed, and construction begins? Justin and Allison B. Monty’s Answer: The assumption in answering your question will be that you have engaged in an exercise described in…