Find A MerchantFind A DealGet Advice

Find

In or Around

Home Inspector Fort Worth TX (Kent Keith - Green Tag Home Inspections)

P.O. Box 470815, Fort Worth, TX 76147
817-705-3200
www.fortworthinspector.com
Hours: Morning appointments at 9:00am and afternoon appointments at 2:00pm 7days a week.
Payment: Cash, Check and credit cards through PayPal
  • We also service the Burleson, Dallas, Keller area.
  • Book Appointment
    See more blogs in Fort Worth, TX

    The Consumers Guide To Home Inspectors and Home Inspections

    Home inspection and choosing the right home inspector can be a difficult task, especially if you don’t know what
    questions to ask. I hope this guide is helpful if you are a first time buyer and need to know what home inspections
    are all about or have purchased many homes, you will probably find information here that you may not have thought
    of. Whether you hire me as your inspector or not, you owe it to yourself to learn as much as you can about the most
    expensive purchase you will ever make….your home.

                                                        The History of Home Inspection
    The home inspection industry is still relatively new. To the home buyers of the early 1900s, property inspections
    were non-existent. In this simpler era, the purchase of a home was a simple bank transaction and a handshake. The
    thought of suing someone over  a home purchase problem was not on anyone’s mind. As long as the roof didn’t
    leak and the house was basically sound, everyone was happy.
    By the 1960s, the home purchase process became more complicated and included attorneys, appraisers, escrow
    officers and other legal issues and paperwork, but the cost of an average house was barely two years income of a
    single working person. Interest rates were very low and homes were so affordable, people accepted flaws of a
    house as part of the deal. Although the home inspection industry was still not introduced yet, the “home inspector”
    of this era was your uncle Bob that knew something about construction that gave his opinion of the house.
    Then came the 1970’s and societal changes went crazy affecting all aspects of business and finance. House prices
    escalated to unimaginable levels. With high down payments and monthly installments, more and more people were
    now unwilling to accept the “as is” home conditions. Real estate agents were growing increasingly tired of being the
    one blamed when home defects were discovered after the sale. Then came the second generation of home
    inspectors….contractors. Contractors and handymen saw an opportunity to look over a home and give an opinion to
    the buyer as to what needs to be fixed and made a good living performing the repairs as well. Of course, this is a
    direct conflict of interest since someone who does inspections should not perform the repairs as well. They didn’t
    have to be licensed as inspectors since there was no such license, carry insurance and were not regulated, so their
    services to the public were not always honest or reliable and in most cases, these services weren’t even known to
    exist by many.
    By the early 1980s, the demand for disclosure caused the formation of the first home inspectors as a recognized
    true profession. Also emerged was the need for regulation, continued education and standards of practice to the
    newly formed profession with the formation of associations such as
    ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors),
    NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors) and TAREI (Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors) and
    others. Texas then led the nation as the first state to license home inspectors and many states followed suit, while
    some states even to this date, still don’t license home inspectors, eventually probably will.
    As the home inspection profession is still evolving, continual changes are always being made to make sure the
    home buyers are protected and ensure the inspectors are top notch. As of 2008, Texas is has mandated the
    requirement of
    Errors and Omission Insurance for inspectors to carry and later in the year will introduce a new
    report form and standards of Practice (SOP).

                                                         The Home Inspection Process
    First of all, what exactly is a home inspector?
    Actually that can be a good question. If I were to sum it up, I would say that we are consumer advocates. We work
    for the customer to use our knowledge of houses to help you gain as much information about the home as possible
    so that you know what you are buying and maybe negotiate for repairs, upgrades or money off the price of the
    house. I can tell you what we are not.
    We are not:
    Code Inspectors- We do not enforce building codes on existing homes, although we do if we inspect new homes
    outside city jurisdiction. But in a typical existing home purchase transaction, we do not inspect for code compliance
    or be confused with city building inspectors that oversee the construction permits by the city. These inspectors work
    for the city and spend little time at the house during construction or a remodel job only to ensure building codes are
    met. As a professional inspector in a purchase transaction, we go over the entire home to look for defects and
    spend hours at a home, not minutes. Used existing homes never meet current codes, but it may be useful to know
    what these new codes are in case you choose to keep the house updated. Sometimes I refer to current codes for
    safety items such as smoke detectors so that I have justification to alert the buyers to have these items corrected.
    Even though we are not code inspectors, I do find it ironic that if we were to get sued by an angry homeowner, the
    prosecuting attorney would be quick to pull out all the code books!
    Specialists- We are general inspectors, not specialists in any particular field. We are not licensed plumbers,
    electricians or engineers. If we find that a particular item in a home is found to be in need of repair, we then advise
    you to have a specialist in that field to evaluate it. We don’t take apart air conditioners or dishwashers to tell you
    what is wrong with it, we just report that it does not work or is incorrectly installed.
    Psychics- We can’t tell you how long something will last. We can however tell you how long an item such as a water
    heater or furnace should last, but you need to remember that an item can work perfectly at the time of the
    inspection and
    fail the next day!
    A Home Warranty Company- We do not warranty items in a house or give guarantees. You are always encouraged
    to purchase a home warranty and your Realtor should also advise you to
    also.
    Estimators- I may be speaking for myself on this issue, but I don’t give estimates for repairs. I think any inspector
    that does is asking for a lot of trouble. I get asked by many customers, how much will it cost for a repair or upgrade.
    Some upgrades are pretty standard but I don’t know what materials and labor rates are for most, so I would only be
    throwing out a number off the top of my head…..and you would be calling me when I’m way off! As far as repairs,
    how can I give an estimate when I don’t know what exactly is causing the problem? An air conditioner that won’t
    come on could have a bad breaker that may cost $6.00 or may need a complete replacement with the costs in the
    thousands.

    When should I schedule the inspection?
    As soon as you have a contract on the house. Most contracts give you want is called and “opt out period”. The opt
    out time can vary and in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, 10 day seems to be the norm. During this time, you will need
    to have the home inspection performed and any estimates for repairs gathered so that you may either pass on the
    purchase or negotiate the home’s price. DO NOT wait until the last few days on the opt out period to get the home
    inspected. The
    good inspectors are usually booked ahead and you may have to settle on an inspector that is
    available with less experience. It is also advised have your inspector already picked out when you are still in the
    shopping phase so you aren’t rushed, home buying is stressful enough.

    The scope and limitations of a home inspection
    I am asked frequently when a potential client calls as to what items are covered with the home inspection. Basically
    most all the home’s components from the roof, on down to the foundation are inspected. The roof, electrical,
    plumbing, attic area, interior, AC and furnace and the appliances are inspected. You need to understand that only
    the accessible and visible components can be expected, since we can’t open walls and floors. The attic can be
    covered with insulation and many items can’t be seen. Here are the
    current standards of practice for Texas, and the
    proposed standards that will soon take effect. You should carefully read the standards so you won’t be confused or
    disappointed.

    Home inspection contingency
    In most cases with existing home purchases, you have within the opt out period a contingency to buy the home “as
    is” based on the inspection report. Or if you decline the acceptance, then you have the following options.
    1.        Ask the sellers to make some of the needed repairs. You should be sure to address the issues related to       
    safety as a priority.
    2.        Ask the sellers to make all the needed repairs.
    3.        Ask the sellers to adjust the home’s price based on the needed repairs.
    4.        Ask the sellers to credit you the cost of the repairs.
    5.        Decline to purchase the property altogether.

    If you choose to have the sellers to reduce the price or make repairs, the sellers have choices themselves.
    1.        Agree to make some of the repairs.
    2.        Agree to make all the repairs.
    3.        Agree to reduce the home’s price or give credit.
    4.        Tell you to take it or leave it.

    Many buyers, especially first time buyers think that just because we have repair items in our reports, that the sellers
    must make repairs. This just isn’t true. The sellers are not under any obligation whatsoever to make any repairs. It
    just boils down to how bad to the sellers want to sell the house and or be fair in the sale. It also depends on whether
    it is a buyers market or a sellers market in the area. I an buyers market, most sellers will turn back flips to sell their
    house.

    How long should an inspection take to perform?
    It depends on many factors such as how large a house is, if the house has a pier & beam foundation, it takes longer
    to crawl under the house and inspect. If the home has a swimming pool and sprinkler system, that takes time also. It
    also depends on how thorough and fast the inspector is. A typical home inspection on an average size house
    should take about three house and spend at least 30 minutes with you going over the findings. If an inspector is in
    and out in 1 – 2 hours, in my opinion, you did not get a thorough inspection. Some inspectors want to make as much
    money as they can by flying through the inspection and on to the next one. I would ask how long the inspection will
    take when interviewing the inspector to see how thorough the inspector is.

    Why you should attend the inspection
    I perform many home inspections for people that are out of town and are moving to the area, so I write my inspection
    reports to be as detailed as possible with many photos for clarification. However, you should try your best to be
    present for the inspection and ask as many questions as you can. Some inspectors do not like you to stay with them
    throughout the inspection, but personally I love showing and teaching the customer about the house. This may also
    be one the pre-screening questions you may want to ask.

    How to choose the right home inspector
    Choosing the right home inspector can be daunting, especially if you have never needed to hire one before. By
    reading this guide, you should have a good idea of what questions to ask when interviewing an inspector. Many
    people have the impression that all professional home inspectors are all that same since we all go by the same
    standards. Nothing could be further from the truth. If two inspectors were to inspect the same house, the inspection
    reports and findings could be quite different. Some inspectors try harder, are more experienced and are more
    thorough that others. Even some of the veteran inspectors that have decades of experience are too lazy to get on
    the roof, climb in the attic and crawl under the house on pier & beam homes….another reason why you should
    attend the inspection, to make sure the inspector is doing their job. Here are more factors you should consider in
    choosing the right home inspector.
    Home inspectors licensing- Verify that the inspector is properly licensed if the state requires licensing. Texas home
    inspectors are required to be licensed.
    Home Inspector Experience- It may surprise you to learn that anyone can become a Texas professional home
    inspector in no time. While experience in the construction industry is very helpful, it is not required. This may change
    in the future, but as of now, a person just has to attend the required hours at an approved home inspection school
    and pass the state home inspection test and they are considered a professional home inspector, although they
    have never inspected a single home in their life. The inspector you hire may be performing their first inspection ever.
    Professional Affiliations- Most home inspectors join a home inspector professional organization to take advantage of
    benefits and sharpen their skills since these organizations also require continued education hours for membership.
    Inspectors can also learn from each other at meetings and conventions. Texas home inspectors by state law are
    required to complete 16 hours of approved continued education. The most prominent of these associations are
    ASHI, NAHI, NACHI and TAREI.
    Insurance- Texas has recently adopted a new law requiring home inspectors to carry a minimum of $100,000 of
    professional liability insurance. This is required at license renewal, so at this time, some Texas home inspectors may
    not carry it yet.
    See a sample report – Ask to see a sample of the inspector’s report. This should give you an idea of how thorough
    and if the inspector includes pictures of defects. Most all inspectors use computer generated reports and some post
    them on their website to view or can email you a copy.
    Should I choose an inspector your sales agent refers? – That really depends on how much trust you place in your
    agent. Some agents want you to use an inspector that does a quick inspection and writes basically nothing in the
    reports so the transaction goes through fast and easy. If your agent is one of the more professional agents he or
    she will want you to have the best inspection possible, after all it’s their reputation on the line when they make
    referrals. If you are not sure if you should let the agent pick the home inspector, then seek out your own. You have
    every right to chose your own inspector and don’t ever let a sales agent tell you otherwise.
    Don’t choose the cheapest inspector – Please believe me when I make that statement. When I get calls from
    potential clients that is usually the first question that is asked. I don’t think it’s because people are just cheap, they
    just don’t know that else to ask. While I understand that no one wants to pay more than they have to, you get what
    you pay for. You aren’t buying a bottle of soda pop at the store where all of them are the same, you are buying a
    professional service. The cheapest inspectors are usually the new ones that have trouble getting work or perform
    inspections as a sideline. I know of a customer that was determined to hire the cheapest inspector she could find
    and after the sale, found out the insurance company would not insure her roof because the shingles were installed
    over the old wooden shingles, which were clearly visible from the attic. She wound up having to pay for the whole
    roof at about $6000 in trying to save a mere $25.00 in inspection fees. The average cost of a home inspection in
    the USA is $380.00 (USA Today...Friday, January 13,2006) The fees in the Dallas Fort Worth area should be less
    that the national average.

    To help you to ask the right questions, I have made a list of questions I would ask a potential home inspector.
    1.        How long have you had your license and have been inspecti
    ng homes?
    2.        Do you carry Errors and Omissions insurance?
    3.        How long does it take to perform a  typical home inspection?
    4.        How long does it take for me to get my inspection report?
    5.        Are you a member of a professional association?
    6.        Do you be willing to perform a re-inspection on repaired items?
    7.        Do you mind if I follow along while you inspect?
    8.        What is your inspection fee?
    10.      Do you have any references I can speak to?

    Fort Worth / Dallas Home Inspector
    www.fortworthinspector.com


    0 comments | Edit Bookmark: del.icio.us | StumbleUpon | Digg

    Posted 08:22 PM November 04, 2008


    Leave a Reply:

    * Email is required, but will not be public.

    1000 characters allowed.
    Verify You Are a Person
     

    Please type the characters you see in the image below:

     
      Enter the code shown