Home inspection????????

Question

we recently purchased a home that was foreclosed. We knew the previous owners and keep in contact with them on a regular basis. They have told us everything that they had going wrong with the house or any problems they were having (really, not much). The home was winterized about 4 months ago. Our real estate agent said since the previous owners are telling us everything with the house, it wasn't necessary for us to put forth the $400 to get the home inspection. I would feel better, however, to at least have somebody come out to look at utilities and termites. Is this possible to do, or when I sign up for an inspection, do I have to get the whole shabang?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Realtors almost always recommend whatever will close the deal and/or not cause problems before or after the sale.  

You can ask a home inspector to check specific things, but if they comply, you can expect that they won't want to give you the same "guarantee" on their work as they would if you had them do the whole inspection process.

Answer 2

I don't know what services are available in your area, but for $400 why not get the whole thing, it's not much added to the cost of a house, and will either put your mind at rest OR alert you to problems you may face in the future.

Answer 3

You should get an Inspection or a good reputable builder into do an inspection. Even then inspectors can miss some things, or mark them off as being fine, then several days later you find one thing he checked does not work. The answer, I have had back was: It was working or functioning the day I inspected it. But Generally it is well worth some peace of mind to get the inspection. In my State sellers have to do a disclosure on known defects.Check with your agent for a property disclosure and you have to sign to say you received it.

Still not a good idea just to take the sellers word. Often times if you do buy through a foreclosure, the Finance Institution has to inspect and put into good order with clear title to sell. Not necessarily the case with pre-foreclosure.

Find a good builder or inspector. A bad inspector or for matter builder or realtor reputation gets around. Ask about before selecting if you can.

Answer 4

Never trust anyone when it comes to buying a house.  As a buyer, you are the one holding the bag when something happens after the fact.  It is a BUYER BEWARE transaction.  A small investment of $400 is a small price to pay for peace of mind.  I would strongly suggest doing it.

Answer 5

I know you know the previous owners and they have told you every thing ... I hope they are honest and true to their word. But you really should get it all checked out properly, houses don't come cheap and you never know what you cant see beneath the plaster ...could be a potential disaster. I'm sure they will understand. good luck

Answer 6

Get a full inspection!  Previous owners may not know everything, may not tell everything they do know, and may have addressed problems improperly.  Further, if you're going for a mortgage, the lender will almost certainly require an inspection as a condition of writing the note.  Often, insurers will want that, too, in order to write coverage.  Not having the inspection seems penny-wise and pound-foolish!  

Answer 7

You want an inspection. Whether or not you know these people. For one, they just lost their house and may not be the most honest about it's condition to the proud new owners and two, there may be problemds they don't know about.

  $400, compared to what, at least $100,000? It's small potatoes, go ahead and shell it out.  

Answer 8

your realtor is being stupid....everyone that buys a house should get an inspection.  The owners don't even necarily know everything that might be wrong with a house.  Pay the $400 it is worth it.

Answer 9

LISTEN UP!!! You are making the biggest investment of your life, do you really want to cut corners, and trust others with this, NO, NO, NO! Get a full inspection, including roof and termite. Pick your own inspector, ASHE qualified or engineer type best, do not let agent recommend inspectors, for they already gave you bad advice by saying you didn't need one. You only have yourself to protect you in life!!!!! SOURCE 30 years around real estate, 30 years contractor, former home inspector and home owner. You may contact me at yahoo answers mail if you have further questions. JERRY

Answer 10

FHA (HUD) do have special inspectors for their projects, but when buying such a home, you can use any inspector that you wish. Most inspectors, including myself, prefer to be paid when the job is complete; however, the bill can be tied up with the mortgage at the closing.

If you shop around, you may find that inspection prices vary. A full inspection will look at the structure, electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems and appliances along with (possibly) lawn sprinklers, security systems, pools, or other add ons to the home.Although the sellers may have been trying to be honest with you, they may not have known everything, and that is why it is good to have a complete inspection. I am asked to only check certain parts of a home, so I do charge less, when only looking at one part, and that is fairly typical for most inspectors. I go over the inspection process on my blog, where I also mention the qualifications for inspectors in different states on the Info page, so you can reach me there if you have any more questions.

Here is the url: http://www.yourhoustonhomeinspector.com

Good Luck!