Trust agent advice on inspections

Flickr photo by LiveFromAmsterdam.

As I mentioned last week, there is a pervasive myth afloat that real estate agents are in cahoots with a stable of service providers like mortgage brokers and inspectors. The aim? To bilk unwary buyers out of their hard-earned dollars and dupe them into buying lemon homes and taking lemon loans.

Has such a thing ever happened in real life? I'm sure it has. But I'm also highly certain that these sorts of unholy alliances are the extreme exception rather than the rule.

What's true is that we agents do have a set of professionals we prefer our clients to work with. But our motivation for recommending preferred professionals is not trickery and deception, nor does the average agent take kickbacks or other monetary compensation for referring business to our preferred pros.

In the case of inspectors, my goal is for my buyer clients to receive:

• as full as possible a picture of the condition of the home,
• an education on how to operate the mechanical systems of the home,
• little or no emotional pressure from the inspector -- in either direction, and
• a detailed and user-friendly written inspection report.

And I want them to receive all of these things promptly -- my clients have anywhere from seven to 17 days to remove their inspection contingencies or back out of the deal while they can still recoup their deposit money. Most of my clients are buying homes ranging from 50 to 90-plus years of age. It's important that our inspection professionals get out to the home ASAP after we get into contract.

And, contrary to popular belief, most agents I know would never refer an inspector based on their promise or practice of withholding information that might kill the deal. The fact is, I would much rather my client learn the fatal flaw up-front -- so they can get their deposit back and we can find their "real" home -- than have them buy it, move in and embroil all of us in a lawsuit or other drawn-out drama years later.

Some legitimate reasons buyers should work with my preferred inspectors:

1. Qualified, competent, reliable and insured. My inspectors are certified property-inspection professionals who have been conducting home inspections in the context of a sale transaction for decades. They know what buyers want and need to know to make a solid decision about a property, and that requires a set of inspection and communication systems and skills that go beyond "just being handy around the house." On occasion, a client will ask why their Grandpa Joe ("he knows how to fix anything!") or an off-the-clock contractor buddy ("he'll only charge me 50 bucks!") can't do the inspection. ...CONTINUED

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