By: Dennis Norman
Gerry Loesch, PE
In parts one, two and three of this series I gave you some background on Gerry Loesch as well as his informative E-View TM . Now we’ll pick up where we left off.
Gerry’s closing remarks show his passion for his profession: “I still love what I do. It is the only job where I get to give my opinion, no one has to agree with it, and I still get paid.” Well said Gerry! Where do I sign up???
Now we’ll continue with the E-View TM :
Q-Many cities and municipalities throughout the country have some sort of occupancy inspection. Since a building inspector from the local city or county is going to be inspecting the property to assure it’s compliance with local property maintenance codes, is it really necessary in this case for a buyer to still obtain an private building inspection? If so, why?
A-The anser to this is similar to the previous question. Municipal inspectors only look at certain items in a resale inspection. They have specific code issues they check. They do not go into the detail a private building inspector does. It is like comparing apples and oranges.
Q-Some agents are suggesting that sellers get a building inspection on their home when they place it on the market for sale. The idea is this will help set them apart from other sellers. What are your thoughts on this? What advantage, or benefit, if any, do you think it gives the seller or ultimately a buyer?
A-Pre-Listing inspection is a great idea for a seller. It gives the seller and agent a better handle ot he condition of the property and it allows sellers to obtain bids for any work that is needed as well as make selective choices for a contractor rather than being backed into a coerne with a short window to complete certain repairs that arise during the building inspection competed by the ultimate buyer. Remember man pepole live in a property for a number of years and eveything works to their satisfaction but in reality there may be problems. It is best and cheaper to deal with these problems up front. Not to mention the seller might as well get the “marketing benefit” from the improved condition of the house.Q-Should a buyer (or seller for that matter) be concerned if the building inspector gives bids to corrective items identified in his inspection?A-Yes, definitely! Providing repair bids to perform work on a house an inspector has inspected is a conflict of interest and that inspector should be avoided. When it comes to a building inspection the buyer or seller needs the opinion of an objective third party, not someone that is trying to sel you something.
If you would like to contact Gerry direct, he can be reached via email at GLoesch@LandAm.com or GerryL11@Earthlink.net , or by phone at (314) 249-8370 (cell) 1-800-285-3001 (office).
Watch for part 5 of the E-View TM which will be posted over the next few days and will include, in addition to the final part of the E-View TMan extensive list of resources available to the consumer on this topic.
Related posts:
- What should a home buyer know about home inspections? Part two of a series
- What should a home buyer know about home inspections? Final post in the series
- What should a home buyer know about home inspections? Part three of a series
- What should a home buyer know about home inspections?
- Selling your home? Help on how to do it in this market…Part 2 in a series
the best way for potential home buyers to effectively evaluate the risks of a property purchase. A major concern of NJ home buyers is being suddenly confronted with major and costly problems after they take possession of a property. A professional pre-purchase home inspection can reduce anxiety by screening for problems and itemizing them in a comprehensive report. This home inspection report may include approximations of repair costs and recommendations of useful upgrades to the property systems. The general result of a professional home inspection is that property buyers make significantly more informed purchases.
Screening for Problems: All homes have strong and weak points, they are not always what they seem. Gain the perspective and sound information you need to make better decisions with a home inspection performed by an experienced professional home inspectors. A good home inspectors works through a very long checklist of potential concerns to identify the major and minor deficiencies in the home. A good report will clearly describe the problems and illustrate them along with the what-to and how-to of repairs.
Provide Owners Benefits: Home owners who are planning to make improvements to their homes in order to increase its market value would be well advised to have it inspected first. A home inspectors can help prioritize home improvements and offer advice on the best ways to approach repairs. More importantly, an inspectors can help the seller identify potential or undiscovered problems before those problems become material for contract contingencies. By taking a pro-active approach one can avoid the frustrations many owners encounter when they are asked to re-negotiate their contracts because of unanticipated problem areas.
Credentials: Like any other professional, home inspectors (even those with licenses) have varied degrees of expertise. All home inspectors should be carefully screened. Inspectors learn from experience. It takes a few thousand inspections and a more than a few complaints for a home inspectors to LEARN what it takes to satisfy clients
I am currently looking into buying my first investment property, the information on this website is great and very usefull i thankyou for this website. FANTASTIC !
Mike