How do I find a good inspector? Start with a web search through a nationally recognized home inspector association. ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors, is the oldest and most respected. Go to www.ashi.org, where you can find a local inspector, check out their experience and background and get a link to their website.…

For home buyers and builders alike, it is important to differentiate between a code inspection and a home inspection. Simply stated, a home inspection is not intended to be a process where the inspector checks for compliance with the building code. That is the job of the local AHJ, or authority having jurisdiction. In teaching…

One of the questions at the heart of inspecting asks whether or not it’s reasonable for an inspector to identify all of the reportable conditions throughout the home? Understanding that an inspector can only identify what is visible on the day of the inspection and that he or she cannot move furnishings, tear open walls,…

While the majority of home inspections are for clients conducting the transaction through their Realtor, many are performed for buyers acting as their own agent. However, doing inspections without a Realtor can often lead to challenges for all parties involved. For the inspector, this can create awkward situations as the buyer may look to them…

For home inspectors, dealing with the seller’s pets during the inspection can be very frustrating. Frequently, I am faced with a loose dog in the yard or a note on the door asking not to let the cat out. The critters left behind during the inspection might be just “dumb animals”, but I truly believe…

The mention of having a home inspection is almost always followed by, “Oh, so you’re buying a home.” In point of fact, home inspections are almost always performed for home buyers, not home sellers. Those who would choose to have an inspection performed prior to listing their home for sale remain in the minority. So…

With today’s technology, most home inspection reports are high quality computer generated documents filled with color photographs and impressive detail. However, beyond that are some important legal considerations: The first relates to ownership of the report: Technically, the inspector has rights to the report much like a copyright and the buyer paying for the inspection…

There are a number of species of beetles which are known to attack wood, although for the home inspector wood damage from the ominously named deathwatch beetle (family Anobiidae) is probably the most commonly seen. Those in the construction trades and Real Estate community have likely heard of these beetles referred to as powderpost beetles,…