A Home Inspector’s Duty:
A Professional Inspector, as a matter of fact, should always look out for their client’s best interest at all times. There are many Home Inspectors that work for the realtor and overlook vital items during an inspection for referrals. This is a total disservice to any homebuyer that hires a pay-to-play inspector. Or is also known as a “Soft Inspector“.
SOFT INSPECTORS:
A “Soft Inspector” will offer a low price for their services and produce a report that does nothing for you but leave you with more questions than answers. Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC does not cater to or solicit any Real Estate office. This gives us the opportunity to offer the best inspections service anywhere in the Black Hills area and Rapid City.
When an inspector offers a low price, Ask Yourself one question. “What Are They Not Reporting On”. Getting a deal is not always a good idea. Buying a home is not like buying a car or getting a haircut. It is and probably will be the biggest investment you will ever make. You want to know exactly what you are buying.
QUALITY INSPECTIONS:
We will help you make the right decision when purchasing a property. “Residential or Commercial”. A good inspector can save you thousands of dollars and, a bad inspector could cost you thousands of dollars by overlooking vital items.
Before, During, and after an inspection, you want the best inspector that you can find. A Realtor driven Inspector is not working for you, they are working for the Realtor. You only get one inspection, “Make It Count”!
A REALTOR IS A SALSMAN:
Realtors make money by selling a house and they love “Soft Inspectors”. If your realtor hands you a list of inspectors or insists that you use their favorite inspector, walk away. Do your research, and find your own inspector.
“HIGHLY RECOMMENDED”
Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC
We are Rapid City’s Custom Inspection Service leader and we hold ourselves to a “Strict Code of Ethics” for all of our clients at all times. Have the best inspector in Rapid City that will look out for you and your investment.
Many home inspectors that inspect homes for real estate transactions have built their businesses upon the referrals of real estate salesmen to stay in business. Therefore, real estate salesmen make no money until a home actually sells, some inspectors feel compelled to assist them in selling the house they inspect in the hope of future referrals.
Frequently they will ensure that their inspection reports do not “alarm” the buyer with facts about the property and possibly interfere with the sale of the home – with the hope and expectation of gaining favor and receiving more referrals from the sales agent.
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL:
The result is a “soft” report that is of little value to the home buyer who commissions it and potentially harmful to anyone who comes to depend on it. A “soft report” could result in a buyer missing out on important information that could affect their choice to purchase a home. As a result, this can lead to serious financial loss.
PROFESSIONAL INSPECTORS:
Professional inspectors know that they are hired to describe the home’s overall condition and report material defects that could ultimately affect the health or safety of its occupants.
The safety of the structure should be job #1. Sandwiching information about hazardous or defective conditions between flowery comments is not the proper way to write an inspection report.
We at Black Hills Professional Home Inspections LLC, are not a bakery and we do not sugar coat what we find. The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly will be reported on.
Dishonest Sales Tactics:
Another common technique used to minimize a material defect in the mind of a potential buyer is for the inspector or real estate salesperson to point out a serious material defect in the home and then obviously infer or suggest that it is somehow more acceptable since it was not required by the code or building standards at the time the home was built.
As a matter of fact, a professional home inspector’s job is to bring to his clients’ attention every such issue he observes and to recommend that it be corrected. It is not his or her job to make excuses for its presence.
Consumer Alert Home Warranties
Home warranties are typically not worth the money. Additionally, many inspectors will encourage or enhance their sales by providing “home warranty services”. These services may or may not cover items that stop working. In short, “Read The Fine Print“
Frequently some will offer to buy the house if they can’t sell it or “buy the house back” if you don’t like it. With (of course) a long list of certain disqualifying conditions. Routinely, these companies often promise a lot but deliver very little. Every year, one of the most frequent complaints consumers make is about home warranty companies.
Looking For A Quality Inspector:
It is not a particularly good idea to go through a list of inspectors searching for the inspector with the lowest fees. Hence, It is like getting your car repaired, you can shop for price alone or go for the mechanic with experience.
You may pay more but, get a much better service. The Public or any potential buyer should do their own due diligence when hiring a home inspector. The only way to eliminate soft reports is to eliminate the connection between inspectors and realtors.
Building Codes 101:
Equally important, understanding that building codes are simply little more than basic minimum building standards. The fact that something harmful may have met or did not meet a code at the time it was built. This has no relevance to the owner today. As a matter of fact, building codes are put into place after someone gets hurt or severe structural damage has occurred.
RECOMMENDED:
Together with a Professional & Ethics driven Inspector you will make the right choice. In addition, buying a property is a huge investment, Therefore, you are encouraged to find your own inspector separate from your realtor’s office.