This year is proving to be another difficult year in terms of getting
houses put on the market. How many of your clients have purchased
homes without inspections? Did that scare you? It should have.
According to a recent Bankrate study, 64% of millennials between 25
and 40 regrets buying a home compared to 33% of the baby boomers
between 57 and 75.
Millennials state that high maintenance costs are their biggest regret.
Purchasing a home without an inspection did not give them adequate
information on repair costs. Combine that with increased purchase
prices and Millennials no longer have an emergency fund. Is there any
way to combat the lack of information that buyers are getting about a
home? Well, let’s look at some options.
The first one we have heard a lot about is a walk and talk. This is when
an inspector comes through the property and just verbally tells the
client information. This is bad for several reasons. The first reason is
that according to the state, this does not reduce any liability on the part
of the inspector. The law does not allow for degrees of inspections.
They list what needs to be looked at with no exceptions. Secondly, I
don’t see how this is even legal given the state law regarding inspec-
tions. If you read ORC Section 4764.01, the definition of home inspec-
tion report is a written report prepared by a licensed home inspector
for compensation and issued after an on-site visit that has specific
requirements. A walk and talk do not meet the required scope. This is
held up by a case from Ontario where it was determined that verbally
telling someone about an issue is not enough. The case was Rimmer vs
Building Insights, Inc. and the buyer sued everyone involved in the sale.
Another option is to have the inspection, but not use it to create a
request to remedy. This is a much better option as the clients will
have information to make a good, informed decision. With so many
people taking their savings just to purchase, this option protects you
and your clients.
The third option is to have the inspection as normal with a request to
remedy. This obviously has more protection for everyone.
The fourth option involves waiving the inspection which has more liability
for you and your clients. Many clients will rely on their agent to help ‘look
for issues’. This sets you up for potential liability down the road. One way
to mitigate this concern is to have your clients check out our Going
Commando course. We o
er, a four-part series on some of the easier-to-spot safety and higher repair cost items. The buyer takes the class and is
armed with information that they can use in a short amount of time on the
walkthrough to decide whether to bid or not. Once they purchase the home,
they receive the amount of the class o
of the maintenance inspection we
will do for them after they take possession. The class educates clients and
gives them the ability to make an informed decision without pulling their
agent into it. This lessens your liability as to their agent and your clients still
get the free warranties to help further protect them and you.
To check out the class, go to Home Inspection Columbus Ohio – Habitation
Investigation (homeinspectionsinohio.com), The class is under the
resources and reports tab. As always, call or email any questions to
614.413.0075 or clientcare@habitationinvestigation.com
