Tag Archives: home inspections

Dec 05

Lieb’s Top 5 Home Inspection Issues for L.I. Real Estate

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connections-990699__340Long Island attorney Andrew Lieb, who specializes in real estate law, offers advice on buying a home with a home inspector on Long Island. Here are topics that he advises as the top five issues to consider:

1. TIMING THE INSPECTION
2. HIRING THE RIGHT PROFESSIONAL
3. KNOWING WHAT YOU GET
4. UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS EXCLUDED FROM AN INSPECTION
5. WHO SHOULD ATTEND THE INSPECTION

Lieb’s complete article on this subject was first published in Hamptons Behind the Hedges, linked here. Then another version was posted at Huffington Post, linked here.

As a licensed NY State home inspector serving Long Island, I find Lieb’s article to be spot on. Timing is incredibly important, especially if there is serious interest in a home. And I also recommend that the home purchaser can learn a lot about the home by being present at the home inspection.

I have elaborated on the point of hiring the right professional at my blog, titled, ABC’s of Home Inspection Training and Experience, linked here. I would recommend, A) Architectural or engineering degree; B) Thorough home inspection training; C) Construction experience. All of these add to the capability and value of your home inspector, in addition to being a part of a certification organization that holds inspectors to high standards.

A further piece of advice on due diligence would be to hire a home  inspector based on the inspector’s credentials, not just because a real estate agent has recommended one.

Image with permission by NZ Chrissy

Tags: Buying a home on Long Island, how to buy home on LI, how to choose inspector on Long Island, key inspection issues, how to choose inspector in Suffolk, NY. buyer due diligence

Jul 18

Should Brokers and Agents Recommend Home Inspectors?

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There are a number of questions regarding the recommendation of home inspectors by agents and brokers. Is it a good idea? Are there any preferred methods? Are there any concerns? Certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors

First, it can be considered a valuable time-saving service to provide the name of a home inspector or a list of local licensed home inspectors. Real estate professionals basically earn their fee by helping their clients, so this can be seen as a helpful plus. A key to business growth is to never stop improving. Supplying some references of local home inspectors is a positive feature.

Second, there are a few methods for recommending home inspectors. One Southampton real estate agency offers an online list of local home inspectors to choose from. Another agency chooses to recommend one home inspector. And yet another chooses to print out and hand a list to clients.

Third, there can be some underlying concerns when it comes to recommending just one home inspector. The home buyer may be wondering, “Should I use a home inspector that has been recommended to me by a broker or agent?” The underlying issue relates to the objectivity of the inspector and the report. There are plenty of brokers and agents who regularly recommend one home inspector and there is nothing unethical about this if the report is objective. However, some clients may feel more confident if they are presented with a list of recommended licensed and insured home inspectors to choose from.  This option may be presented to a client. Some clients prefer to find their own home inspector on the Internet.

As a home inspector, I have both training in home inspection work and an architectural degree. I also have a lot of various construction work experience. These experiences add to my abilities as a home inspector. I’m licensed and insured and can offer a number of references. If you are interested in an objective and thorough report, you may recommend Southampton Home Inspections to your clients with confidence.

Tags: Should brokers recommend home inspectors? Real estate and home inspections, should a home buyer use a recommended home inspector, how to find a home inspector

Jul 07

Free Termite Inspections are Usually not Guaranteed!

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Often, home inspectors will offer “a free termite inspection” included with their home inspection price. Almost always, home buyers aren’t aware that such termite inspections come with no guarantee whatsoever! When a licensed pest inspector prepares an inspection report, the inspection is also usually not guaranteed, so that if termites are discovered after the home is purchased, the purchaser is not protected against paying for related repairs. They usually will, however, guaranty most houses if they are treating them with pesticides. Unless, for example, there is no moisture termite barrier on the foundation top under the sill plate.  Newsday published an article on this subject and outlined how real estate lawyers in many states will recommend an independent termite inspector:

“The engineer found no termites, but when he wouldn’t give a guarantee, I suggested [the buyers] bring in a licensed pest controller,” Minella said. With a written guarantee, buyers would be protected against paying for repairs in case termites were found after they moved in.”

In some of my home inspection cases, separate licensed termite inspectors found infestation problems and these reports were used as negotiation tools because the buyers wanted the houses regardless. The slightly higher cost for a separate termite inspection may be worth it for a number of reasons. Pest applicators that offer WDO (wood destroying organism) termite reports are usually competitively priced because the inspectors anticipate that some of these inspections will lead to work down the road. As a matter of fact, this gives them an incentive to make an extremely thorough inspection in order to find infestation. In one case, a termite inspector found a clean house but found infestation under a log right next to the house. In this situation, treatment was recommended in the report.

I became certified through InterNACHI to inspect for termites and other WDO (wood destroying organisms) that I offer for free along with a home inspection, using a separate WDO inspection form.

(Revised 12-07-16)

Termite photo by Scott Bauer

Tags: Long Island termite inspections, Home inspectors offer termite inspections, Hamptons NY termite inspectors

Jun 08

Twin Fork NY Home Inspections

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Recently, I had the privilege of performing various inspections on both the North Fork and South Fork of Long Island that were filled with surprises. On the plus side, an antique clam rake was found in the crawl space of one house and a spare toilet hookup was found pre-existig in the garage of another. Two serious drawbacks included the discovery of termites and evidence of asbestos-like material on heating pipes.

I won’t state which houses had which, but the home buyers are thankful to have known about these issues before deciding on a final purchase offer. Both buyers intended to go ahead with the purchase of their homes.

When I asked one purchaser why he called SHI he said that he had called someone else recommended by a real estate agent, but the other company did not answer the phone in a timely manner. At SHI we aim to respond quickly and inspect carefully.

Recent SHI home inspections on the North Fork and South Fork:

619 Maple St, Greenport, NY

20 Phoebe Scoy Rd, East Hampton, NY

650 Old Shipyard Ln, Southold, NY

292 Little Noyac Pth, Southampton, NY

165 Springville Rd, Hampton Bays, NY

If you want to close a deal fast and need a reliable inspector for either your North Fork or South Fork home purchase, give SHI a call at 631 377 2046.

Tags: North Fork NY home inspector, North Fork NY home inspections, best North Fork inspector, fast North Fork inspector, South Fork home inspector, South fork home inspections Twin Fork NY inspector

Feb 15

Recession Buster – $425 Guaranteed Maximum Fee for a 4BR Home Inspection in Suffolk NY!

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guaranteeSHI has lowered the fee for a home inspection of up to four bedrooms including a basement. It used to be $500 and now it is $425 with no extra travel fees or hidden costs for any location in Suffolk County NY! Because of inflation, this price will not be indefinite. So call at the time of your inspection to verify the current price. Give us a call at 631 377 2046.

Tags: best price home inspections Long Island, best price home inspections in Suffolk NY

Nov 27

Increased Home Inspections After Hurricane Sandy

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Grace-presbyterianThere have been some aftershocks of Hurricane Sandy in the real estate market that have been noted in the aftermath of the storm. For example, homes that had already been inspected have been reinspected – just in case there were any fresh damages caused by the storm. A press release from the Business Journals site describes the situations:

“Many home sales as well as contracts that are in progress will be put on hold until homes can be inspected or re-inspected for damages caused by the hurricane. If you’re selling your home, don’t be surprised if a buyer interested in your property wants a second inspection of your home. And if your home is under contract, be aware that properties in areas impacted by the hurricane may require another appraisal by the mortgage lender. Estimates at property damage range from $60 billion to as much as $90 billion to date on homes in seven states.”

The site lists a number of other factors as well: Fewer homes are listed, sales contracts are being put on hold, fewer people are looking to buy homes near the damaged areas, lower home prices, and, as a plus, there are lower interest rates. The article offers a summary of the situation:

“Hurricane Sandy has inflicted much damage to homes and businesses along the East Coast. It would be difficult to overstate the devastation of this storm,” Habib says. “To some, the storm could bear some bad news extending well beyond property damage. For potential home buyers, lower home prices and continued low interest rates may offer a small silver lining to an otherwise distressing situation. Ultimately, buyers who were on the fence may find that the cost of purchasing a home has become even more attractive,” Habib says. “That means good news for both home buyers and home sellers.”

Hurricane Sandy changed the landscape in more ways than one. I pray that the victims of the tragedy find a sense of peace and the help they need in this time of great need. About 50 members of Grace Presbyterian Church, who were able to go on a Saturday, went on a bus to Breezy Point, NY in order to help victims with the clean up of their homes. That’s the context of the photo of damages included in this post.

Tags: increased home inspections after Sandy, two inspections common after Sandy