It is a very rare occurrence that a home is purchased without a home inspection done first. If the seller had their listing listed in "as is" condition does not mean that first an inspection can first be done. If it is a house that the bank owns then a home inspection is very important. The reason for this is because the banks do not give any disclosures, and they do not know of any problems because these will have to be found all by yourself.
People by the handfuls are out there that do adveryise themselves as home inspectors. Unfortunately you may not get the best references for a home inspection form your agent either. An agent is scared you might find a problem that may turn you away if they give you the name of a great inspector. These are very tough times and all agents should be very loyal to all their customers.
Do not go for an inspector that is just going to give you a visual inspection, looks like and has are two different things. All good inspections include; temperature check of all appliances, furnace and air cooling system checked, the hot water tank needs to be checked for the water pressure, outside lighting and wiring needs to be checked, lights and fixtures have to be checked, full inspection of the foundation for any cracks, they will need to get up onto the roof, climb through the attic, check the garage along with all of the storage spaces.. For a good inspection this is only the very beginning. After this is all finished you will receive a report of everything that had been done, from there you should be able to make a clear and wise decision.
An agent's best way to not get any phone calls that they do not want is to advise the buyer fist and to be sure that they have the home inspected before they buy.
Dennis runs a Green site that offers additional information on
Energy 2 Green and is an advocate of using renewable energy sources such as
Residential Wind Power
