Finding your dream home, believe it or not, can be the easy part. Actually, getting from the seller accepting your offer to receiving the keys to your new home can be quite an ordeal with all the hoops you have to jump through often something goes awry. When something goes wrong, it's usually one of two things: the inspections or the appraisal.
Contractual Requirement
Rarely does a buyer want to purchase a home without a contingency in the purchase agreement to have everything checked out. Usually within 5-10 days, all inspections you may choose to have conducted must be scheduled, paid for and completed.
Typical Inspections
Whole House - a general evaluation of everything that can be seen, inside and out.
Termite and Wood-Boring Insects - including carpenter ants and carpenter bees.
Radon Gas - Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that is produced by decaying uranium. Radon is present in nearly all soils, and very low levels of radon gas are found in the air we breathe every day.
The problem occurs when radon gas enters your home and gets trapped. Long-term exposure to high levels of this odorless, tasteless, and invisible radioactive gas make it the second leading cause of lung cancer.
A reading of 4.0 is said to have the equivalent lung damage of smoking 8 cigarettes a day.
For additional information, visit https://www.epa.gov/radon
Lead Based Paint - can be found both inside and outside the home. Your whole house inspector will note any obvious issues, and it can be followed up on further, if necessary. Water can also be tested if lead pipes are an issue, as high levels of exposure to lead can cause mental retardation and other complications in children and adults.
Mold - Molds are a part of the natural environment, and can be found everywhere, indoors and outdoors. Mold is not usually a problem, unless it begins growing indoors. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma and other respiratory complaints.
Mold can get in your home through open doors, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can be brought indoors on clothing, shoes, bags, and even pets.
Mold grows on paper, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.
Your inspector will note any visible mold, and some is commonly treated; others may require additional testing and mitigation.
Free EPA info and publications: https://www.epa.gov/mold
Other Inspections
We highly recommend a septic inspection, if not on public sewer, sewage and drain line scoping, and a Structural Engineer evaluation if a question arises about the foundation. You can test for as many things for which you'd like to pay that can be done within the time frame of the home inspection contingency.
Dealing with Inspection Results
Once all inspections have been completed, we will follow the timelines in the purchase agreement to decide on which, if any, resolutions we want to ask the seller to complete to address the issues found.
We will draft a "Defect Notice" outlining the issues found and provide copies of the relevant reports to validate the concerns.
The Seller will respond and we will continue negotiating until either a settlement is reached, or we terminate the transaction, get our earnest money back, and start over again.