It appears that our housing market may be heading in a positive direction. There is still a great deal of homes on the market and the buyer has a wide range of homes to choose from. Like all of us, buyer are looking for value. Buying a home is one of the most stressful decision we have to make. Now if you add to this process homes that have been sitting for a while, homes on foreclosure or bank owned homes, that process becomes even more uncertain.
“More than four in five adults think foreclosures and short sales can be good deals”
This is where I come in. As a home inspector, it is my job to give the client (usually the buyer)a detailed evaluation of the home in question. I was recently looking at the result of a survey conducted by Harris interactive. The survey evaluated the consumer perception of the value of a home inspection. “Results indicate adults are more likely to purchase a distressed property, including foreclosures and short sales following a professional home inspection.” Despite the low prices and the even lower mortgage rates, people are reluctant to buy. Many homes that I see are in need of maintenance. It has been difficult in this down economy to spend the moneys on repairs and upgrades. Foreclosures and short sales can be another challenge. Sometimes people are bitter that they are losing the home that they love. I have seen light fixtures removed and bare wires left hanging from the ceiling. Houses that have been flipped my look great only to find out that short cuts have been taken that could later cause problems. New sheet rock and fresh paint can distract many from the bigger issues in the home.
“88 percent of respondents say home inspections increase their confidence about the condition of any property.”
“Interestingly, while homeowners are aware of the importance of a home inspection, more than one in four (28 percent) mistakenly believes the purpose of an inspection is to verify that a home complies with local building codes. More than one in ten (12 percent) confused a home inspection with an appraisal.” An inspection is an evaluation of the integrity and possible safety concerns of the home.
A true home inspection in my opinion is to educate the buyer about the home that they are about to own. We try to pack as much education in to the small window that we have on an inspection. It is the speed bump in the buying process that slows the buyer down to really look at the house they are about to buy. What they choose to do with that information is up to them.
“Eighty-four percent of adults believe home inspections are a necessity, not a luxury.”
“It is encouraging to learn having a home inspection increases homebuyer confidence, ” said Marvin Goldstein, ASHI president. “We look forward to prospective buyers acting on the security brought b home inspections to breathe even more life into the recovering housing market.”
Please give me a call it you have any need for a home inspection, water testing or radon sampling. I am a licensed home inspector here in Newtown and I want to be your resource for home questions. If you have any questions please send me an email or give me a call at Pondview Inspections, LLC. (203)304-9140.
Highlighted comments and further information can be found here. ASHI Homebuyer Confidence articles