We are buying ahome, if the seller has a family member do the plumbing/HVAC inspection they are certified,?

Question

However I seem to think this is a bad idea, if it turns out that things are wrong (water heater, ect) after they have said they are in good condition, will we have any way to have then fix these things, or is it our problem?

Answer 1

Normally, when you buy a home, your interests are best served if you hire you own home inspector, who will represent your best interests. There is good reason to be suspicious of an inspection done by a relative of the seller. I hope that you put a home inspection contingency in your contract. This entitles you to hire a qualified inspector of your choice (you pay of course) who should give you a thorough written report. The fact that the seller wants their own relative to do the inspection raises a red flag as to whether there is a serious problem that they are hoping to hide.

Answer 2

I think I know what you are asking. I would not have a family member of the seller do the inspection for you unless I knew that they were bonded and certified. Get someone who does home inspections to have a look for you if you aren't sure if the work is done right.
Some home inspectors have you holding the bag if they miss something and a major problem happens along. Check the wording on that. Friends had something like that happen. There was a major problem with the house and they had to eat it because the inspector had them sign that he was not responsible.
Best wishes with the purchase of a house. I hope that there are no surprises for anyone with the sale!

Answer 3

Having the inspection done by a family member is a major conflict of interest! Have an independent company do the inspection for the ENTIRE house. When I purchased my first condo, I used an inspection service recommended by the realtor. The inspector did not do a good job following up on a problem I noted with the walls--he just took the realtor's explanation as to why the wall was damaged. Long story short--the walls leaked and I later had mold growing in the walls!! I sued the realtor and won, but it was very time consuming and emotionally draining. Save yourself the trouble and get a certified independent home inspector!

Answer 4

When you are buying a home, under State law you have the right to have your own home inspection performed as part of the purchase contract. You must use a State-licensed home inspector to do the inspection on your behalf. If there are any problems or deficiencies that come up during your home inspection, then you as the buyer have the right to insist that before closing on the sale, the seller should 1) ensure that the problem is repaired by a licensed professional and provide receipts/invoices to prove that it was fixed, 2) provide a negotiated cash credit to you at closing to account for the problem (you would then use the money later to have it fixed on your own) or 3) you can walk away from the contract and look for another house if the seller refuses to do #1 or #2. Good luck!

Answer 5

As long as they are certified or licensed by an organization that is recognized in your state to perform inspections then they can do that, but you don't have to allow them to.

When buying a home, it is always a good practice to hire an independent Home Inspector to perform the full house inspection. This way you don't have to worry who they are really looking out for....Since you hire them they are working for you and your best interest. If the home owner doesn't want you to then that should be a red flag that there is something wrong. Hiring the Home Inspector is your right and you will find that the agreement from your lender often recommends it as well.

A good place to look for an inspector in your area is:

www.inspectorseek.com

Finally, if you do decide to go with their family member for the inspection and they are licensed to do so, you will have recourse if the system should fail, but there is a time limit on that and it's usually a year but could be less depending on your state. They can be sued for negligence and they carry insurance for just such incidents.

Good Luck

Answer 6

Every State has different laws. Some states allow agents to recommend someone - (and this is not called steering - steering is leading a buyer to purchase in a certain area or away from a certain area. (At least in my state that is what this is)
Also as having a background in real estate - I definately recommend a seperate home inspection by the buyer - paid for by the buyer also. However, depending on what state you live in - the laws are different as to how long you have to do these inspections. (My state - usually 10 days - but it can be written into the contract differently by the agent on either side) Check your contract for the time frame you have - then your lawyer - during the attorney review period only, can extend this if necessary. It is best to check with a lawyer (not a real estate agent) in your state. I say not a real estate agent - because each agency can have their agents put in different time frames and some agents might not have enough knowledge (if they are new agents) But whatever you do do not take the word or written word even of the sellers relative. First they would usually have to be certified for their inspection to be valid (but if the lawyer didn't think to check that - then you can have a fight on your hands down the road)

Another recomendation is to purchase a HOME WARRANTY (check out H.S.A. for 1, there are others to check out also) These are companies that for a small charge like 350 - 450 a year will cover most things in your home for 1 year (this is renewable too) They cover things like the furnace, A/C, septic, wells, even appliances, pipes, etc... there are certain things that could be excempt - depending on the age of the home etc...
They charge a small deductible (usually about $50.00) to come to fix something. If something is covered and they can't fix it - they will replace it. You can check out Home Warranties on the Web.

Answer 7

That would be a confilict of interest. There is no way I would go for that. My husbands father had a carperntry business when we bought a house the roof needed expected and my father in law could have givine the inspection but the sellers felt it was a conflict and I had no problem with that cause I would have flet the say way. Even if you trust these people, get someone else to elminate the "what if" questions that may come if down the road if anything does go wrong and with buying a house, you will soon find, things can and will go wrong, it's just a matter of time. You don't want to wonder if you were taken so just a totally sperate party. It will cost them but oh well, better safe then sorry.
Good Luck.

Answer 8

As the buyer, it is your responsibility to obtain an objective inspection of the house - not the seller - not the real estate agents. After you buy the house, if there is something wrong with it structurally - you may or may not have legal grounds for a lawsuit if you can prove fraud on the part of the seller and/or the inspector. This would be a hard thing to do, unless you can prove the damage was there before you purchased the house, and the at the owner/inspector was aware of it.

Although the real estate agents represent you and seller respectively - make no mistakes - their job is to make a sale.

Now - don't get me wrong - this might all be on the up and up, and there is really nothing wrong with the house, but for your own piece of mind you should obtain my own inspector. Also, remember that these inspections are done for mortgage and insurance purposes, and you will have to provide them with licensed inspection reports. Also, you don't want someone who will overvalue your house and then you don't make as much on it if/when you want to sell it.

Answer 9

Definitely without question have your own inspection done!!
It is for your own protection that you do this. The buyers inspector will look out for you not the seller!

This is a major investment and you don't want any unexpected expenses. Also make sure you have the Home Warranty for at least a year which is usually paid for by the seller. If anything breaks they will fix it or replace it at no charge except the deductible. It covers HVAC, plumbing and appliances.

Answer 10

I would not have a family member of the seller do the inspection for you unless I knew that they were bonded and certified. Get someone who does home inspections to have a look for you if you aren't sure if the work is done right.
Some home inspectors have you holding the bag if they miss something and a major problem happens along. Check the wording on that. Friends had something like that happen. There was a major problem with the house and they had to eat it because the inspector had them sign that he was not responsible.
Best wishes with the purchase of a house. I hope that there are no surprises for anyone with the sale!

Answer 11

I would not do that if it were me. If they insist that the family member do the inspection...then I would require them to purchase a Home Owners Warrenty paid in full at the time of the sale and noted in the contract.

Sounds like you are doing a For Sale By Owner because if you had a realtor and a lawyer then they would give you good advice. But definitely stipulate with the seller that you want it stated in the contract that they will purchase a Home Owners Warrenty for you (last time I checked they were about $350) Thing is I don't know if the warrenty company will go for the family member as an inspector. You have to cover yourself though. You have to have some kind of protection. The Warrenty is the best way to go.