Home Inspection Scams

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When I was a senior manager, one of my duties was to oversee risk control. I was good at it, since I paid attention to how it was accomplished after the fact, so I could spot signs of scams happening in the future. After having written about a real estate scam involving craigslist, I was asked about scams involving inspectors. I was stumped for a bit. I do not have the makings of a good criminal mind, and I have never been asked to investigate a scam, so I had to think hard for a moment about how a home inspector could be involved in a fraud. I came up with the following, but I have to state that I personally have never seen either of these done, but I am sure that one of them does happen on a regular basis.

The con job that I think occurs with some frequency would be the “I can repair that for you” scam. I would avoid any inspector who is advertising his repair service in conjunction with his inspection service. In Texas, we cannot work on the home for one year after inspecting it, so most Texans have nothing to fear. This would work much like what happens with mechanics who take advantage of people not knowing about their car. The inspector could point out an issue that needs to be repaired quickly for safety or efficiency, but it may not have to be fixed at all. How many people know the workings of their HVAC or what is acceptable in the breaker box? To prevent this scam, take a basic precaution when dealing with the inspector. Tell him that you will be asking for three bids on repair items. If he knows that another contractor will be looking into his statements, then he will not want to make a false one, in fear of being exposed.

This second idea may be far fetched, but it is the only other fraud that I could think may happen, and it may not involve the inspector at all. Currently, many buyers are becoming vocal on wanting homes repaired before they move in. What if to force the seller to make certain repairs, the inspector places them on his report with emphasis that this needs to be repaired. The idea being that the inspector and buyer work together to place the seller into a position that repairs have to be made. In this case though, the buyer does not really need the inspector involved. The buyer is not required to share the report, so they could state that the report demands the repair. The inspector would be compensated by an additional fee if it worked. To prevent this sellers would have to stand their ground. They could have a pre-inspection done on their own, or have a contractor come out to inform them of the significance of the inspectors findings. They need their own report to counter this scam.

I am not sure how else an inspector could develop a scam. Certainly, there could be other means for perpetrating a fraud on the buyer or seller, but I think that it would be a variation of the above. Maybe the inspector does not make the repair, but a firm that gives him a referral fee does (in Texas, the inspector has to inform his client, that this would be the case). I guess that I should contemplate a life in crime to determine how other schemes might occur, but I am not interested in that, so maybe you know of something that has happened along these lines?

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29 Responses to “Home Inspection Scams”

bobbie gooler Says:
January 23rd, 2010 at 4:52 pm
i bought a house a few years ago and the basement was given a clean bill of health which was obviously untrus alot was covered up is there anything i can do about thia now (legally) or otherwise?

frankschulteladbeck Says:
January 24th, 2010 at 6:39 am
Truly, you would be best served by seeking legal advice in your local area, since laws are different from place to place. If the homeowner knew, and did not disclose the problems on their seller’s disclosure, then there is the possibility of holding them liable. If you had a home inspection, and the inspector should have reasonably been able to detect the problems, then he could be held liable. When you say “alot was covered up”, could an inspector access the problem areas? If he spent time there, could he have detected the issue? Since your statement is not specific, it would be hard to determine. If you feel that the answer is yes to those questions, then you may have a legal case.

Tod Says:
January 24th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Home inspectors are being offer positions as “Field Inspectors” for mortgage holder groups.

Like this: A “coordinator” creates a company to do inspections. He admits upfront there is no payment for 30 days. He turns in all the inspections and gets paid for 30 days work of 10-30 inspectors. Then he moves on to another state.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
January 25th, 2010 at 6:14 am
That sounds more like a problem for the home inspectors. I am careful to check out firms with whom I am doing business. For the owners of the property, this could be a problem of who is responsible if the report is inaccurate. The main responsibility would lie with the firm who hired the inspector, but if they are not to be found, the inspector may bear the brunt of the responsibility then.

EJN Says:
June 8th, 2010 at 10:04 am
The biggest scam in home inspections is the process itself. “Professional” home inspectors who are able to “Sponsor” other inspectors offer sponsorship for a fee. Usually around $5,000. This is to prevent others from entering the industry and limiting new inspectors to their friends and family. Trust me, 90% of home inspectors only have their license because they knew someone. Most of them know absolutely NOTHING about homes or how they are even built. The whole industry is a SCAM.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
June 8th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Well, EJN, the designation “professional real estate inspector” refers to the license one obtains after completing the required education and meeting some other rules, such as passing a test. I did not get my license because I know someone (I did not know anyone, I studied). An inspector who is sponsored is going through a program where they work under a professional real estate inspector instead of going through the educational process, so that professional inspector takes on a responsibility for that. Due to the expenses the professional takes on, he decides upon a cost, which he may charge as a fee, or work out another through costs in the inspection price. I do not take on sponsored inspectors, most professional inspectors do not, so I cannot speak for what fee they may charge. If it bothers you, you can spend the $5000 going through the school and meeting the other requirements and become a professional inspector yourself.

The industry is not a scam. Most professional home inspectors take their job seriously, and we continue to study (in fact, it is a state requirement). Take the time to study the state laws, and you will see that must know a lot about homes, and that there are rules in place to protect the consumer.

Tom McInnis Says:
August 6th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
I am not an inspector but a victim of real estate fraud. Here is a scam that you have not heard before. If you want to know how bad it can get listen up. Our inspector was on the side of both buyer and seller agents. The seller was a friend of both agents and seller, unknown to us. Our inspector gave our report to our agent, she then passed it behind our backs to the sellers agent, making her an undisclosed dual agent in all fifty states which is illegal as hell. The inspection was compromised and we were given a false inspection. The inspector then sent us a hardcopy 22 days after close. All the big stuff like structural failure was missed, a cracked tub, a non functioning septic, a cement porch torn off the front of the house to cover up the structural problem and replaced with a wooden deck, etc. The inspector claimed into inspect septics in his ad but did not tell us the lid was above ground but hiddend under three or feet of sheetrock placed their by the owner and the location not disclosed and small things were added that did not exist on the property. He then tried to claim with both the Realtors that we paid him out of closing. I have the cancelled check to prove otherwise. We also received a $50.00 check over 22 days after close that was dated 1 day before the inspection supposedly took place. I guess it was guilt at the time. We are out over $60,000 in repairs. What most might not realize is: computer reports can and are altered in the hands of the dishonest. Oh buy the way our inspector right after that changed his company name and moved 30 miles away and calls himself something else now. He also hosts a website that prases one of the companies that helped rip my wife and I off. Of coarse his picture is plastered on the page as the only inspector, how nice. What was the reason for doing this for the seller and his agent? The sellers agent was also the owner of the property for 10.5 months before he sold it to the seller. This is conspiracy and fraud. This is what a criminal mind can do.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
August 7th, 2010 at 5:51 am
Thank you for sharing your story Mr. McInnis. Hopefully you are pursuing means for justice. Unfortunately, when those in business become complacent and forget the rules, problems can ensue. So others understand, the home inspection report belongs to the person paying for it, so it is their decision who is allowed to have a copy. If I work for the buyer, then the report belongs to them, and the seller cannot expect me to give them a copy. The buyer often wants me to send the report to their agent, which makes sense, since your agent should be working in your best interest, and they need to know the findings to help you proceed. Here is the grey area. For your agent to properly explain all issues to the seller’s agent, a copy of the report is sent to that agent. This should happen with your permission and knowledge; however, the practice is common to share the report, and your agent may forget to inform you. This is a bad business practice on their part. As the owner of the report, you should discuss your wishes of how you want it to be distributed (this is not something most buyers will be aware of).

Most states have disclosure rules. Sellers need to disclose known issues with the home. If they do not, they can be held accountable. You have to prove that they would have been aware of the problem. If the issue is visible to you (the buyer) when walking through the home, then the understanding is that you should have been aware, and cannot hold others responsible. If agents behave unethically, there are rules governing their behavior, which would be administered by the Realtor association, so you should seek how to file a complaint with the association. Home inspectors may be governed by an agency of the state government, so you can pursue a complaint through that agency. In any case, there would be laws governing how businesses conduct their affairs in your state, so a lawyer would be the best adviser.

Finally, you should always receive the report before closing. I try to have the report to my clients within twenty four hours of the completion of the inspection. A few inspectors have reports that are checklist type reports which will be given at the end of the inspection. Other inspectors take two to three days to produce the report. Ask your inspector when the report will be sent to you. It is good that Mr. McInnis shared his experience, so others can learn from it.

L. Poirier Says:
September 6th, 2010 at 8:47 am
A home inspection fraud can be as simple as. . . a home inspector writes a report that identifies signs of a major defect but does not raise any red flags (e.g. replace the windown in the basement there is moisture there) He notes that should a major problem develop AFTER the purchase of a house try to remediate it using “simple” solutions (e.g. put in window wells) as these issues can suddenly develop at any time. All along however, there are major issues (e.g. the basement is leaking).

So, what’s the scam. The real estate agent recommends the home inspector. The home inspector gets his fee and, by not raising any red flags, the real estate agent gets his commission. They continue to exist in this kind of a relationship which is win-win for them. The real estate agent also belongs to a business group where he recommends the mortgage broker who, in turn, recommends him. He also recommends the insurance broker. No money is officially changing hands but a lot of friends are getting a lot of benefits.

Unsuspecting buyers trust the professional opinion of the home inspector. Run around like crazy trying to follow the advice until the water in the basement is too much and the mold is causing extreme distress and the insurance adjuster tells the buyer that this is a pre-exisiting condition, the advice of the home inspector was bull**** and there is a serious problem.

THAT’s what fraud by a home inspector looks like.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
September 6th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
I would have an issue describing this as a scam. A home inspection can only determine current issues. Any one of my findings could lead to a major issue. Then again, they may not. I cannot predict the future. I do not know what the homeowner will do with the home. I do not know what other factors may change. There are times that a simple repair done after the purchase of the home may avert future problems. Here is an example from my reports: a cement cap should be in place over the post tension cable end. If the end rusts, the cable can snap. I have had homeowners argue with me over this repair, and I have found this left undone. Now, this is a common issue; it is easy to fix; and there is no major problem at the time of the inspection. It can become a major problem. Should I be red flagging every single item on my report? Because under the right circumstances each item can lead to something major.

In your scenario, the inspector has given you the report with the indicators. The responsibility falls onto the buyer to read the report, and determine how or when to make the fixes. If the inspector is seeing an issue that is of immediate concern, and does not mention that issue as immediate, I would be inclined to place responsibility on the inspector. On one job, I saw that there was a situation that could lead to a fire. No fire had occurred. There was no indicator that it was going to happen in the immediate future, yet I did tell my client that this should be repaired quickly. If I had not, I would not be responsible.

As for the networking problem, is that not how all businesses work? Yes, we may recommend certain professionals, because we trust or like them, but the buyer again has the responsibility to choose who they hire or work with. Actually, I think this is an important point, and I am glad that you brought it up. Any buyer reading this should know that who you hire is your choice. A lender cannot tell you which appraiser to use. A Realtor cannot tell you which inspector to use. You as the buyer are in control. Yes, it is easy to use the recommended professionals, but you have to be comfortable with them.

L. Poirier Says:
September 7th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Thanks Frank. Unfortunately in my scenario, the issue wasn’t as simple as a few repairs. The issue was pre-existing my a long shot — documentation by workers in the house prior to it being listed revealed this-and the indicators were there at the time of the inspection. Should I have recognized the indicators? Well, that’s why I hired my inspector.

Even after I have had several highly trained professionals confirm that the issue wasn’t as ‘simple’ as the home inspector made it out to be, he did not accept responsibility.

His interests were to make the house go through so that he continues to get referrals from a real estate agent and the real estate agent continues to get commissions.

Is it foolishness to trust that professionals who claim to adhere to codes of ethics and standards of practice behave as agents of their clients? I don’t think so. Otherwise they shouldn’t be in business.

Unfortunately it seems as if home inspectors spend more time protecting their own interests than seeking the best interests of their clients.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
September 7th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Well, I will agree that this is a problem in the home inspection industry. So other readers understand, most home inspectors rely on referrals from Realtors. If the Realtors are kept happy, then we should obtain more business. There have been well publicized incidents where inspectors failed to report on issues or did not properly clarify a problem in order to keep the Realtor happy. My own business model has focused more on this blog and through advertisements. I also sought becoming an Accredited Business with the BBB. This was a conscious choice on my part, because I felt that I would not be caught in a situation where a Realtor asked me to report matters in a certain way. I do obtain referrals from Realtors, but we have a clear understanding as to my independence.

Alright, so what do we do in your situation? Many states do have some type of oversight of the behavior of contractors or home inspectors directly. My “Info on Inspectors” page has many agencies listed. (I have had trouble going through and finding this on a few state web sites, so if you see that your state is not listed, please leave me a note, and I will update the page). Contact the agency, and find out how to file a complaint. Many of these services are being automated to be handled online. If you felt that a Realtor was involved, then there may be a state agency overseeing their behavior. If there is no state agency, then there may well be a Realtor Association, which would have the means to handle the dispute.

You are right. No business should be serving its own interests; this is a path which cannot only lead to failure. We are here to serve our clients. Home inspection is not a business that obtains a great many repeat clients; however, my business does obtain referrals from previous clients, so I see that as a repeat in a way. I like to remind myself that I am here to serve my clients. That icon by my name in the comments appears across this site and on my other business documents. It is a variation of my family crest. You will see most home inspectors have a home as the symbol for their business. The two leaves are Bochum leaves, and in German mythology, they are the symbol of protection. The crest meant that my family protected people on either side of the river Ladbeck. I use this version of the crest to remind me that it is my responsibility to protect my clients.

Thank you for sharing.

John L Says:
November 7th, 2010 at 6:48 am
I am about to pursue a lawsuit against the sellers and the home inspection agency of the house I currently reside in. The home inspection agent was friends and/or associates of the sellers. Which in turn allowed the seller to sale me a lemon house. Documents were falsefied in order to get the sale process sped up and save the seller money. Which has now left me stuck with a leaky roof, dead HVAC, faulty wiring, piss poor plumbing, and floors caveing in. I reside in Arkansas, am a disabled Iraqi war vet, have a large family, and limited income. . Thank you and help your fellow man.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
November 15th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
John, first I would like to apologize in taking so long to approve and reply to your comment. In Arkansas, home inspectors are registered under the Secretary of State, so you may wish to contact that office with a complaint. I would suggest that you print up the checklist that I have for a home inspection in Texas (found on the front page of this site). Go through the checklist, and take pictures to document findings. If other contractors have given you any documentation that states the home inspector was wrong, then have these papers together with your own. Show that the home inspector obviously misinformed or failed to mention a defect. As for the law suit, a real estate attorney can give you the best advice, but their is one thing that you should know: many states have some type of wording in the law that says if you were able to see a problem on your own, then you cannot hold the seller responsible. Some of the problems that you mentioned should have been known to the seller, but you would not have been able to see; others may fall under the description of you should have been able to see. The one paper to find is the Seller’s Disclosure. If a real estate agent was involved in the sale, then it is likely that you would have this document. If the seller can be reasonably said to have known of an issue, like a leaky roof, then they should have written it down. This document will be one more piece of evidence to help your case.

Atlanta Home Inspector Says:
April 20th, 2011 at 8:04 pm
Great bit of info. I had no idea there were inspectors and real estate agents out there that are still dumb enough to act like this. I mean, if the lawsuit is truly justified, those people would lose everything. How dumb do they think the average home buyer is?

frankschulteladbeck Says:
April 25th, 2011 at 10:12 am
there will always be someone out there to try pulling a scam

HomeMD Inspection Services Says:
May 23rd, 2011 at 6:36 am
Before purchasing, a buyer has the rights to order more than one home inspections in most purchase contracts. However,the rights will always come with the responsibility and challenge to hire a right professional.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
May 24th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Yes sir. I have seen situations where the buyer hired a home inspector for the structure and then specialists for each system. The seller thought it was overkill, but it made the buyer happy. I often suggest a specialist to follow up on one of my findings before closing. It makes good sense.

Willie Says:
January 18th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
You people are nuts. As a home inspector I would never risk my license or my reputation for a few extra dollars. Reading these comments turns my stomach. It’s sad to think that most of you are a microcosm of everything that’s wrong with our country today. People nowadays make it impossible for a small businessman to provide superior customer service without the customer thinking that he has some type of alterior motive. The man that wrote this blog has no idea what the hell he is talking about. Most home inspectors belong to a national affiliation which requires them to abide by a residential standards of practice and like myself most are not stupid enough to risk their license and reputation over a few dollars. These residential standards practice prohibit home inspectors from working on any component of a home that they inspect. In all my years in the home inspection industry I have never heard of anything that even came close to what was described in this man’s blog. If you want to talk about a scam in the home inspection industry let’s talk about errors and omissions insurance that we as home inspectors are required to carry. Since 2006 statewide there have only been 11 lawsuits pertaining to home inspectors. Yet each home inspector is required to pay roughly $2000 per year for errors and omissions insurance. This does not include a $5000.00 deductible should we ever need to use our insurance. The time I ever needed to use my insurance was when I fell through a ceiling in a garage. I ended up calling one of my all subcontractors to repair the damage and paid for it out-of-pocket. It is my firm belief that the man that wrote this blog spent too much time in risk management and he can’t see anything because he has his head too far up his ass. From what I’m reading in the comments above there are a few of you that could use a little fresh air as well. Next time any of you buy a home you are more than welcome to have your uncle Bob inspect your home. Good luck with that!!!

Willie Says:
January 18th, 2012 at 10:33 pm
Ahhh! It’s all clear to me now. The man that wrote this blog is an unaffiliated home inspector which is not required to abide by any residential standards of practice.The only information that he has here on his website is that he used to be a manager for risk management. Maybe this home inspector with such limited experience, a devious mind and lack of knowledge about he home inspection industry shouldn’t be your first choice when looking to hire a home inspector. There are way too many honest, experienced, qualified, licensed, insured, informed home inspectors out there for you to settle for this one.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
January 19th, 2012 at 6:01 am
Willie, I am allowing your comments to be seen, even though they go against my rules.

First, maybe you should spend some time reading what has been written, before going on your tirade. You have made some mistakes. I do believe that most home inspectors are honest, as I believe that is the case in most industries; however, I accept that their can be those that are less than reputable. This is normal life.

Second, someone who has to resort to insults to make his point has a weak argument. We are in business Willie (and I am not ashamed of being a professional businessman and having a business background). I make decisions based upon what is best for my business, which I see as being best for my clients. As someone who is running a business, we have to deal with the fact that there will be unhappy clients, and we need to discover a way to make things right. Whether this is your intention or not, you make the point that people with complaints are what is wrong, which is not how a professional deals with this situation.

Third, you do not know my experience level, so please do not make assumptions. Knowledgeable home inspectors are aware that the home inspection industry is run under different rules in each state. For example, in Texas, our inspections are required to meet a minimum standard of practice, and we are currently required to take an ethics course, so yes I do hold myself to that level, but I go beyond it. My goal is to help my clients, so I try to find ways to accomplish that goal. This is why I write this blog, and why I study the building industry. If most home inspectors are part of one of the national organizations, that would be news to me, since I have never seen any documentation to verify that fact. Most home inspectors that I know are part of more state organized groups.

For the other people commenting on this post, I do not think that you are nuts. I typically do not permit comments that are simply insulting others, but I find Willie’s remarks as a problem which should be exposed. Commenting without reading through shows a lack of attention to detail, a quality home inspectors need. Proclaiming others who have misgivings about our industry to be the problem is failure in comprehension on your part Willie. The home inspection industry will have its critics, and as responsible business people we should address these concerns. We have to acknowledge that there will be the less than perfect home inspector (after I wrote this post, an experienced home inspector, who was part of a national organization, made the news here for producing poor reports to help out the real estate agents he was courting). You, dear reader, have the right to be satisfied with your service. You have the right to pursue grievances. You should have a home inspector who respects you. You should have a home inspector who strives to do the best job fr you.

Mary Says:
February 20th, 2012 at 11:44 am
I suggest people never consult a property inspector. Before signing on the dotted line I suggest you all hire a plumber, electrician, and contractor to go over the house you want to purchase. Home inspectors in my opinion arent worth it. They are a waste of time and money. This suggestion is really your only defence in truly knowing what you are purchasing. Please do not get stuck with a money pit. Hire the above people, and perhaps a lawyer. I hope one day home inspectors are a thing of the past. Many of them are clueless about home construction, plumbing or electricity. The training they get is substandard in many states. If you are in a situation where a Home inspection has gone really bad report that inspector to your state licensing department. Constact your legislators and insist on strictor guidelines for propery inspectors. There aren’t enough teeth in the existing laws which hold these inspectors accountable, same applies for builders. I really dont care if this offends property inspectors either. It is high time potential buyers truly start to advocate for themselves by following through with the suggestions I have stipulated. Peace of mind is priceless, a money pit can leave you devastated. BUYER BE WARE!

frankschulteladbeck Says:
February 20th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Mary, is it possible that one bad experience on your part is causing you to condemn an industry?

As can be seen from my various comments and posts, I do suggest people contact an official in their state that oversees home inspectors. You level your complaint against home inspectors and in part on builders, and you suggest that we trust a plumber, electrician or contractor. That can be good advice; however, it can also be spectacularly bad advice. I do not repair homes that I inspect, so I do not have a stake if a repair is made or not. An electrician or plumber may emphasize a problem to encourage you to hire them for the repair, and that repair may not be needed. Buyers need to evaluate their potential home inspector, electrician, plumber, or any other person. Condemning an industry seems to me to be reactionary, which is not a thoughtful solution. The reason for this post, this blog, is to demystify the home inspection industry for others, but to also encourage improvement in my own business and the industry, and to encourage homeowners to improve their homes.

Mary Says:
February 20th, 2012 at 9:34 pm
I stand by what I say. A home purchase for many people is their biggest expense in life. When a property inspection goes terribly wrong, and serious defects exist which effect safety and health those buyers are stuck with it. Sometimes these issues cost 50k or more to repair. Never again in my life will I ever put faith in any property inspector, builder, or realestate agent. My heart goes out to those on this blog who have been seriously harmed by people who only see money as being their bottom line. Greed is such an erosive act, one that has the potential to destroy lives. Property Inspection is one industry that needs major over sight, or to be handled completely by those who know what they are doing such as Mike Holmes on Holmes on Homes. In America we need more people like him who MAKE IT RIGHT! To any Property Inspector who reads this blog, I want you to remember you’re helping people to decide if they should buy a home or not. A home represents a place of safety.. a place families can feel secure in and create memories. Your inspections are more than just getting paid at the end. I am going to do everything I can to push fourth with legislation in my State that forces laws with teeth to be enforced. I will knock on every door in my community to get signatures for such legislation to become law. There has to be more over sight in this industry, as well as the building and realestate industry in our country. There are far too many scams that occur.. ones that greatly harm the buyers on so many levels.

Mary Says:
February 20th, 2012 at 9:52 pm
Instead of having a release of liability on the front of your forms you should all put a statement of: I stand by my property inspection, and I am accountable for the work that I have done. I stand behind it and will pay for the errors that I make.

frankschulteladbeck Says:
February 21st, 2012 at 5:22 am
Mary, I am sorry that you had suffered such a horrible experience. I would refer you to my comments to the home inspector Willie above for my thoughts. As for the television show, I have only seen one episode (I do not watch much television). What I saw on that episode made for great television, but it would have been impossible for an inspection. We cannot break down parts of the house to discover a problem. As for our forms, I use the form that is required by my state. Maybe a person can see that document as releasing us from some simply because it states how an inspector is to perform an inspection, but that is not the intention of that form. The only other requirement that I know is that insurance agencies will insist upon a form that can be considered a liability form, which is called an inspection agreement. Again, this is imposed upon the inspector. In no state of our union is a home inspector free of liability. Can he or she be held accountable? That is another matter which has to be pursued through the system set up by that state. If an inspector should have reasonably found and reported an issue, then the state will have some means of holding him accountable. That may be a state agency which provides oversight, or this may occur through the court system. In the end, if the inspector truly did something wrong, he can be held accountable.

Sandy Says:
November 15th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
And what about the other side of the coin … if the home inspector was paid a lot by the buyer to write a negative report, in order to get the price down, and the report was over the top with items not valid, and not applicable to the ordinary inspection report, and was nearly verbatim to a sample report on the inspector’s website? What action could the seller take in that case, when the report is truly out of bounds? Sandy

frankschulteladbeck Says:
November 16th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
There have been situations where home inspectors have been caught creating a report to appeal to an agent, but as of this time, I have not heard of a home inspector forging a report for a buyer when paid to do so. This has been a statement made by sellers on many occasions though. If there is proof that a home inspector actually falsified a report, then you should report them to the proper authorities, which is listed on my info on home inspectors page.

As for the sample report, there is something that ought to be considered. My sample reports are based on examples from actual home inspections. I sometimes add or delete data to make the sample report reflective of a norm for that type of inspection. Since I write my reports, I often do use phrasing that is similar from report to report. If I used inspection writing software, which many inspectors use, then of course phrasing would be the same, since the software uses pre-packaged phrases. If the home fits the norm, then the sample report may be quite similar.

Maybe this would be a space to address one other issue that arises. Home inspectors are looking at the same components of the home. There has been a statement made that one report must be wrong because another home inspector found the same thing wrong. The implication being that the home inspectors were in collusion. Are the home inspectors really operating together? For this to be the case, they would have to know each other; they would have to know that they are inspecting the same house; then they would have to plan out how there reports will be written. Conspiracy theories are fun, but this really might not be the case.

John Thomsen Says:
March 2nd, 2017 at 6:58 am
There have been far too many times that I’ve seen a home inspector being accused of being one-sided or not reporting the facts accurately. I simply do NOT think that 90% of home inspectors will write down anything but the FACTS. Just like in life though you always have that extra 10%.