Comments on: A Seller’s Response to a Buyer’s Home Inspection Report

By: Louisville Home Inspector

Louisville Home Inspector — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:14:39 +0000

great article….thanks Frank.

By: frankschulteladbeck

frankschulteladbeck — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:12:17 +0000

I cannot speak to the accuracy of his report, but I do wish to point out one item: the cracks in the bricks. You are correct that bricks are not structural; however, depending upon the nature of the cracks, this can indicate a structural issue. If the weight from the roof or the upwards pressure from the foundation are not going through the structural elements as they should, they can go through the veneer siding, in your case the brick. The cracks can denote a structural issue, but these could also denote movement in the home. Movement is common to all homes; the concern would be if the movement is effecting the structure. This is why the inspector reported on those cracks; however, not all cracks are created equal: some brick designs include cracks on the surface.

A real estate attorney would be able to answer if you have some case against the inspector, but I feel that may be hard to prove (this is only a guess without all of the facts on my part, so you should seek further consultation to see if there is a case). From what you describe, the home inspector did not investigate properly, so you may have recourse to file a complaint with the authority overseeing his business. In Texas, this would be the Texas Real Estate Commission. For other states, you will have to look at my info on inspectors page. By filing a complaint, the authority will evaluate the situation to decide upon a course of action. Severe transgressions can lead to the loss of his license in Texas; other transgressions can cause him a fine.

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:26:19 +0000

In my case, the home inspector made statements that were not true, pointing out places where he believed water had entered, but it never has. The discoloration on the wall was from shoe scuffs. He also made statements such as the siding appeared to have been installed by an amateur…it was a major home builder company who installed it. He also implied there could be major structural issues but probably weren’t in other cases. It scared the buyers away and I lost the sale. The house was inspected by the builder because it is still under warranty and they found no structural issues at all. He pointed out superficial cracks in brick veneer as being indication of possible structural problems, though they are only superficial siding…not part of the house structure at all. I am angry but have no recourse to this terrible report. Both Realtors agreed the report was badly written and derogatory. I wish there was something I could do to counteract this inaccurate report.

By: frankschulteladbeck

frankschulteladbeck — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:50:42 +0000

I cannot say why buyers will wait long. Sometimes, when they are working without a Realtor, they do not know how to proceed well. With a Realtor, they may be in discussions to find the best way to respond. Obviously, the quicker the response, the better for negotiations.

By: mari

mari — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:57:04 +0000

Why would a buyer wait so long to respond to an inspection report when the deficiencies were few and very minor?

By: Torrance real estate inspection

Torrance real estate inspection — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:51:46 +0000

Thanks for the information and this is really gonna help one who is going to buy the house.

By: frankschulteladbeck

frankschulteladbeck — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:19:19 +0000

You are required to inform buyers of issues that you are aware of on the seller’s disclosure. The key is that you are aware of. If you are disputing the home inspector’s report, then it may not be required to write down that finding on your disclosure form; however, it would be in your best interest to hire a specialist to discover if there is a real issue. If you do have a problem, then you can plan a course of action, such as having it repaired or lowering your asking price or whatever else you and your Realtor determine as a good action.

I was recently asked to estimate the cost of repairs on some items on my report. I hate that, because I do not spend the time determining exact causes. In this case, a valve was leaking, and it could have been a simple fix, but if there was further interior damage to the valve, we may have been speaking of a major repair. Foundations are also tricky. Just because the foundation may have problems does not always mean a repair is needed. Really, find out from a qualified professional what may be the issue, and what the solution is.

By: Les Le Gear

Les Le Gear — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:10:51 +0000

Do you have to list a buyer’s inspector’s
findings on the seller’s disclosure form?
Deal fell through due to report. I’m told that
I have to list the defect (which I’m disputing)
on my seller’s disclosure. Please advise.

By: frankschulteladbeck

frankschulteladbeck — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:19:11 +0000

Thank you for dropping in. The maintenance library there is a useful resource, so thank you for pointing it out. Simple steps can save much grief later, and prevention is less costly than repair.

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:01:17 +0000

I find it interesting that so many people have trouble with maintaining their homes enough to pass an inspector’s report. Perhaps people feel that they don’t have time or energy to make improvements or do basic maintenance. In many cases I think most people simply arn’t aware of what needs to be done in order to keep home appliances running smoothly, let alone the structure of the house itself.

Perhaps someone here will find this site to be helpful: http://homewarrantyresource.com/maintenance_library/

They have many maintenance tips, and even automatic reminders that you can set up to help you maintain your house and pass inspections. Hopefully this is useful to someone.