Page 36 - Harnett Life Winter 2020

HOMEBUYING 101

Why do I need a

Home Inspection?

By Martina Erdmeier
Broker-in-Charge
THE REAL ESTATE BOUTIQUE
“Personalized Service-Outstanding Results”

Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases of your live! • While inspections are outside of the scope of a REAL-
Getting a Home Inspection is probably the most important TOR®, your REALTOR® will be able to provide you with
thing you can do to protect yourself and your investment. a list of reputable Inspectors.
• As per the “Offer to Purchase and Contract (Form 2-T),
Never, EVER, buy a home without a home inspection! the buyer has the right to conduct inspections for an agreed
upon time (Due Diligence Period) and may terminate the
Here are some tips of what to look for when selecting an in- contract for any reason during this period.
spector and how to review the report. • TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE DUE DILI-
• Make sure your inspector is licensed by the NC Home In- GENCE PERIOD!
spector Licensure Board (NC HILB) • If substantial defects are found during the inspection, the
• The inspector is required to provide a written contract that buyer may attempt to reach an agreement with the seller to
describes services to be performed, standards of practice, limi- repair the defects or the buyer may terminate the contract.
tations and cost of service. The contract is to be signed BE- • Unless stated otherwise in the contract, the cost of the
FORE the inspection is done. home inspection is the responsibility of the BUYER – it
• I recommend that buyers attend at LEAST the last hour of is NOT refunded to the buyer if the contract is terminated.
the inspection. Have the inspector walk you through the report
– this is your time to ask questions about how things work in In summary, an experienced Home Inspector can save you
the home. a lot of headaches and future expenses. Always make sure
• When reviewing the inspection report, be sure to read the you are informed and know your rights!
entire report, not only the summary page.
• Do not rely on reports previously done and supplied by the For additional information, please visit https://www.ncreal-
seller. The buyer has no recourse against an inspector he/she tors.or6
has not retained.
Page 36 Harnett Life ~ Spring 2020