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Buying or Selling a Home/home inspection errors/things missed

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Expert: - 2/22/2010


Question
my wife and i purchased a home in November 2008 and the sellers hired an inspector and we went with it because this is our first house.  We have since encountered several problems that were obvious and should have been noted and fixed but were not on the inspection report, like 3 cinder blocks missing from the foundation, and other problems.  I am curious what can be done and need some help on where to turn next.  I live in Washington state.  thanks

Answer
Hey, Lee.

I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say "the sellers hired an inspector."

If you mean that the Sellers had a pre-listing inspection done and you neglected to hire your own inspector on your behalf, you're probably out of luck.

If you mean that the Sellers hired an inspector for you and paid for the inspection, then you might have some recourse.

Since you're in Washington state, there is an excellent home inspector there who also teaches and trains home inspectors. He's also on the Home Inspector Licensing Board. I'd suggest you contact him and see what he has to say since he'll be much more in tune with the statutes in Washington concerning home inspections and home inspectors.

His name is Steven Smith and you can reach him at 360-676-6908 (office) or 360-319-0038 (cell).

Tell him Russel Ray referred you to him. He knows me.

Good luck with everything, and feel free to come back if I can do anything else for you. You can also call me at 619-341-0173 or email me at russelraypc@aol.com for faster responses.

Russel

Buying or Selling a Home

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Russel Ray

Expertise

Through home inspections, I provide an education about real estate. I'm one of those rare home inspectors who has been involved in real estate in many different capacities: as a Realtor (in Texas), as a property investor/flipper, as a teacher, and as a marketing expert (for Realtors and home inspectors). I believe that my experience as a Realtor and property investor provides me with a different viewpoint about home inspections in that I work for my Clients, but when there are other people involved in helping my Clients, then I firmly believe in helping them, too. That includes Realtors (both the seller's and the buyer's), repair professionals (e.g., plumbers, electricians, etc.). If I can get all the players (seller, seller's Realtor, buyer, buyer's Realtor, and repair professionals) playing in the same sandbox together to accomplish goals as a TEAM (Together Everyone Accomplishes More), then I believe I have succeeded in my job as a home inspector. My profession is, in my opinion, much more than simply documenting the condition of a property and then take the money and run. I am also a rare breed in that I don't believe that one inspection fits the needs of all Clients, and I have led the industry in understanding that fact. For example, the goals of a property investor are far different than the goals of someone buying a property to live in. The goals of a seller (a pre-listing inspection) are far different than the goals of a buyer (a pre-purchase inspection). To that end, I offer 14 different types of inspections, e.g., STANDARD, LIST, RENTER, BASIC, MAINTENANCE, SPOT, and more. I believe in giving the benefit of the doubt to all professionals in whatever industry they represent until they prove me wrong.

Experience

Over 42 years in all aspects of real estate--building homes, renovating homes, inspecting homes, Realtor.

Organizations
National Association of Certified Home Inspector, Better Business Bureau of San Diego

Education/Credentials
Graduate of Texas A&M University; College Station, Texas

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