Field Guide to Home Inspections
(Updated February 2009)
Home inspections are a critical part of the home buying and selling process. Knowledge in the field of property inspection has become invaluable, especially in light of stricter legislation on both a state and national level. The following information sources will assist you in understanding home inspections, the home inspection process and working with home inspectors. You will also find helpful links to a variety of professional home inspection organizations and useful information available to you from the National Association. (K. Bartlett Walsh, Quality Assurance Coordinator)
NAR & ASHI 2001 Home Inspection Survey Highlights
The majority of home buyers (77%) had a home inspection prior to purchasing their home.
REALTORS® reported that 84% of home buyers requested a home inspection as part of their contract.
Almost all REALTORS® (99%) recommend a home buyer to have a home inspection.
Most REALTORS® (84%) have not had sellers contracts terminated as a result of an inspection.
Source: NAR & ASHI 2001 Home Inspection Study, (American Society of Home Inspectors, Feb. 2001).
Buyers' use of a home inspector in home purchase by age of home
74% - 10 Years or Less
87% - 11-50 Years
87% - More than 50 Years
Source: 2003 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Survey of Real Estate Services, (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, 2003). HD 1375 N21 sr
Home Inspection 101
5 Tips for Inspecting and Maintaining Your Garage, (www.HouseLogic.com, Mar. 15, 2010).
Treatment Options for Getting Rid of Insects, (www.HouseLogic.com, Mar. 10, 2010).
The Value of Home Maintenance, (www.HouseLogic.com, Mar. 10, 2010).
Detect Termites and other Wood-Destroying Insects, (www.HouseLogic.com, Mar. 9, 2010).
Inspecting and Maintaining Your Roof, (www.HouseLogic.com, Feb. 17, 2010).
Fast Fixes for Common Gutter Problems, (www.HouseLogic.com, Dec. 4, 2009).
ASHI's Virtual Home Inspection Tour, (American Society of Home Inspectors, 2009).
10 Questions to Ask the Home Inspector, (REALTOR® Magazine Online Toolkit - Handouts for Consumers, 2009).
12 Questions Buyers Should Ask the Home Inspector, (REALTOR® Magazine Online Toolkit - Closing, 2009).
What Your Home Inspection Should Cover, (REALTOR® Magazine Online Toolkit - Handouts for Consumers, 2009).
10 Ways to Prepare for a Home Inspection, (REALTOR® Magazine Online Toolkit - Closing, 2009).
Can I Cut My Title Insurance Fees?, (Money, Jan. 2009). Q
Selling A House "As Is" Isn't So Simple, (Wall Street Journal, Apr. 16, 2008). Q
The List Issue - 8 Quick Fixes to Increase Value, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, Apr. 1, 2008).
Homesellers - What to Fix, (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 30, 2007). Q
The List Issue - 10 Structural Red Flags, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, Mar. 1, 2006).
Home Inspections: Preparing for the Unexpected, (Realty Times, Nov. 15, 2004).
Finding a good home inspector: What you should ask, (Realty Times, Mar. 10, 2003).
Pre-inspection peace of mind: A guaranteed pre-inspection is also an effective selling tool, reassuring buyers that what they see is what they get, (REALTOR® Magazine, Jan. 2000).
Legal & Regulatory Issues
Construction and Building Inspectors, (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009).
Cleaning Up The House; What You Can't See Can Make You Sick. How to Get Rid of it, (Newsweek, Aug. 11, 2006).
Quality of Home Inspection Varies by Region, (Realty Times, Jan. 11, 2008).
The New Word in Home Sales: 'Canceled' - Buyers Back Out of Deals in Record Numbers - A $30,000 Deposit Lost, (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 3, 2006). Q
Disclosure Means Having to Tell it All, (REALTOR® Magazine Online, June 1, 2006).
State Home Inspector Laws, (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, Dec. 2003).
Home Inspections and the Real Estate Licensee, (Journal of Real Estate Practice and Education, 2003). Q
Home inspection risk reduction, (REALTOR® Magazine, Mar. 2000).
REALTORS® move to protect homebuyers: HUD's alternative to mandatory home inspections, (REALTOR® Magazine, Mar. 2000).
The Home Inspection Professional
Existing state home inspector regulatory legislation, (American Society of Home Inspectors, 2009).
Becoming an inspector, (American Society of Home Inspectors, 2009).
Construction and Building Inspectors, (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009).
Finding the Next Right Thing, (Associations New, June 2006). Q
Home Inspections and the Real Estate Licensee, (Journal of Real Estate Practice and Education, 2003).Q
Code of Ethics of the American Society of Home Inspectors, (American Society of Home Inspectors, June 13, 2004).
Websites
American Society of Home Inspectors
932 Lee St., Ste. 101
Des Plaines, IL 60016
Tel. 800/290-2744
http://www.ashi.com
National Association of Property Inspectors
303 W. Cypress St.
San Antonio, TX 78212
Tel. 800/486-3676 or 210/225-2897
http://napi.lincoln-grad.org
National Association of Certified Home Inspectors
1750 30th Street
Boulder, CO 80301
http://www.nachi.org
National Association of Home Inspectors
4248 Park Glen Rd.
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Tel. 800/448-3942 or 612/928-4641
http://www.nahi.org
National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers
P.O. Box 403
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703
Tel. 800/294-7729
http://www.nabie.org
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
The Complete Book of Home Inspection (Adobe eReader)
Home Closing Checklist (Adobe eReader)
What Every Homeowner Needs to Know About Mold (Adobe eReader)
The Clutter Cure - Three Steps to Letting Go of Stuff, Organizing Your Space and Creating the Home of Your Dreams (Adobe eReader)
How to Increase the Value of Your Home (Adobe eReader)
Neighbor Law: Fences, Trees, Boundaries & Noise (Adobe eReader)
The Complete Guide to Zoning (Adobe eReader)
Work Well From Home (Adobe eReader)
The 30 Second Commute - The Ultimate Guide to Starting and Operating a Home-Based Business (Adobe eReader)
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
Mystical Guide to Home Inspection, (Author House, 2005). HD 1375 R17
Navigating USPAP - Practical Applications, (Appraisal Foundation, 2005). HD 1387 H46
Mold & Real Estate - A Handbook for Buyers and Sellers, (Thomson South-Western, 2004). TD 883 St8
Secrets of the Happy Home Inspectors, (Someday Publishing, 2004). HD 1341 C76
REBAC Roundtable 2003, Volume II: Home Inspections and Buyer's Rep Liability, (Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council, Inc., 2003). HF 296 R24r
2003 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® Survey of Real Estate Services, (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, 2003). HD 1375 N21 sr
Inspecting a House, (Newton, CT: Taunton, 2001). TH 4817.5 C31
Seventeen questions buyers should ask an inspector, (Texas REALTOR®, June 2000).
Real Estate Home Inspection, (Chicago, IL: Dearborn Financial Publishing, 1999). HD 1387 Bu91
Start Your Own Home Inspection Business, (Paramus, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1999). HD 1375 P91
Home Inspector's Guide to Training the Real Estate Professional: An Overview of the Home Inspection Process, (Hurricane Press, 1998). HD 1341 Sh8h
Red Flags: Property Inspection Guide, (Chicago, IL: Real Estate Education Company, 1995). TH 4817.5 P91
The Real Estate Inspection Book, (Canton, OH: Kooba Company, 1995). HD 1341 M31
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Preparing a House for Sale
Field Guide to Mold and Health Issues
Field Guide to Lead Based Paint
>> Have an idea for a new Field Guide? Click here to send us your suggestions!
The inclusion of links on this Field Guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked to this Field Guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.
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