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Everyone uses home inspection to make their purchase deals more appealing in the Twin Cities real estate market. It doesn’t seem like that. Real estate agents continue to do home inspections for homebuyers.
People often regret skipping the home inspection.
Today, I will share some of the top tips and tricks agents use to ensure that a home inspection is still possible in today’s crazy market.
GET A HOME INSPECTION BEFORE YOU SUBMIT AN OFFER.
Although the traditional home inspection occurs after the client accepts an offer, it’s not the only way. Rhonda Wilson was recently interviewed on our podcast about her clients’ experience getting a home inspector in Bettendorf before they submit an offer. She told the story about how her clients won a bidding battle, even though they didn’t submit the highest offer.
This is not an option in a market that has home inspectors available for a week. Home inspectors are no longer booked out for a week. We aren’t, or at least I don’t think so. Many other home inspectors agree with me. We are available frequently for next-day inspections as well as occasional weekend inspections.
SUBMIT A OFFER AND A ONE-DAY INSPECTION WILDOW.
Many homebuyers have been able to accept offers by simply requesting a very short inspection window. This often means that the home inspection must be completed within a day, as I have mentioned previously.
SUBMIT A CONTINGENT OFFER UPON A HOME INSIGHTS, BUT REMEMBER YOU’RE NOT GOING NITPICK.
Agents today often require that their clients have a home inspection before making an offer. However, this is not about picking on people. It’s about looking for major issues that could affect a buyer’s decision to buy a property. Negotiations will not be conducted if items require repair exceeding $5,000.
SUBMIT A CONTINGENT OFFER UPON A INSPECTION. BUT, MAKE IT ONLY PASS/FAIL.
This strategy ensures that the home inspection will only be used to close a deal if there are any serious surprises. There should be no risk of a home inspection causing a dispute between the sellers and buyers. The home inspection will not lead to any negotiations.
A buyer might also agree to keep the results of an inspection secret from the seller. If the deal fails, the seller would not have to tell the next buyers what is wrong with the house.
SUBMIT A OFFER THAT IS NOT CONTINGENT ON A HOME INSPECTION.
You can still have a home inspection even if your offer isn’t contingent on a house. These inspections have been performed for many homebuyers who want to find out about the condition of their home and if any potential problems will arise. Worst case scenario is when we discover major unanticipated information about a home and the buyer withdraws from the deal. These buyers believed it was better to take a chance with their earnest money than complete the purchase blindly.
GET A WALK-THROUGH CONSULTATION.
Although this is not a home inspection it is still a good idea. It’s also known as a walk and talk. This is a chance for you to bring professional eyes to a showing. This service has been available for many years, but it’s become increasingly popular in the past year.
HOME INSPECTIONS CAN ALSO BE PERFORMED AFTER THE CLOSING.
You don’t have to be concerned about the state of your home if you already bought it. Many of our current clients are homeowners who need home inspections. These buyers usually purchased a house recently without having it inspected and want to find out about any surprises.
SUMMARY
Sharlene Hensrud spoke to me about this topic and shared that communication is crucial for getting an offer accepted for a home inspection. Before submitting a purchase contract on behalf of her client, she always talks directly with the listing agent. Sharlene stated that she receives the best responses when speaking openly with the listing agent over the telephone. She will ask the seller upfront about their feelings regarding an inspection. She can often tell from the tone of the response whether it will be an issue or not. This question gets a wide range of responses, which I consider another reason to hire an experienced agent.
Sharlene also said that although it might seem appealing to sellers to have no home inspection, the reality has shown otherwise. To quote Sharlene:
Buyers can get a home inspection in many transactions. Have any tips? Do you have any stories to share? Leave a comment below. We are grateful!
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