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Home Inspector San Diego – The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company

Archive for the ‘Inspection News’ Category

Increasing Home Sales Drives Inspection Demand

Thursday, May 10th, 2012

Home Inspection Company Grows on High Demand

Released 5/10/2012

Real Estate is moving in San Diego. There were over 3,200 closed sales in San Diego County in March 2012. There are on average between 2,000 and 2,400 closed transactions per month in the county, so there is huge demand for home inspections. As one of the largest home inspection companies in San Diego, The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company is growing quickly.

Don Moore is the latest addition to their team of home inspectors. Born and raised in San Diego, Don obtained an Associate’s Degree in General Studies and a certificate in Computer Science from local community college. He worked construction during the day, while attending college at night. He enjoyed construction and decided to pursue a career in residential remodeling. Don obtained his General Building Contractors license in 1995, at which time he started his own construction business service customers from Imperial Beach to Rancho Santa Fe.

Since the slowdown in construction over the last few years, Don obtained his certification as a Home Inspector from CREIA, and has worked as an inspector since then. It was an easy transition for him to exchange his tool belt for an Infrared Camera and laptop. After a thorough training and orientation period, Don is part of the best team of Home Inspectors in San Diego.

The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company has been a leader in the home inspection industry since 2004. The company pioneered the use of Thermal Infrared Imaging, online scheduling, and computerized reports in San Diego – now used as the industry standard by other companies. The latest innovation to their reports is the addition of video of defects so that clients can obtain very accurate quotes from contractors. Their reports come alive as they see and hear what is going on with certain components. This is particularly useful for buyers who cannot attend the inspection, or who are out of town.

In addition to great inspections and friendly support, they give away free information for home buyers, real estate agents, and sellers. Visitors to their website can obtain a lot of useful information including what to look for in older homes, common plumbing and roofing defects, sample reports, recall furnace information, and details about California’s new Carbon Monoxide law.

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For more information, or to schedule inspections, please call 760-203-9682 or visit www.SDinspections.com

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Is That Home Inspector Hiding Behind His Contract?

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

It’s in the details

Click here to see our report. Observe the detail, the infrared images, and the recommendations.

Many home inspectors have a “Limit of Liability” clause in their inspection agreement. They often limit their liability to the cost of the inspection, or 2 – 3 times the cost of the inspection. This is especially common with low-priced home inspectors. If they only charge $250 for an inspection, they don’t want to hear from you again. And they certainly don’t want to pay for anything they missed. It is sometimes a numbers game for them. Would you go to a doctor who limits his liability to the cost of the office visit?

Being a home inspector is difficult. A home inspector has a lot of responsibility. It isn’t obvious, but all parties in the transaction benefit from a thorough home inspection. Obviously the buyer, but what about the seller and the agents involved? If a home inspector does a poor job, buyers, sellers and agents can become embroiled in difficult disputes which can often end up in court.

Of primary importance is the home buyer. They are relying on the inspector for a comprehensive, detailed evaluation of the home they are buying. After all, once they close escrow, repairs become the new owner’s responsibility. If the inspector fails to identify a failing component, or even a less significant but costly defect, who should pay?

There are times when a home buyer will discover a defect after moving into the home. It is important to determine if the defect is something that the inspector should have discovered within the scope of a home inspection, in accordance with the standards-of-practice, and the inspection agreement. Will the home inspector be responsible for repairing the item? Or will he hide behind his contract which limits his liability?

We do not have such a clause in our agreement!

We are confident that our experienced inspectors will find defects, and report them, so that there are no surprises after the close of escrow. And that’s the way it should be.

So why is there a difference in pricing from one company to another? As you compare home inspection companies for your purchase, consider the following.

Compare our reports to any other company. You will notice a difference. We have been performing home inspections for a long time, and we know what is important to our clients. Many newer, less experienced inspectors will not be as detailed or experienced with the huge variety of equipment that we run across. We have seen just about everything from houses built in the late 1800′s to bad remodels or “flips”.

Our philosophy is that you, the buyer, should have as much information about the house as possible. We use every tool we have to find any problems.

Our inspectors detail everything with clarity (and good grammer!). We inspect hundreds of items in a house. We check everything from the foundation to the roof, and just about everything in between.

When you look at our sample report, please note the incorporation of thermal imaging in our report. We use Infrared Thermal Imaging to find leaks that can easily go un-noticed by inspectors who have not made the investment in this technology. Many discount inspectors do not use this equipment which can cost you in the long run.

Review of San Diego Real Estate Inspection Co.

Our inspectors have your best interest in mind. The very last thing we want is to have you move into your new home only to find expensive problems. We have no problem telling agents to find another inspection company if they imply that we should “ignore” certain items. If we find it, it goes in the report. Even if the seller says, “Oh, I’m fixing that later today”.

A home inspection is a detailed evaluation of a house and is intended to reveal items that substantially affect habitability. Our primary concerns are your family’s health and safety, and identifying items that could be expensive to repair that may not have been fully disclosed to you.

Having said that, there are several things you should not expect from a home inspection. It is not a home warranty. It is not an evaluation of cosmetic or decorator items. It is not a guarantee that a seller must fix any of the items in the report. For example, a seller does not have to bring an older home in compliance with today’s standards. An old house with single pane windows is not required to have double pane windows installed for you. We do not inventory the items in the house, and we do not confirm the accuracy of the MLS statements.

When choosing an inspection company for your home, consider your options carefully. Home inspectors are not generic, and they are not all the same. Just like most other services, a good one costs a few dollars more. But a good inspection can be worth thousands of dollars in seller consessions or repairs.

The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company follows the CalNACHI Standards of Practice. Please review these standards prior to the inspection so you know what to expect from your inspection, and what your inspector will and will not inspect.

CalNACHI Standards of Practice

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Tags: Home Inspector liability
Posted in Inspection News | 1 Comment »

Most Common Home Warranty Claims

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Get the most out of your Home Warranty

As home inspectors, we feel that all houses that are more than 5 years old should have a warranty. Why? Because things fail. A good home warranty can protect you from unexpected repair bills. The problem is that if a defect is pre-existing, meaning it was there before you took possession, your claim could be denied. That is why you need to have a great Home Inspector. If they miss an existing defect, it could void your home warranty leaving you stuck with the bill.

According to American Home Warranty, one of America’s largest home warranty companies, about 80% of home buyers prefer to have a home warranty. And it is easy to see why. Here is a breakdown of the most common claims.

So what are the things that break down in a house the most?

Approximately 79% of Home Warranty Claims Stats all Home Warranty claims are for mechanical failures. Mechanical items are those items in a house that were typically assembled off-site. Some of these items include the garage door openers, food waste disposers, water heaters, and appliances. The remaining claims are for structural items such as the roof, foundation, garage door, etc.

Of all of the mechanical claims made, the vast majority of claims relate to the heating and air conditioning systems (HVAC). These make up over 30% of the mechanical claims. That is why it is so important to have a competent home inspector carefully check these systems during the home inspection. If the HVAC system was not installed properly, or if the defect existed before the new buyer takes possession, the claim could be denied. With such a high claims rate, you need to be sure the HVAC system is functional at time of inspection in order to be covered. While furnace are nearly always a covered item, AC systems are not always covered. Be sure to add the AC coverage to your policy.

Structural items include the roof, foundation, and other items that are frequently built onsite. Of these, roof problems make up the largest portion of home warranty claims. If you have a claim due to a leak, don’t always expect a whole new roof. You will probably get the area repaired, but an entire new roof is likely not covered. Keep in mind that roof coverage may be optional. So be sure you add it to your home warranty policy.

Home Inspectors often hear people overlook defects in a house which the inspector calls out. For example, an inspector may note that a water heater is at or beyond its expected life. Often there are signs of pending failure. A buyer or agent may say “don’t worry, your home warranty will cover it when it leaks.” Please keep in mind that this is not a wise strategy. While the home warranty company may replace a water heater that leaks, it will not cover secondary damage due to water damage. And the water damage may be far more significant than the cost of a water heater. If your Home Inspector recommends replacing an item, you should consider doing it.

Tags: Home Warranty
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Your Feedback is Important!

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

We Love YOUR Feedback!

We want to hear from you so that we can continue to offer the right services to home buyers. Even if you haven’t made up your mind about which Inspection Company to use, please take this super short, anonymous survey and let us know what you think.

Quick Survey

Thank you!

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Raising the Quality of Home Inspections – Again

Monday, August 1st, 2011

New Supervisory Position to Maintain the Highest Quality Inspections

The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company is happy to announce the promotion of Jamie Hawks to Supervisor of Field Services. This new position will ensure the highest level home inspections available in the industry. Our goal as always is to provide Home Buyers and Real Estate Agents with the most thorough, reliable, consistent home inspections that protect all parties in a real estate transactions.

Jamie will oversee our continuing education, template development, and overall quality of our services and reports. He will also be the point of contact for any dispute resolution should they arise. Jamie’s experience includes thousands of inspections, and just as many clients. His ICC and NACHI certifications uniquely qualify him as an expert in the inspection field.

The San Diego Real Estate Inspection Company is the largest home inspection company in San Diego County. We were the first home inspection company in San Diego to include the use of thermal imaging cameras with every home inspection. We combine the use of high-tech equipment with the best reports in the industry. Today we perform more inspections, with more home inspectors than any other home inspection company in San Diego.

When choosing a home inspector please consider our experience, customer service, and use of technology. We are here for you now and we’ll be here in the future. Please call us with any questions or comments at (760) 203-9682. We look forward to hearing from you!