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A Guide For Home Inspections.

Are you buying a dream house, or a nightmare?

The American dream of home ownership can be your best investment, or your worst nightmare! You can spend days, weeks, even months looking and when you finally find that "perfect" house, it's love at first sight! It may have everything you are looking for: white picket fence, big yard, bonus room for the kids and, "WOW", look at that master bedroom! But, it may also have bad things lurking in the shadows, which you are not looking for. What you don't know now can be very expensive to fix later. Having the home inspected by a Professional Home Inspector can help protect you.

What does a Home Inspector do? They perform a visual examination of the accessible components of the home from the foundation to the roof. They can identify non-functioning systems, damaged building components and safety issues, plus much more.

Should they be licensed and certified? Yes, Yes, Yes! The State of Oregon requires a Home Inspector to be certified and licensed by the state. They must also be bonded and carry liability insurance. A Home Inspector's status, license and certification can be verified by contacting the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) in Salem, Oregon at (503)378-4621 or on line at www.ccb.state.or.us.

What will it cost and how long does it take? The price and how long an inspection takes usually depend on the size, location and condition of the home, as well as the experience of the inspector. An inspection should take anywhere from two to four hours and the inspector will usually quote a price based on the size of the home. Generally speaking, price quotes from inspectors with much more experience will be higher than someone who is new to the industry and lacks that experience.

Can the inspector make the repairs? No. Your Home Inspector's report will provide you with unbiased information concerning the condition of the home. This report can be used as a guide for making necessary repairs. Oregon State's Certification Law and Standard of Practice forbid an inspector to bid on or undertake repair work on any home inspected by their company for 12 months following the inspection.

How do you find a good inspector? The best way is obviously through a good referral from friends or family. Your Real Estate Agent or Mortgage Broker may have a list of Home Inspectors they have referred clients to in the past, or you can call the Construction Contractors Board at (503)378-4621. You can also contact one of these associations to have any questions answered or to get a list of association members.

• Oregon Real Estate Inspectors Association (OREIA), an affiliate of National Association of Home Inspectors.

P.O. Box 1945
Beaverton, OR 97075
Ph: (503)640-0607
Web address: www.oreia.net
• Oregon Association of Home Inspectors (OAHI)

P.O. Box 127
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Ph:(503)233-2225
• National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI)

Ph:1-800-448-3942
Web address: www.nahi.com
• American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)

Web Address: www.ashi.com

You should interview all the Home Inspectors you call as if you were interviewing a potential employee. Some good basic questions to ask are:

• What are your CCB# (Construction Contractor's Board) and OCHI# (Oregon Certified Home Inspector)? You should definitely call the Contractors Board to inquire about the status of their license.
• What are your credentials and experience? How long have you been in business? How many inspections have you done? What is you background?
• Do you carry Errors and Omissions insurance?
• Do you follow the State Mandated Standards of Practice? (Inspectors are required by the State of Oregon to give clients a copy of the Standards of Practice.)
• Are you affiliated with any national or local home inspection associations such as National Association of Home Inspectors, American Society of Home Inspectors, Oregon Real Estate Inspectors Association or Oregon Association of Home Inspectors?
• Should I be there while you are doing the inspection? What if I have questions about things I notice while you are inspecting the home?
• Ask about their report.
• Are they hand written or computer generated?
• Do I get it on the spot? Do you mail or fax it to me? How long does that take?
• Will you review the report with me?
• May I call you about the report if I have any questions later?
• Does your report include a Wood Destroying Organism/Insect Infestation Inspection (also known as PDR) report?

The information in this article is intended to be a general guide to aid in selecting a home inspector.

Source: Jerry Weaver, Elite Home Inspection Services, Inc. (503)590-4889. www.elitehomeinspections.com.

Jerry has been a home inspector since 1996. He is an active member of both state and national home inspection associations.

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