I'm buying my first house in the Heights area of Houston and looking for a really good inspector. Around this time last year, a potential seller ended up not purchasing due to inspection issues, and I want to make sure I find someone who will catch everything. Any recommendations would be appreciated!

Have you asked your realtor? They may have a list of home inspectors in the Houston area.

The seller should give you that inspection report, fyi.

SlickHairandlotsofmoney said:

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The seller should give you that inspection report, fyi.

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What?

Typically speaking - it's on the buyers to get and paid for the inspection and figure out where the house's skeletons are in the closet. BNow sometimes, a good realtor for the Seller will recommend the sellers get the inspection done and paid for by themselves and use it to fix up the house or help price the house accordingly.

Sometimes, I've even recommend the sellers sharing that report to help be transparent to buyers and remove the dreaded post inspection purchase price or seller concession retrading during the option trading. Or at least having the sellers realistically know where buyers are going to ask for because the HVAC is old or the roof needs to be replaced, etc.

However, most of the times and deals I've worked on - the sellers don't have the report and the buyers pay for/buy one and then their agents use it to help get further concessions from the seller. I was just suggesting above a method of being transparent as a seller and removing that piece or element. Most of the time, sellers don't pay the $500+ for the inspection report - usually because the house is well cared for and maintained.

I was hoping to get personal recommendations from fellow Aggies!

Red Pear Luke (BCS) said:

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SlickHairandlotsofmoney said:

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The seller should give you that inspection report, fyi.

---

What?

Typically speaking - it's on the buyers to get and paid for the inspection and figure out where the house's skeletons are in the closet. BNow sometimes, a good realtor for the Seller will recommend the sellers get the inspection done and paid for by themselves and use it to fix up the house or help price the house accordingly.

Sometimes, I've even recommend the sellers sharing that report to help be transparent to buyers and remove the dreaded post inspection purchase price or seller concession retrading during the option trading. Or at least having the sellers realistically know where buyers are going to ask for because the HVAC is old or the roof needs to be replaced, etc.

However, most of the times and deals I've worked on - the sellers don't have the report and the buyers pay for/buy one and then their agents use it to help get further concessions from the seller. I was just suggesting above a method of being transparent as a seller and removing that piece or element. Most of the time, sellers don't pay the $500+ for the inspection report - usually because the house is well cared for and maintained.

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The seller is legally required to share known defects in the home. I'd think if an inspection was completed within the previous year they would be obligated to share it with a potential buyer.


I'm not implying the OP should hold off on doing their own inspection. But if a home had a failed sale within the last few years I'd ask for any previous inspection reports and wouldn't offer, unless it was provided.

Case in point, I flew across the country to make an offer on a home. I get to the showing and learn the seller has received a great offer, above asking with inspection waived and I have a few hours to beat the offer. The house is a beautifully updated colonial built in the 1960's. I want the house and I'm prepared to bid it up. Noticed a failed sale two years prior. Turns out there were two failed sales. Request all inspection reports and the seller provides one, which shows the house is great shape minus some minor termite damage above the garage door. Okay, termite damage can be nothing, or it can be catastrophic. We figure out the buying realtor on the other failed sale is a family friend. We get her on the phone and her buyer backed out because extensive mud tubes were found throughout a ground level crawl space and were discovered as far away as the attic. At that point I declined to offer. But I was out a weekend of my time and the money for a plane ticket, hotel and car rental. Never again will I waste my time on a house if any recent inspections aren't disclosed.