Appraisal Report Value

[irvinehomeowner]

It depends on how much you trust your agent.

When we bought a home, the seller's agent said that repairs the seller wouldn't cover he would have a handyman do after closing... we trusted him (was not our agent) and he kept his promise... but your mileage may vary.

As for your final walk-through... make sure you inspect the repairs the seller agreed to and quite frankly... your agent should be with you and telling you what to look for.

Good luck and enjoy your 3CWG.

 

[qwerty]

Gentleman, I have 2 questions :

Repairs - Sellers agreed to do 3 items (out of 12) and my agent mentioned he will get handyman get the estimates for the rest of them and "if it is not too much", he can get them done but only "after" closing. Is it normal? Should I remove contingencies?

Final Walk Through - is scheduled next week. Any ideas on what I will need to look for?

Appreciate your replies.

you should see if your inspector is willing to do a follow up visit for a reduced price to inspect the repairs. that is what i would do.

 

[homer_simpson]

Kind of off topic but what makes an inspector qualified?  Does California require a home inspector to be licensed?  My agent told me the inspector could be a general contractor. 

 

[venkat]

Home inspector could be any one, but I have chosen among the CREIA certified list. I have done 2 home inspections with this guy and he seemed to know what he was doing.

Repairs will be done after closing by my (buyer) agent, atleast thats the promise. These are minor repairs (estimated at $1500). Not sure, if inspector costs are to be incurred for checking. Once escrow is closed, how to handle further issues/repairs. There is home warranty, but that does not cover everything - correct?

 

[irvinehomeowner]

you should see if your inspector is willing to do a follow up visit for a reduced price to inspect the repairs. that is what i would do.

That's actually a good point.

In all the times I have used an inspector, they only came out for the initial appointment but never followed up to check if any of the recommended repairs were done accordingly... but that's maybe because the items were minor and could be verified by a non-professional (make sure a door knob is installed, the water heater is insulated and tied to the wall, or some outlets were indeed GFCI).

Do inspectors nowadays offer a follow-up visit?

 

[irvinerealtor]

Gentleman, I have 2 questions :

Repairs - Sellers agreed to do 3 items (out of 12) and my agent mentioned he will get handyman get the estimates for the rest of them and "if it is not too much", he can get them done but only "after" closing. Is it normal? If I were a buyer, I would want to know specifically how much is "not too much" and get it in writing. A commitment via email would be sufficient, I would think.Should I remove contingencies? A buyer should remove contingencies when he/she is confident that the condition of the home is known and that the agreement (including price, disclosures, credits, repairs, etc.) in totality, is complete to his/her satisfaction. For a tract home, this should easily be able to be completed within 17 days. The decision to remove them is entirely up to you.

Final Walk Through - is scheduled next week. Any ideas on what I will need to look for? During the final inspection, buyers should inspect to see that the home is in essentially the same condition that it was when the contract was agreed to (i.e. no new holes have been punched into the walls or that the A/C unit has been "liberated" from the premises.) The buyer can also visually inspect to see that any repairs that were agreed to have been completed. Note that the final walkthrough (aka, verification of property condition) is not a contingency of the sale.

Appreciate your replies.

No extra charge for that 3rd question. 

 

[irvinerealtor]

you should see if your inspector is willing to do a follow up visit for a reduced price to inspect the repairs. that is what i would do.

That's actually a good point.

In all the times I have used an inspector, they only came out for the initial appointment but never followed up to check if any of the recommended repairs were done accordingly... but that's maybe because the items were minor and could be verified by a non-professional (make sure a door knob is installed, the water heater is insulated and tied to the wall, or some outlets were indeed GFCI).

Do inspectors nowadays offer a follow-up visit?

Some do offer a no-cost follow up visit, and also include an insurance policy for any items that were overlooked that should have been caught.
My own opinion is that it is usually preferable to request a credit in lieu of repairs, which allows you as the buyer to control the quality of the contractor making the repair.  Otherwise you might have that cracked doorjam "repaired" by the seller's uncle with some duct tape and 40-weight oil.  Just sayin.

-IrvineRealtor

 

[irvinerealtor]

Kind of off topic but what makes an inspector qualified?  Does California require a home inspector to be licensed?  My agent told me the inspector could be a general contractor. 

The inspector does not need to be licensed, and in fact the home inspection can be entirely waived by the buyer.

If I were buying, I would want my inspector to be experienced with that specific type of home, to know better where to look for common problem areas. CREIA certification is a good start, but if I were buying a new home, I would want someone trained toward this specialty, and not a vintage/historic home specialist, or a more general resale specialist for 10-20 year old homes.

I would also want someone local to the area. Someone coming in from Riverside county might be unfamiliar with North Tustin soil issues to watch for.

Another point - I would also want to be there during the inspection to have the inspector explain the items and be able to ask questions and see the issues for myself. It's one thing to see a blurb and a photo on a report, and another to have understanding of whether it's really going to be a big concern for you or not.

-IrvineRealtor

 

[venkat]

Thanks IR.
I got confirmation from agent in SMS, that he is comfortable and will take care of asked repairs! I have removed contingency, but specified in that form that "buyer agent to fix all the repairs that are not addressed by seller" - that way its in written form.