What is the worst thing your inspector could say?

[Eric B.]

I was doing an inspection for an investor the other day and I had an issue come up that could have easily been a dealkiller.  I truly believe that fear is the absence of knowledge and the job of your inspector is to inform you of issues with your property that leaves you with better knowledge and hopefully less fear.  So what is the scariest thing that your inspector could say?  Termites?  Water damage?  Solid branch aluminum wiring?  Now none of these things in and of them selves should kill your plan for a property BUT like most things, the devil is in the details of what your inspector has found.  That's why it is critical that you be able to communicate effectively with your inspector and he/she with you.  Arguably your relationship with your inspector is more important than any other of the professionals that are involved with your transaction.  So what makes a good inspector? A plumber? A electrician?  A master builder?  No it's simply a highly obervant person who has minimum competency in the building type you are investigating and can communicate with you in an effective manner what they have found and what it means for you.

I know blah blah blah.  What you really want to know is what did you find and what happened?

Fortunately my client was a cool guy (it was me) and really thought on the significance of what i was saying.  The house was a 1945 3/1 1 story with timber carrying beams in the crawl space.  One face of one timber was absolutely loaded with dampwood termite damage(in washington state most inspectors cant say that as they would need a special license called an spi).  But here is the kicker I signed the papers today for that house and tonight I will sleep like a baby.  How can that be?  Basically not all termites are the same and dammage is all relative to what corrective actions are needed (or not). Invest some time finding an inspector who works and communicates well with you !  It will reduce your risk and can make you money!