Home Inspections - recourse when deficiencies found

[Michael Gandy]

I purchased a property about six months ago that went through a three piecemeal inspections with a home inspection firm.  Each home inspection didn't cover the entire house, but only portions of the house they were able to access due to seller issues with the full rehab.  As a result of a rush job from the seller, I'm now encountering significant issues (electrical, insulation and roofing) that were not identified in any of the home inspections completed by the firm.  Additionally, for those 'minor' items that were supposed to be fixed, the seller provided pictures of the fixes such as installation of GFCI outlets, which I now have found out were installed incorrectly and are a safety hazard to the current renter.

Has anyone had a situation where there are significant items that were not caught in the home inspection - anticipating likely between 10-15k in repairs that should've been caught in the inspection based on a few estimates.  I've read through the the disclaimers, but feel this borders on negligence beyond what a standard home inspection should have found.

Seems like there may be recourse, just not sure what others have encountered either against a home inspection or against a seller providing pictures of a fix which were cosmetic but still had underlying safety issues.  Thoughts / suggestion are welcome.

[Kar Sun]

Maybe long time ago inspectors were actually proud skilled men that had lots of structural knowledge and integrity. At some point anyone could become an inspector. Literally any fly by night operator. Nowadays most states license them but license does not mean knowledge. License means some legal body gets to make money by collecting fees. There are no requirements for the inspectors. Like being a contractor with experience, and basically no legal obligations. It is a great way to make money if you have lots of friends in real estate and they can get your name around. It is all about money. Be your own inspector.