All Forum Posts by: Ramona Huot

 I would generally advise going with someone independent not connected to your realtor...someone who doesn't care whether the house gets bought or not as they are paid either way. That being said, a good realtor will have a good network of honest people. 

Last year, I met a guy from BP who lives in Texas but was buying a home in south FL for his son. He trusted me with my inspector ( I have used this guy many times as I am also an investor) and even though the house had some problems, he still went ahead with the purchase. So what's the point?... whether through your realtor or not, make sure the inspector is honest and actually cares about doing his/her job 100% correctly.

Hi Ramona,

Great work on doing your own research about the steps on purchasing a home! I'm a realtor and own 3 STR houses here in FT Lauderdale. I've used other people's referrals and have looked on my own too and now I got to a point where I trust the inspector I have and he does an incredible job. It's not necessarily true that a realtor will have an inspector help "hide" problems with the house to close. That's against our practice as realtors and inspectors and could get them in real trouble.

I do the opposite, the inspector works as part of our team and is trying as hard as he can to find something "wrong" with the property where I as the professional can negotiate and get seller's credit for my buyers for example...

If you trust your realtor, he/she becomes your ally, a professional fighter for you, focusing on YOUR best interest. That's why having a buyer's agent representing you is essential. We have the inside out information and knowledge to attack any situation with professionalism in your best interest for the best results for you.

Doing your own research on inspectors as the buyer is healthy too and makes you as the buyer informed of what inspectors offer and their pricing. 

I always encourage knowledge - Knowledge is power!

I took a realtor's recommendation on my first STR purchase and he was unfortunately terrible. We were able to get past it and resolve the issues but I would definitely consider researching someone independently yourself.

Most realtors however have great inspectors as they work with them often and need a reliable inspector as part of their team. I am in Palm Beach County as well so feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like a recommendation. 

I used to do Home Inspections and found that almost all Realtors would offer a referral or two. They never used inspectors to gloss over problems...that just creates all kinds of issues (including legal ones) down the road. A really great and honest inspector will save everyone time and money. Not saying you can't go find your own, but that's really a crapshoot. Why not use one that your realtor has used before and trusts? You trust your Realtor, right?

@Ramona Huot I'm no longer a practicing Realtor, but I had a coupe of go-to inspectors.  I used them because they would prioritize me when it came to scheduling, but would do a very thorough inspection.

If an inspector glossed things over it would put my reputation at risk and that's the single most important thing you have in any business.  No one deal is worth ruining a reputation that I've worked years to build.

I have an inspector that I use and is great. I will PM you his information. I agree with @Ash Hegde though. I always look for a second opinion and find someone who I can trust. Networking out with more realtors and investors in your area would help. 

Good Luck!

Hi Ramona, and congrats on getting your first investment property! It is always a good idea to seek multiple referrals for most aspects of a purchase, not just the inspection but financing, property insurance, etc. I did want to let you know that I, as a full-time Realtor, typically provide my buyers with contact info for 3-4 reputable inspection companies that clients of mine have been happy with in the past. When I have an inspection come in that I feel is lacking in detail or the inspector was not a good communicator with my buyer, they will be taken off my list. As a professional, part of my job is to protect my buyers as much as possible, so I try to only recommend highly thorough and experienced inspection companies, and ones that I know have insurance policies in place if something is missed. Bottom line: I would encourage you to not reject your Realtors recommendations outright, as those inspection companies likely have a respected track record and a reputation for being through and detailed. Hope this helps!

I don't have one for you, but good idea looking for additional referrals. The one your realtor recommends could be great, or not so great, so it's wise to talk to a few and find one you trust.