TOPIC: Looking for a good answer!

I did a panel discussion for the Board of Realtors today and wasn't quite sure how to answer this question, so I am turning it ove to the group! I am in Texas, actually the tip of Texas in the Mc Allen, Brownsville area about 10 miles from the Mexico border. A large percentage of the buyers in our market right now are from Mexico. The Realtor wanted to know what to tell her buyers when they asked why they were having to pay for an inspection when the Inspector was recommending that they have a engineer, licensed plumber, licensed electrician etc. look into the problem that was encounterd. I know the answer, but was unable to articulate it to the Realtor. So I'm looking for a little help here! Thanks

The inspector is a generalist and in many cases an outside person does not need to be recommended. When there is a need, it's recommended. It would be much more expensive to hire all the individuals in advance and forgo the inspector as they might not be needed. Also, some problems where another person has been recommended, like a plumber, might not be important to the buyer and they won't need to call anyone.

Dom, some how I knew I could count on you. Thats perfect thanks!

Glad to help I'm sure the other guys will have even better answers.

Dom, that was a perfect answer,  you should go into home inspection maybe!!

If you had an elec., a plumber, an engineer, HVAC guy, and the like out to inspect each item, it would run into the thousands of dollars possibly. The home inspector checks everything for much less money. If he encounters issues that need repair, or further evaluation, a specialist is recommended. Basically a home inspection will save you money, because rarely will you have to call in that many specialist on an individual home.

Thanks Ian

Even if you had to call them all out because it was a really bad house, the inspector has already let the client know where the major problems are so they don't feel like they're getting tricked by the 'professional' they hire. The inspector is impartial as they aren't being paid to do any repairs. If they have a discrepancy between what the professional and inspector says the client should have been told they could call them for any questions they may have.