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From the Desk of
Arthur Lazerow
Smart Sellers Have
Inspections
Listing Realtors’ attitude and
thinking about listing period home inspections need to change. Only good
can result from such an inspection. Last month, we announced a new
national program that Alban is offering called the Certified Pre-Owned
Listing Program. I certified our first listing period home last week,
and when it is listed for sale, a sign rider announcing CERTIFED will be
swinging under the Realtor’s name.
Our inspection for the seller, a single, soon to be married woman, was a
win-win. She now has the peace of mind that there are no major problems
with her townhouse, except those she knew about and several that she was
not aware of, such as the fire hazard, recalled GE dishwasher that she
can get replaced with a subsidy from GE and enhance the value of her
home. The GE subsidy alone covered over half the inspection fee.
The
repair list from her inspection is short, but important. The foundation
leak under the front stoop can be rectified for the lowest possible cost
without the panic of settlement in three weeks staring her in the face.
When I told her that 87% of the homes certified in the Certified
Pre-Owned Listing Program are not reinspected, I saw a beautiful
self-assured smile.
She knows by spending several hundred dollars, she took control of the
home inspection process. She ultimately will save more than the cost of
the inspection and the listing will get attention, both on the internet
and in front of her home. The listing Realtor who encouraged her to
schedule an Alban home inspection gets the complete package and no
worries about disclosures.
Every owner considering listing their home
and every listing agent should appreciate the
benefits of a listing period inspection. The
Certified Pre-Owned Listing certification will
cause this townhouse to raise above all the
others in the neighborhood.
Short Notes From the Field
Back to Radon
Last month’s newsletter made the statement that the
majority of Realtors attending Alban’s continuing
education classes have never tested their personal
residences for Radon. Considering Realtors are the best
educated portion of the public with respect to Radon,
that is an amazing fact. Art Lazerow has taught three
CE classes between newsletters. The Realtors in an
Environmental Issues class in Mt. Airy had exactly
50% and a seminar on Understanding Residential
Construction for Frederick County Association of
Realtors also had a 50% testing rate. A small RE
office in Bethesda scored one out of seven having
tested for Radon. Boo! Spend $25 at Home Depot
and test your home. Lung Cancer is Preventable.
Maryland
Home Inspector Licensing Law
The
Maryland legislature just passed an amendment
to the licensing law increasing the number of home
inspection course hours new applicants for licenses
must take to become licensed and requires passage of the National Home
Inspector Exam. Finally, some proof of proficiency will be required.
There is resistance to continuing education for home inspectors. This is
not critical, as long as Realtors ensure their clients utilize
inspectors from the American Society of Home Inspectors. ASHI requires
20 hours ANNUALLY to maintain a member’s Associate or Certified status.
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How Should an Owner
Prepare for an Inspection?
This subject keeps coming up in discussions with
sellers at home inspections. We are often asked by the owner of the home
we are inspecting, “What could I have done better to get ready for the
inspection.”
Whether the inspection is pre-listing for the owner or after an offer is
accepted for the benefit of the buyer, the seller/owner must put the
home in the best possible light to help the sale settle. A highly
successful listing Realtor told us recently that almost half of their
accepted offers are failing to settle, and in many cases, home
inspection issues develop into nasty negotiations that result in the
purchaser canceling the deal.
Sellers can avoid these problems by having their own pre-listing
inspection. However the question here is what should owners do to
prepare the home for an inspection? The easy answer to guarantee that
the inspection goes off without a hitch is to ensure all routine
maintenance is up-to-date, to replace any equipment that is at the end
of its service life, and to make all areas of the home accessible.
Concentrate first on the exterior of the
house. There should be at least six inches of clearance between
grade or mulch and the siding. Dirty gutters and debris on the roof
should be cleaned. Cleanout any basement areaway drains as well. Check
grading conditions to be sure that slopes lead rain and snow melt away
from the home.
Weather and temperature changes play havoc
with the outside of homes. Eliminate any peeling, chipping paint and
renew any failing caulk. Damaged siding should be replaced. Check
chimneys and brick work for cracking mortar joints. Seal any cracking
found in asphalt driveways.
Turning to the inside, clean or replace the
air handler filter. Dirty air returns and ducts should be cleaned. Walk
around the home and check that all doors and windows operate properly,
stay up when opened and are easily closed and locked.
All burned out light bulbs should be
replaced to eliminate questions about operable fixtures and appliances.
Same for smoke detectors and their batteries. All plumbing fixtures
should be in working order with no plumbing leaks anywhere. Heating and
air conditioning systems and all electric circuits should be operable.
Comply with the following advice to sellers:
• Leave the Premises. The buyer needs to
visualize the home as theirs. Seeing the Seller in the house obstructs
this process.
• Be courteous to the home inspector. To the extent the home has been
cared for properly, we are not an enemy. The home inspector will give a
fair assessment of the property.
• Do not argue during the inspection and do not follow the inspector
around if the seller must be home. Let the Realtors negotiate after the
inspection is complete.
• Do not guess about ages of appliances or the roof or other portions of
the home. Inaccurate information can come back to bite the seller, even
after settlement.
• Allow access to all areas of the home. Nothing should block access to
crawl spaces, mechanical equipment or the attic. Open any door that may
be kept locked. It is disconcerting to buyers to be kept away from
inspecting significant areas of the home. What’s crawling around in the
crawl space? Are the wiring sizes matched properly to the breaker
capacities in the panel box? What is occurring in the attic space?
Unanswered questions like these disrupt the home inspection process and
leave the buyer worried.
The home inspection should be pleasant,
memorable and educational. By focusing on the home’s strengths, the home
inspector can help solidify the buyer’s commitment to the purchase. By
establishing the home’s need for maintenance or replacements provides
comfort that the buyer understands all aspects of the physical condition
of the home. A cooperative seller helps make this happen.
Alban is
proud to offer FREE Continuing Education Courses in Real Estate Offices!
Call Tina to schedule one of our educational seminars, for additional
information, or to schedule our services at 800-822-7200 or
301-662-6565. |
