I'd like to know the best way to find a trustworthy home inspector. For example, in a past purchase the inspector was provided to me by the real estate agent.
It felt a little bit like wink-wink, nudge-nudge, going on between the two of them. The inspector actually seemed to be helping talk up the property.
I liked it very much so I went ahead and bought the house. The biggest problem I have, though, is with the slab in the garage. It has cracked and continues to worsen each year as the snow melts.
At the time the inspector said it was a simple crack from original settling but clearly it is a much bigger issue with drainage.
I consider myself burned and learned from that lesson and would like to make sure I don't repeat it with a future purchase. Any suggestions on finding reputable, objective inspectors?
===ANSWER===
Hi Thomas,
Great question here. I can see how you may have felt the real estate agent and home inspector were working together to make a sale.
It's not uncommon for a real estate agent to be working closely with an inspector, appraiser and even a loan officer. Many times these professionals work as a team to help work the deal through smoothly. Each one knows their own part of the transaction and how to communicate with each other as they go through the process.
With all of that said, one thing you really need to keep in mind is that you're the customer. Nobody would have the work without you.
So you have the right to choose the people that are party to your transaction. You can pick the home inspector, often times the appraiser and especially the real estate agent and loan officer.
Some of the Super Star Real Estate Agents have this team in place. It's not always a bad thing to go with their recommendations, but as always you have the final say.
So to answer your question on finding a home inspector. Consider the following:
1) Who do you know that is a builder? 2) You can use the phone book 3) Ask someone you know that has recently bought a house.
These are just a few things to try. So you can always hire whomever you wish.
