There’s a well-known (and often unspoken) conflict that’s been simmering in the real estate world for decades: the uneasy relationship between home inspectors and realtors. Sure, this doesn’t apply to every single home inspector/realtor dynamic, but if you’ve been around long enough, you know it’s more common than it should be.

In fact, I recently received an email from a homebuyer that really made me stop and think about this age-old tension. Kim, a retired detective and one of my clients, sent me this message just 24 hours after I completed an inspection for him:

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“Hi Ian, I ran into a friend of mine that does some real estate. I asked if he knew about you. To my surprise, he said yes and that you’ve caused him to lose three sales! I think that is hilarious! You are the most diligent inspector I’ve ever known of! I understand why someone may back out of a purchase, but my God, if you don’t find or state an issue, your backside is on the line! I guess you’re just too good!!! LOL. If you ever need a reference, let me know! Also, the seller of the house on XXXXXX lowered the price by $15,000 today per our request!

Thanks for your honest and very complete inspection!
Kim XXXXXX”

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On the surface, Kim’s email seems like a compliment—but underneath, it highlights a major issue in real estate today: the conflict between realtors and home inspectors. And frankly, this friction isn’t helping anyone—especially the homebuyer and seller.

The Root of the Problem

So, what’s the real issue here? In simple terms, the relationship between realtors and home inspectors is often set up in a way that isn’t necessarily in the best interest of the homebuyer. Here’s why:

Take a moment to think about how each professional gets paid. Most realtors only earn a commission if they close the sale—that’s it. If the home transfer doesn’t happen, they get nothing. The stakes for them are incredibly high, and that puts a lot of pressure on ensuring that the deal goes through.

In contrast, home inspectors get paid regardless of whether the deal goes through or not. Our payment is due when we complete the inspection—not after the transaction is finalized. This creates a very different dynamic between the two roles, and it’s easy to see why conflict can arise. If the inspection uncovers major issues, it can put the deal in jeopardy, and that’s something a realtor might want to avoid if they’re solely focused on closing the sale.

How It Impacts the Home Buyer

As a home inspector, my fiduciary responsibility is to my client. That’s typically the homebuyer in most home inspection transactions. Whether in a licensed state or not, my job is to accurately assess the condition of the home and communicate my findings clearly.

That’s not always easy—no inspector is perfect. But we strive to do the best job we can, knowing that our findings could make or break a sale. If we miss something important, it could cost the homebuyer a lot of money down the road.

Unfortunately, this is where things get messy. A thorough, honest inspection can often be seen as an obstacle by realtors. In my experience—and based on conversations I’ve had with other inspectors across the country—realtors who truly prioritize their client’s best interests are in the minority. Many see inspectors as hurdles, as if we’re somehow getting in the way of the sale.

The Shift in Realtor-Inspector Relationships

In the past, when I held a real estate broker’s license, it was normal for a realtor to attend the inspection and be present during the wrap-up. The inspector would explain the findings to both the homebuyer and the realtor, creating a direct line of communication. This allowed realtors to immediately address concerns, interpret what the homebuyer was hearing, and guide the client through the next steps.

But the new norm is different. Many realtors no longer attend inspections or even make an effort to communicate with the inspector. They simply receive the report and try to make sense of it on their own. It’s often framed as a liability issue—but frankly, that’s a cop-out.

How can a realtor represent their client’s best interests without having a direct conversation with the inspector? How can they understand what’s truly important about the condition of the home without hearing it firsthand from the person that inspected the home? Without this direct line of communication, a realtor can easily misinterpret the significance of the findings, and that’s when things get really tricky.

The Best Realtors Do It Differently

The best realtors don’t just pass off the inspection process to the inspector and move to the sideline. They engage. They attend inspections when possible, or at the very least, they’re in close contact with the inspector afterward to get the full picture. They understand how to interpret the inspection report, and they know how to use it as a negotiation tool for their client. The difference between a great realtor that engages with the home inspector and a realtor that doesn’t can end up costing you the home you want, and thousands of dollars in negotiated savings.

Great realtors don’t just want to close the deal—they want to make sure their clients are making an informed decision. When a client has concerns about the home’s condition, the realtor should be there to guide them through the negotiation process and make sure they aren’t overpaying for something that isn’t as good as it seemed.

Buyers: What Should You Know?

Now, as a homebuyer, should you trust an inspector recommended by your realtor, or what about the home inspector that wasn’t recommended? Maybe. But do your own due diligence. A realtor’s recommendation can be a helpful starting point, but it’s essential to make sure you’re working with a qualified, experienced inspector who will give you an honest, thorough assessment. A quick Google search or a little bit of research can tell you a lot about an inspector’s reputation.

In the end, the goal for everyone involved—home inspectors, realtors, and especially homebuyers—should be to make sure the home purchase is based on solid information. A great realtor and a great inspector working together as a team can help ensure that everyone’s interests are protected.

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Final Thoughts

The tension between realtors and home inspectors isn’t going away anytime soon, but it doesn’t have to be a roadblock. By fostering better communication and a deeper understanding of each other’s roles, we can all work together for the benefit of the client. At the end of the day, it’s the homebuyer who should come first—and that should be the primary focus of both inspectors and buy-side realtors alike.

Call it what you will, manufactured home certifications, HUD certifications, foundation certifications. The truth is, no one seems to agree on what to call them.

You’re buying a manufactured home and your lender is suddenly asking for foundation certifications.

Why? Because, the bank requested appraiser, went to the home to complete an appraisal. In the process, the appraiser snapped some great pictures of each side of the home and filled out a report, to which your loan processor received. Boom! The loan processor looked at the appraisal and off we all go…

Loan processors ask their loan officers to ask their buyer/client to get a “something, something certificate”. At least that’s kinda how I get asked if I do them?!

It’s always a round about conversation where I get asked if I do a thing, and after a few well placed questions, I can determine the very thing they are asking me to do.

So, call it what you may, manufactured home certifications, HUD certifications, foundation certifications are required by a lender on government backed/insured loans when securing a mortgage for a manufactured home.

Why? Manufactured homes are not built to our local building code standards. Manufactured homes are built to HUD (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development) standards. HUD is the governing authority. HUD has an interest in making sure that after the manufactured home has left the manufacturer and been placed on its initial foundation, that nothing has changed to effect the structural integrity of the home.

Manufactured homes are not made to the same structural standards as traditionally built homes – and therefore HUD never relinquishes oversight. And, for good reason. Ultimately, it’s to keep its occupants safe!

Here lies the challenge. A manufactured home once setup and over a span of time is subjected to the same desires to add-to, and change the home as any other home. And by well meaning, but uneducated professional contractors and home owners.

In simple terms – HUD says that nothing, that’s ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, can be attached to the manufactured home that makes the attachment reliant on the home for support.

Think about it this way. That simple step at the front or back door; If I put the home on wheels and pulled it away from the steps, would the steps stay put, or collapse? What about the deck? The additional room? The list goes on. If anything relies on the home for support, HUD has an issue with it.

“Yeah, but Ian, my local building inspector said, it was fine! It’s been like that for years.”

Here’s an idea, HUD doesn’t care! HUD is the governing authority. Your local building official cares about local building codes and not the study of HUD building codes. It’s no ones fault. Your local building official isn’t the authority on this.

The lender, after reading from the HUD handbook is going to request that a structural engineer needs to approve/certify the home.

Here’s what really happens. Yes, you can pay for a structural engineer to leave their office and come inspect the home, but structural engineers don’t come cheap. Mostly, a qualified inspector like me (a Certified Master Inspector) does the actual HUD inspection and captures all the information and evidence that a structural engineer needs to make a decision to approve or deny certification.

When working with someone with experience (like me), I have a good understanding of what will pass and what will fail HUD’s standards and will be able to walk you through the solutions so that you can get your closing process back on track.

Your lender may ask for one or more different HUD certifications. Each certification has a cost and a purpose. It’s always easier and potentially less expensive if you the buyer asks for everything you need at the same time so that they can be inspected and processed by the engineer as a single file versus multiple files and inspections.

Here’s the standard certifications:

 

Permanent Foundation Certification:

The inspector and engineer evaluate the foundation and the methods that the manufactured home has been attached to the ground in compliance with HUD rules.

From an inspectors point of view – you need to know that your manufactured home is as safe as it can be. That the home is structurally and correctly tied to the ground that it is placed on.

Additions and Modifications Certification:

The inspector and engineer evaluate any and all additions and modifications to the manufactured home for compliance with HUD rules.

At the end of the day, while this all seems like a major nuisance, it’s an expense you typically didn’t expect, and it can potentially derail your closing schedule. Stressful times!! But HUD rules are there to help protect your safety.

A great inspector (like me – there are others) will get your Permanent Foundation Certifications, Additions and Modifications Certifications, HUD foundation certifications or plain old manufactured home certifications on track. Contact Smart Choice Inspection Company for more information.

If you have questions from anywhere, I’m happy to help. Good luck everyone!

If you’re thinking of buying a home with a wet basement this is right up your alley. There isn’t much more that will make a home buyer more nervous than a wet basement. So, lets take a quick dive into wet basements.

Older – pre 1970’s basements were not really designed to be finished basements. Most basements were built using unfinished expectations and construction standards.

Along comes a more modern era where every square foot of unfinished space is being eyed with the hope of being finished, livable space, and we run into a few challenges.

Older style stone and concrete block (CMU-Concrete Masonry Units) basement walls are built with porous materials. Brick, stone, concrete, and similar materials are porous. Porous means that the material will absorb water – like a sponge!

In today’s basement construction a heavy tar/bitumen type application is sprayed onto the outside of the basement before the builder backfills (puts dirt back around the foundation/basement walls) around the basement. This tar seals the exterior and prevents the porous material from coming into contact with the exterior moisture. Waterproofing wasn’t done to most homes prior to the 1970’s. And if it was – like everything else, as it ages, it stops performing like it did when it was new.

So where does that leave us?

Let’s first recognize that it’s the moisture outside the basement that’s the issue. Hydrostatic pressure to get technical! Understanding the buildup of water pressure helps us find the solutions. When the pressure is greater outside the basement than inside the basement, what’s outside is being pushed inside.

You need to know this:

1. Starting with the gutters; gutters that are missing, blocked, or in need of maintenance are a major cause of wet basements. Roofs can shed a vast amount of water and when gutters aren’t installed or acting as intended, they dump all that water at the outside of the basement walls.
2. Grading. Grading is another word for slope. When the grading or slope around a home is towards a home, it will carry surface water towards the exterior of the basement.
3. Saturation. We all have experience with a basement that has let water in during extremely wet periods. In a part of my own unfinished basement, when the exterior ground was heavily saturated, there was a pinhole sized hole that squirted water in like a small water pistol. Since fixed! When the ground is saturated due to heavy rainfall, thaw and freeze cycles or the water table, there is immense water pressure outside of the basement walls. This can lead to what is referred to as, “seasonal moisture”.

Most of what we see when looking at moisture in a basement is related to seasonal moisture. Can it or should it be addressed? We will dive into that next time. In the mean time if you need a thorough home inspection reach out to Ian at Smart Choice Home Inspection.