Should You Use the Home Inspector Your Realtor Recommends? (for Buyers) 

When Not to Recommend Us (For Realtors)

Buyers – Sometimes you should & sometimes you shouldn’t.
Here’s how to know when it’s right & when it’s not…

Realtors – That’s right, we don’t always want you to recommend us.
Here’s how to know when to share our name & when not to…

BUYERS
It’s really simple, are they referring you to Sherlock Home Inspections?   But seriously…

You’ve got to trust your Realtor. If he or she has your best interest at heart, then your Realtor SHOULD know a Home Inspector who does a good job. Finding someone on your own could be tough. Regardless of what they promise, some Home Inspectors show up late, don’t know what they’re doing, take forever to deliver their report, etc.

However, if you aren’t 100% confident in your Realtor, there are some who have questionable relationships with Home Inspectors. If your Realtor seems more interested in closing a deal rather than finding you your dream home, then maybe he or she is recommending a specific Home Inspector simply to ensure that nothing is noted that might tempt you to back out of the deal.

It is important to note that unlike many other Home Inspectors throughout Florida, Sherlock Home Inspections NEVER HAS & NEVER WILL pay “kick-backs,” “referral fees,” or any other type of compensation to Realtors, Insurance Agents, or anyone else who may refer business to us. Our relationship with those folks is strictly professional. When someone recommends Sherlock Home Inspections, they truly have their clients’ best interests at heart.

REALTORS
You can usually tell when you’ve got a good rapport with a buyer. When you do, your advice is well received. However, we hear from buyers on a regular basis who felt that their Realtor didn’t have their best interest in mind when recommending a Home Inspector, so they purposely didn’t use the inspector that was recommended.

I often wonder – does that ever happen to us? If you don’t feel like your clients trust you 100%, or if you’re not sure, you might want to ask, “Would you like me to recommend a Home Inspector, or would you rather find one on your own?” This is a perfect way to “test the waters” & see how you’re doing with your client. If they don’t want your recommendation, you’ll know that you still need to earn their trust & PLEASE don’t tell them about Sherlock Home Inspections – they might actually find us on their own.

Holiday Safety Tips

The holidays bring friends and family together. But they also come with several health hazards, including an increased chance of fires, food poisoning and choking.

Take a few minutes to review these safety tips, and enjoy the holidays without worry.

Fire

The U.S. Fire Administration reports that the average number of household fires increases considerably around the holidays. The two major sources for these fires are Christmas lights and cooking accidents. Be sure to check all smoke detectors & replaces batteries as needed. Don’t leave Christmas lights on when you leave the home & don’t leave the kitchen while frying and grilling. Use a timer and do kitchen checks when simmering, baking, broiling and roasting. If you are deep-frying a turkey, keep the fryer outside, away from walls, fences and other structures. Also keep the fryer away from moisture to avoid burns from steam and spattering oil.

Food Poisoning

Eating undercooked turkey can be hazardous. If a turkey is thawed at a temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, salmonella or other bacteria that cause food poisoning can grow. Safely cooking a turkey starts with correct defrosting. Refrigerator thawing = one day for every 5 pounds. Submerging in water = 30 minutes for every pound (water should be changed every half hour). Microwave thawing = remove any packaging and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Eating leftovers that have been improperly stored can also lead to food poisoning. Leftovers need to be put away within two hours after serving the food. They should go in the refrigerator if they are going to be eaten within three days; otherwise, they should go in the freezer.

Choking

The most common cause of choking is talking while eating. If a person is unable to cough, breathe or speak, the first thing to do is call 911. Next, the Red Cross recommends a technique called FIVE-and-FIVE for choking victims. The first step is giving the choking victim five sharp blows on the back, using the heel of the hand. If the obstruction is not dislodged by this move, the next step is to give the victim five quick, upward abdominal thrusts.

Might they be important?

Does this sound familiar?

“Hiring a Home Inspector would be a waste of money.  This is a brand new house that has been inspected dozens of times by the city/ county Permitting Office. If there were anything wrong, they would have already caught it. Besides, we offer a warranty, so if you find a problem, we’ll fix it.”

This is the type of thing that many builders say to new home buyers in an attempt to talk them out of a home inspection.

New houses are never perfect.  

I can go on & on about all of the ways that homes get built improperly and defects get missed. We do several new construction inspections every month and constantly find issues that require correction.

Yes, most builders offer warranties, but …

(1) Wouldn’t you rather know now so that repairs can be made before you move in? 

(2) Read the fine print – look at all of the areas that would NOT be covered.

(3) Assuming the problem is covered by the warranty… How long will it take before you notice the issue? Will it take several months for that roof leak or plumbing leak to cause enough damage for you to notice it? Is there now a mold problem too? Will it take an electrical fire or an injury before you recognize an electrical issue?

Don’t skip an inspection just because the house is new.

Finally, when you do decide to get an inspection, don’t hire just anyone. Many inspectors have no idea how to inspect a new house. Obviously we’ll be looking for proper workmanship, proper building materials, finish work, etc. rather than the wear & tear or break-down of the different systems of the home.

Are You Asking the Right Questions & REALLY Doing Right by Your Clients?

Realtors, Mortgage Pros, Insurance Agents, etc. often schedule Home Inspections for their clients or refer Home Inspectors to them, but they don’t always ask the right questions to be sure that they are using the best Home Inspector for their client.

While price & availability are important, those aren’t the only factors to consider.

I don’t mention this because we are expensive, or booked a week out, in fact…
Our fees are always competitive, without cutting corners
We can usually have an inspector on site within 24 hours

However, we aren’t the cheapest in town, and we do get busy from time to time.

But what good is a home inspector who charges a little less and is available at 4:00 pm on Sat if his inspection does not include several areas of the home, if he takes 2-3 days to deliver his report, if he’s just plain unprofessional, or doesn’t know what he’s doing, etc.?

On more than one occasion I’ve had Realtors call to ask me if we have a Supra Key. When I replied, “No, someone will have to be there to let us in, or unlock it ahead of time & hide the key somewhere,” they politely said, “OK, thanks,” and hung up the phone. Should that really be the deciding factor on whether or not you recommend a particular Home Inspector? Do those Realtors really have their clients’ best interests at heart?

Why Your Clients Want Us

• We will exceed their expectations – Highest Customer Satisfaction Rating throughout Florida.
• We are Certified by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors
• We inspect areas & conduct procedures that are above and beyond industry standards
• We deliver our Inspection Reports within 24 hours
• We don’t consider a job to be complete until all of your clients’ questions are answered

Post navigation

Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, while remembering and mourning those who have died for this country, be sure to also thank God that such men lived.
 

Sherlock Home Inspections

Sherlock Home Inspections is a Cape Coral, FL based company servicing all of Southwest Florida with a focus on Lee County.

They provide the following services:

• 101 Point Home Inspection
• Pest, Termite & W.D.O. (Wood-Destroying Organisms)
• Air Quality (Mold, Mildew and Fungi)
• Water Quality (Bacteria, Nitrates, Pathogens, etc.)
• Well & Septic
• Chinese Drywall
• 4-Point Insurance Inspection
• Wind Mitigation
• Lead
• Occupancy & Condition Home Watch Inspections
• Storm Assessment Inspections

Sherlock Home Inspections guarantees to provide inspections within 24 hours of orders and delivery of reports within 24 hours of inspection. To order an inspection or get more information, simply contact Sherlock Home Inspections at (239) 292-0756, or log on to www.sherlock-inspections.com

Important FHA Info

US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
& Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
FHA requires that a “For Your Protection: Get a Home Inspection” notice be given to buyers before the sales contract is executed in all transactions that will involve FHA mortgage insurance. It informs the buyer of the importance of a home inspection prior to purchasing a home. It also makes clear that FHA does not insure the condition of the property & the appraisal is intended only to assist the lender. FHA can require repairs or alterations be made to bring the property up to FHA standards.