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 New
Jersey Home inspectors NJ, Home
Inspections in New Jersey
NJ
I
do not intend to imply all
realtors are dishonest …. this is just
not the case.
But there are some
who tend to gravitate
toward home inspectors who
are less likely to threaten
their sale.
New
Jersey Home
Buyer's Tips
New
Jersey home buyers
here are some things to
keep in mind when in the
market for a new home in
New Jersey. One of the
biggest mistakes that a New
Jersey home buyer can make in a
hot market like New Jersey
is to continue to look for
that "ideal"
home while passing up
perfectly good homes in
the process. If this is
your first home, chances
are it will not be the last
one that you will buy. As
you delay your purchase,
home prices will probably
continue to rise and quite
possibly, interest rates
will too.
Having stated that, you
should not rush into the
biggest financial
transaction of your life
without careful
consideration. For this
reason, we have highlighted
most of the major items
that you need to consider
when looking to buy. With
good planning, you can join
the millions of other
families who own their own
homes and are taking
advantage of the many
benefits that are available
to home owners.
Starting with the obvious:
LOCATION, LOCATION,
LOCATION.
What kinds of things are
important to you? Will you
be near stores, schools,
parks, restaurants,
theaters, supermarkets? Do
you mind being on a busy
street or would you rather
be on a quiet cul-de-sac?
Is the home near public
transportation? How far is
it to work?
PREFERENCES:
Rate each of the following
as: A - must have, B - high
priority, C - medium
priority, D - low priority.
___ Style of home - one
story, two story, split
level, etc.
___ Size of yard
___ Number of bedrooms
___ Number of baths
___ Bath in master bedroom
___ Eat-in kitchen
___ Separate dining room
___ Basement (Do you want a
finished basement?)
___ Fireplace
___ Garage (1 car, 2 car)
___ Windows in the kitchen
___ Windows in the
bathrooms
___ Plenty of sunlight in
the other rooms
___ Maintenance free
windows, gutters, trim,
siding
___ Lots of closet space
(walk-in closets)
___ Adequate storage
(attic, crawl space, etc.)
___ Trees on the property
and in the neighborhood
___ Children in the
neighborhood
___ Air-conditioning
___ Type of heating system
___ Porch or deck
___ Dishwasher, garbage
disposal
___ City water or well
water
___ Septic system or sewers
___ Fuse Box or Circuit
Breakers
Many of us look forward to
the day when we can
purchase our home. We save
diligently, attend home
buying seminars and
carefully study the
interest rates of lenders.
However, what most people
probably haven't given much
thought to is how they will
eventually choose the most
important element of the
home buying process, your
professional Home
inspectors. Like most
people, when the time comes
to choose a home inspectors
you will probably ask your
real estate agent for a
recommendation.
Many lawsuits involving
negligence on the part of
home inspectors involve
those sales where the
inspectors was recommended
to the buyer by a real
estate agent? Check out http://lawlibrary.rutgers.edu/courts/appellate/a6252-99.opn.html.
It is a dirty little secret
in the industry that some
real estate agents
recommend only inspectors
they feel will minimize any
potential problems.
inspectors, like my self
who have the buyers best
interest at heart and
refuse to minimize issues
seen, are termed "DEAL
KILLERS" and are
rarely referred by this
kind of real estate agent.
Sadly, it is the
unsuspecting buyer who
suffers for this practice
and one of the reasons why
leading consumer advocates,
the American Society of
Home inspectors and the
National Association of
Home inspectors advise
against buyers choosing
their inspectors based on a
real estate agents referral
alone.
That is you they need me. I
don't play that game and
never have. I have been in
business in West Paterson
since 1993 and have
inspected more than over 6,000
homes and condominiums in
the area. I'm well known in
the inspection industry and
am one of a half dozen or
so Home Inspection
instructors for the State
Licensing program.
While I will accept
referrals from a select few
professional real estate
agents, my loyalty remains
to the buyer, not the
referring real estate
agent. I refuse to take
future referrals from any
real estate agent who
attempts to influence how I
inspect and report findings
during an inspection.
Today, the vast majority of
my referrals comes from
attorneys and satisfied
customers. The only real
estate agents I accept
repeat referrals from are
those that I know to be
honest and who won't
attempt to manipulate my
findings. I work for my
clients and only my
clients.
Empowering my clients with
enough information to make
a well-informed decision
about their home purchase
is my only concern when
conducting an inspection. I
realize it isn't enough to
simply look at the home and
tell my clients what I find
wrong, I also need to
educate them about the
home, so they can properly
maintain it and thus
preserve its future value.
My typical inspection takes
a couple of hours. I
thoroughly inspect the
entire exterior, roof,
chimneys, decks, foundation
and drainage, and then the
interior and major systems,
including the fireplaces,
electrical, heating, hot
water and plumbing systems.
I also enter and inspect
all accessible attics and
crawl spaces. I don't issue
vague reports. My findings
are explained carefully in
easy to understand language
and thoroughly documented
in a professional report I
type up that very night.
The next morning your
report is mailed, e-mailed
or faxed to our client,
their attorney and you wish
to your real estate agent.
My inspection report will
be technically correct and
conducted competently. I
have had clients who were
licensed architects,
engineers, realtors,
lawyers and builders who
have told me they learned a
great deal during one of my
inspections!
So, you are in the market
for a new home and truly
need and want a
Professional Home
inspectors, one who puts
your clients interest above
future referrals from real
estate agents, call me to
schedule their next home
inspection. If you are not
buying now, keep me in mind
when you are I promise you,
that you will be glad that
you did.
Thank you for taking the
time to review this
information. I hope to be
hearing from you when you
make your next home
purchase.
EXAMINING THE HOME:
Note: If any of the
following items are
unacceptable, it doesn't
necessarily mean that you
should not buy the home.
You can negotiate the cost
of the repairs and/or
negotiate the price.
Remember, there is no such
thing as a perfect home.
As any home owner will tell
you, something is always in
need of fixing or
upgrading. What you want to
do is protect yourself from
any unexpected large
expenses. You should also
arrange for a home
inspection to be made by a
professional prior to your
purchase.
OUTSIDE:
Do not just rely on your
impression upon seeing the
home for the first time. In
looking beyond the
"curb" appeal,
you may be able to get a
great deal on a home that
can be enhanced with just a
few improvements. Things
like bushes that aren't
trimmed or an unkempt lawn
are two examples of
improvements that can be
made with a minor
investment of time and
money.
The home inspectors will
point out some of the
following items, but it's a
good idea to be aware of
them before you make an
offer on a home. (The home
inspectors is normally
contacted after an offer is
made.)
Ask the age of the roof and
whether it leaks. An old
roof or one that has
several layers of shingles
can mean an expensive
repair in the near future.
A properly ventilated attic
or crawl space will extend
the life of a roof. (A roof
can usually have 2 to 3
layers of shingles before
it needs to be completely
replaced.)
Check the gutters. Are they
pulling away from the
home?
Check the foundation. Look
for signs of water or
wetness in the basement.
Vertical or diagonal cracks
in the foundation are not
usually serious, but
horizontal cracks can be.
Windows and doors should
open and shut easily.
Check the caulk around the
windows and doors.
What's the condition of the
siding? Will it need to be
replaced soon?
Are the outside steps
pulling away from the
home?
How is the driveway?
(Unless they are new,
blacktop driveways will
usually have some cracks.
Look for major cracks and
large pieces of missing
blacktop.)
Is the landscaping in good
condition?
INSIDE:
What is the floor plan
like? Is it suitable for
your family? How about the
room sizes? Are they big
enough .. or too big?
Check the water pressure by
turning on several faucets
at the same time, and
flushing the toilet.
Check under the sinks for
water leakage.
Check for signs of water on
the ceiling and walls
(stains and peeled paint).
Check the number and
location of electric
outlets.
Ask about insulation in the
home.
Are there stains in the tub
or sinks?
How old are the appliances
and utilities (hot water
heater, furnace,
dishwasher, washer, dryer,
stove, refrigerator,
air-conditioner)? A furnace
can last from 25 to 30
years. An air-conditioner
will last for about 15
years. A hot water heater
will last about 10 years.
These are just estimates.
The life span of any
appliance depends on how
well it was made and
whether it has received
proper maintenance.
Remember, if you like a
home that is in need of
repair, you can negotiate
the cost of repairs and/or
the cost of the home. Don't
just walk away from a
potentially good buy.
FINANCIAL:
What are the average
monthly utility bills?
How much are the real
estate taxes? Has there
been an increase lately or
is the area due for a
reassessment?
Are there any major repairs
needed in the near future?
Can you afford the monthly
payments? Check the
functions provided in this
software program.
GENERAL:
Ask your realtor about a
home warranty program. This
will protect you, the
buyer, if any of the major
appliances breaks down
within a given period of
time.
Ask your realtor for a
"report card" of
the local schools.
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