On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 18:07:11 -0500, "Kyle Boatright"
wrote:

Here are three generalizations which might keep you from getting screwed
when buying a house..

1) All home inspectors are not equal. The one your realtor suggests may be
someone who facilitates sales by only flagging clearly defective items,
instead of noting those AND pointing out any suspicious items. Obviously,
this makes it easier for deals to go through, so the realtor is inclined to
recommend the inspector again.

Problem is that most home inspectors know the real-estate people, even
if the one you use wasn't recommended by an agent, they are probably
in business because of the agent or his/her friends. Home inspectors
should not be a substitute for your own inspection. If you don't know
what you're looking for you likely shouldn't be buying a house. If
you have a friend in the construction or home repair industry, it
might be worthwhile to ask for help from them rather than paying some
home inspector who likely has a contract with big loopholes in it.