"Joshua Putnam" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

"Joshua Putnam" wrote in message
...

(This assumes that your offer includes a contingency for inspection --
if the house doesn't pass and you can't reach an agreement with the
seller, the deal is off, you get back your earnest money, the house
goes
back on the market.)

but you dont get the inspection fee back. educating yourself via the
library can get you quite a ways without having to pay someone.

True, but in the context of an ongoing real estate transaction, starting
from scratch as a do-it-yourself inspector may be either too slow, or
too superficial.

im certainly not saying its a substitute for a proper professional
inspection, but you should be able to spot obvious problems yourself, and
the books will give you a 'punch list' of things you wouldnt have thought of
checking. stuff like making sure there is flashing around a chimney,
problems with the ground sloping towards the house, etc...

if thats too much for someone, i have to wonder how they held a job and
earned enough money to buy a house in the first place...

randy