How much do you know about your property inspector?
Published by Tei Baishiki under General.Did you know that the property inspection industry in the State of California is unregulated? What protection does your inspector offer should a condition in the property not be identified in the report and become a problem down the road?
It is imperative that the property inspector is qualified to provide your client with a professional assessment of the condition of the property they are investing in. It amazes me when I come across a REALTOR® who doesn’t know whether the inspector carries General Liability, Errors & Omissions (E & O) and Workers’ Comp insurance. You will find that a reputable home inspection company’s E & O will not only provide protection for the homebuyer or seller, but also the REALTOR, often referred to as “Referring REALTOR Coverage”.
Although the inspection industry is unregulated, the California Trade Practice Act Chapter 338, enacted in 1996, encourages courts to consider the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the California Real Estate Inspection Association(CREIA) when determining whether an inspection meets the required standards. To find out if an inspector is a member of either association go to http://www.ashi.org/ or http://www.creia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
So, REALTOR and homebuyer and homesellers beware…qualify your inspector!
