Chances are the biggest single purchase you will ever make is that
of your home. $100,000? $200,000? $300,000? And that's just for
starters. What about the repairs after you move in?
You can see the crack in the basement wall, as well as the rotting window frames. But what about the things you
can't see?
Is the
furnace safe? Is the hot water heater waiting to fail?
How many more
years can you get out of that
roof? Most importantly,
what's all this going to cost?
You really need the opinion of a trained, licensed professional.
Your realtor may recommend a few inspectors that they "trust," but whose
best interests do they have in mind--yours or theirs?
Read your
Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors (BNAR)/
Bar Association of Erie County (BAEC) residential contract closely. Section 9(A)(1) clearly states:
"Purchaser shall have the right to have the Property and Included
Items inspected and/or tested by an Inspector or Inspectors of Purchaser's choice
at Purchaser's cost and expense ..."
Over the past 18 years,
Ron Stanton has been
looking out for the western New York home buyer (and not their real estate agent), inspecting
over 10,000 homes.
He is a full-time, professional home inspector licensed in the
state of New York.