Here are some of the resources available:
1. Home Inspection Video - See a home inspection!
2. Read an actual home inspection report.
3. Read/search Barry Stone's column, Inspector's In the House (below).
4. Send a question using the form to the right. ===>
5. If you are a Seller, get your own inspection before you put your home on the market.

California does not require any license to be a home inspector, so it is important for both home buyers and sellers to make sure that they hire an inspector who is a certified residential inspector and who carries errors and omissions insurance. To help you think through the selection of your home inspector, click here for our 10 Tips.

QUESTIONS/ANSWERS Click on any of these topics to read questions and answers by syndicated columnist Barry Stone.
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As a buyer, you can be present on the home inspection (and we really recommend it). Being there gives you a chance to ask questions, to see and discuss what Mark has found, and to ask other questions about your new home. Some of the areas inspected include: structure, heating and cooling, roof, electrical system, plumbing and fixtures, attic, basement and/or crawl space, foundation, gutters, insulation, interior and exterior walls, porches and decks, and the water heater and appliances.

A good inspector helps both buyers and sellers become aware of any defects that weren't already known. (If they had been known, they would have been disclosed.) Please note: Sellers have no obligation to repair any defects. Repair requests are just that--requests. However, if an unknown defect is a safety issue, violates the then-current building code, or affects functionality, many sellers will accommodate the request in one way or another. A good inspection helps to put all those issues on the table so that everyone is satisfied with the transaction.

For information about various topics, just click on any of the links to the left or run your own search! One of our 600+ articles is posted below.

Let Buyers Choose Home Inspector
Inspector's in the House by Barry Stone, Certified Building Inspector

Dear Barry,

When we purchased our home, our agent seemed displeased with our choice of home inspector and convinced us to use someone else. Now that we own the house, some problems which were not disclosed have come to our attention, and we're sorry we didn't stick with our original choice. The inspector we had wanted has a reputation for being very detail oriented, but we did not hire him because he was said to be an alarmist. Now we're stuck making expensive repairs and hope you might warn other buyers against making the same mistake we did. Hal

Dear Hal,

Most real estate agents avoid recommending any one particular home inspector. The common understanding in the real estate industry is that an agent can be held liable for errors and omissions made by an inspector. To limit such liability, the California Association of Realtors has advised brokers and agents to provide a list of qualified inspectors and let the choice be made by the buyers.

All home inspectors, regardless of experience or qualifications, make occasional mistakes. When these errors occur, those who recommended the inspector then share the liability. Allowing buyers to choose their own inspector is one way an agent can limit his or her culpability. To dissuade buyers from implementing their preferred choice is a very risky practice indeed.

Distributed by Access Media Group. To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com.