Gerry Loesch, PE
In part one, part two and part three of this series I gave you some background on Gerry Loesch as well as his informative E-View TM. Now we’ll pick up where we left off.
Gerry’s closing remarks show his passion for his profession: “I still love what I do. It is the only job where I get to give my opinion, no one has to agree with it, and I still get paid.” Well said Gerry! Where do I sign up???
Now we’ll continue with the E-View TM:
Q-Many cities and municipalities throughout the country have some sort of occupancy inspection. Since a building inspector from the local city or county is going to be inspecting the property to assure it’s compliance with local property maintenance codes, is it really necessary in this case for a buyer to still obtain an private building inspection? If so, why?
A-The answer to this is similar to the previous question. Municipal inspectors only look at certain items in a resale inspection. They have specific code issues they check. They do not go into the detail a private building inspector does. It is like comparing apples and oranges.
Q-Some agents are suggesting that sellers get a building inspection on their home when they place it on the market for sale. The idea is this will help set them apart from other sellers. What are your thoughts on this? What advantage, or benefit, if any, do you think it gives the seller or ultimately a buyer?
A-Pre-Listing inspection is a great idea for a seller. It gives the seller and agent a better handle of the condition of the property and it allows sellers to obtain bids for any work that is needed as well as make selective choices for a contractor rather than being backed into a corner with a short window to complete certain repairs that arise during the building inspection competed by the ultimate buyer. Remember man people live in a property for a number of years and everything works to their satisfaction but in reality there may be problems. It is best and cheaper to deal with these problems up front. Not to mention the seller might as well get the “marketing benefit” from the improved condition of the house.Q-Should a buyer (or seller for that matter) be concerned if the building inspector gives bids to corrective items identified in his inspection?A-Yes, definitely! Providing repair bids to perform work on a house an inspector has inspected is a conflict of interest and that inspector should be avoided. When it comes to a building inspection the buyer or seller needs the opinion of an objective third party, not someone that is trying to sell you something.
If you would like to contact Gerry direct, he can be reached via email at gloesch@bpgwi.com , or by phone at (314) 249-8370.
Watch for the final post of the E-View TM which will be posted tomorrow and will include, in addition to the final part of the E-View TMan extensive list of resources available to the consumer on this topic.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.