CENTURY 21 A1A Realty, strongly recommends that any buyer of a home obtain a private home inspection from a reputable, independent home inspector of the buyers own choosing, prior to closing on the purchase of the property. 

Some buyers believe that if there is a problem with the property that the city inspectors or appraiser will catch it and make the seller fix the problem. City inspectors, FHA, VA and Conventional appraisers, do not  “INSPECT” the home on your behalf. Some cities do not require that a property be inspected at all. Appraisers work for the lender and are not inspecting the property but are evaluating the property’s value for lending purposes. FHA and VA appraisers do a limited visual inspection to determine if the home meets FHA or VA minimum standards. None of the above are working for you. 

Seller Disclosure Statements are just asking the seller about the seller’s knowledge of the property. They are a general guide and can direct you to known areas of concern; however, they should not be relied upon as complete or accurate. A seller may not know of a structural or other defect with the property. Most sellers are not aware of current building codes. A private home inspection is the best way to evaluate the property as suitable for your needs. 

Real estate agents and brokers are not qualified to inspect the property for defects and should not be relied upon by you to discover problems with the home. 

It is ultimately your responsibility to discover defects and conditions in and around the property before you buy it.  The best was to do this is having the home inspected by a professional, competent and knowledgeable home inspector. The home you are about to buy is sold “AS-IS” and you are proceeding at your own risk.  

If you are aware of a questionable area of concern, you may purchase a home warranty, prior to closing, that may cover the mechanical components of the home. Please be aware that the home warranty may not cover items that the warranty company considers “Pre-Existing”. A Private home inspection is recommended. 

CLUE REPORTS: I encourage all potential buyers of real estate to obtain a CLUE REPORT. A clue report is an insurance history of the property you are purchasing and may be obtained online at http://www.choicetrust.com for a small fee. These reports will tell you if the home has had an insurance claim filed in the past 5 years. 

FLOOD INSURANCE REPORTS: If you are purchasing a home with a mortgage, the mortgage company will most likely get a Flood Insurance Certification for the home. If you are not mortgaging the property you should get one yourself. These can be obtained from the F.E.M.A. website http://www.fema.gov at no cost to you. 

Please, consider having the home you are about to purchase inspected as part of the conditions in your purchase agreement. Century 21 A1A Realty, it’s brokers and agents make no claims or warrantees as to the condition, history or suitability of the property you are about to buy.  

Thank You and Best Wishes,

John F. Gonzalez,
President
CENTURY 21 A-1-A Realty