Thank you Rick and Gracie for your kind referral.
I am both a ASHI Certified, licensed Home Inspector and a licensed Wood Destroying Organism Inspector. Florida has specific rules on this, so to comply with those rules I do Home Inspections through my own company and do WDO inspections through my affiliation with the WDO Inspection company, A7.
Many times a WDO, (termite) inspection may not be necessary, that is contingent upon many factors such as if a current bond is in place and if it is transferable, etc. Some folks still want the piece of mind knowing that a
independent WDO inspection is done by someone who is not in the Pest control business, and they would like to know the results before proceeding with the purchase.
Still others may need this for a mortgage, especially if there is no evidence of any prior treatment, etc.
I recently posted a long post on a recent inspection I did on a brand new, never lived in home, one day after the first owners closed on the house. It was a beautiful home, and the new owners wanted it inspected before meeting with the builder for the final walk through.
I found 37 issues. Many were minor, but how much better it was for these new owners to be able to have all of these issues fixed BEFORE they moved in.
Of course, one could say it was not needed, because the home came with a one year warranty.......they could have waited until the first year was up. This is true. For these new owners they could now move into their new home and start enjoying their new life in The Villages without being bothered with getting issues resolved while living there.
So, I say all that simply to make the point that Gracie, you are right. A brand new home does not
need an inspection......but in
some cases it may be prudent.
A pre-owned home, unless you crawl through the attic and walk the roof, etc, and know what issues to look for, should always have a quality home inspection done as part of the buying process. When compared to the cost of the home, the small price for this inspection is very affordable....and in some cases, the best money you could ever spend.
Most folks would not buy a used car without a test drive and getting it looked at by a mechanic......why would you not do the same for the much bigger purchase of a home?
I'll just add that as a buyer, you have the right to use a Home Inspector of YOUR choosing.....you do not need to use who the Real Estate Agent may suggest.
Forgive my long post.....it's one of my favorite subjects....
Respectfully, Frank D'Angelo, ACI