[Villages Kahuna]

Just make sure that the inpsector you hire is experienced and qualified. His membership in a professional home inspection organization or being bonded are a good indicators of professionalism.

In our case we hired a person with those qualifications and he produced a very professional report which he submitted to TV Warranty Department. Like your experience, the responsible subs began calling quickly and the work was done in a minimum amount of time. We had one issue that the builder (general contractor's superintendent) himself came out to review. That fix was quickly approved and completed even beyond my expectations.

Think of a professional inspection just prior to the expiry of your warranty as an insurance policy. The professional will go places and see things that you never would. (Are you going to get a ladder and walk your roof looking for roofing and gutter issues? Or will you crawl around in the insulation in your attic looking for electrical and structural issues?)

Like you, I found the $200 "premium" well worth it in terms of confidence that someone a whole lot more experienced than me took a thorough look at at my house, warranty or no warranty.