Choosing a home inspector
 

When we find a resale 'designer' home we want to buy in The Villages, I assume we would want to have it inspected.

We looked on Google maps and found some inspectors located outside The Villages and several located inside The Villages. Which one do you think would be a good choice?

It seems to us that the ones located within TV would certainly know about any potential problems that commonly occur with the homes, but do you think they would be as unbiased and honest as the ones located outside TV?

Frank D'Angelo, he is an advertiser on TOTV, and he does excellent work, and will spend sufficient time to check everything. He will also point items that he finds and provides a very detailed report with photos. Contact him asap as he books up fairly quickly. He did our 1 year warranty inspection, and found several items that we never noticed.

I'll second that! We also used Frank. He is honest, reliable, and courteous. Not the cheapest inspector to use, but a very fair price for the thorough job that he does. I don't think you will get a better value for the price. It was a real pleasure to do business with a person of his integrity.

I'll third that Frank is thorough, reliable, and very helpful. You wont find any better.

OKAY - I will fourth it!!!!

Frank did a great job!

Thank you all for the kind words. I am very thankful and consider myself very blessed.

VaPeople.....I appreciate the chance to earn your business, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have. I make every effort to fit inspections into my schedule, but if by chance I cannot, (due to the high amount of scheduled Villages Warranty inspections), I can always refer you to another inspector who I know you will be pleased with. For me it is more about making sure folks are taken care of whether I get the business or not.

I am good friends with two other inspectors who are also ASHI certified and I know do a wonderful job. The three of us help each other and train together because all three of us take pride in what we do.

In fact, the three of us will be in classes all weekend in a couple of days learning the latest advancements, codes, etc for Florida homes.

All inspectors out there are not the same. A few are famous for 45 minute, $150 inspections. Some do not go up on the roof or in the attic. They usually do not use thermal imaging or quality software. Some do 4-5 inspections a day.....something I will never understand.

A good inspection usually takes about 3-4 hours on site or more. I normal "new buyer-for sale" quality inspection should cost about $300 or more. As a home is usually the most expensive item you will ever buy, it is usually worth every penny.

Good Inspectors have an ethical obligation to YOU....not the builder or a realtor. They are common sense, balanced and not alarmist. They should take the time to explain systems that a typical person from up North may not be familiar with, such as sprinkler systems, Heat Pumps, Whole house A/C systems, etc.

Remember, as a potential buyer you have every right to hire a Home Inspector of your choice.

I apologize for the long post. It's a subject I'm pretty passionate about. Congratulations on your plans and good luck on your future purchase. If I can help in any way, please feel free to contact me either here or by phone or e-mail. If you like you can click on my small Ad here to go to my website.

Respectfully, Frank D.

Thanks very much for all of your responses. It is really good that you can recommend Mr. D'Angelo based on the quality of work he has done for you.

Frank, we plan to sell our house in Virginia this spring and then come The Villages in the summer and look for a resale or possibly a new house. When we find one we want to consider buying, we will definitely call you.

You all have ben very helpful and we really appreciate it.

Bob and Suzanne

I'm sure there are other good inspectors out there. But Frank is a true professional. He is exceptionally thorough and detail oriented. He is also easy to work with. He explains what he is doing and why.

We have full confidence in him. You can't go wrong with Frank!!