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 How To Avoid Making The Mistake That More Than 70% Of New Jersey Homebuyers Make Today!

Learn What's Really Going On Between The Real Estate Agent And NJ Home Inspection Companies...

Things That Real Estate Agents or New Jersey Home Inspectors Won't Tell You In A Million Years.

Dear Friend

Please read this entire document as it could easily be the most important thing you've read in a long time! Discover how to avoid losing thousands of dollars in the purchase of your next house! Stay clear of the biggest mistake buyers make today when purchasing home inspection services in New Jersey.

You are considering (or in the process of) buying a new house! Congratulations! Purchasing a new home is a very exciting time for anyone ... and I'm sure that you are no exception!

Perhaps you are moving because you have been promoted and can afford something bigger and nicer, or you are planning to have kids and need more space, or you are retiring and want a new place to call home that reflects your new lifestyle. Or maybe you just want to be closer to a relative or friend or the city.

Whatever it is...you must be filled with hopes and dreams of a very happy future in the new home to be! And you don't want anything to get in the way of purchasing that perfect home that will be the center of your life for at least the next few years!

To this end, you have to hire the right people to guide you through the purchasing process so you aren't surprised later by things that you did not know about or did not know enough to ask about!

All Of Your Hopes And Dreams For Your New House Can Be

Quickly And Forever Squashed If You Don't Have The Right Consultants And Advisors

On Your Side During The Purchasing Process!

Now, while advisors and consultants may take many forms, I urge you to hire at least two people to help you through the purchase of your new home.

GET A LAWYER

You will not get any legal advice unless you have your own attorney. If you do not hire a lawyer, no one will or can represent you in legal matters now or at the closing.

The contract of sale is the most important part of the transaction. It determines your rights, risks and obligations. Signing the contract is a big step. A lawyer will review the contract, help you to understand it and negotiate its terms. The contract becomes final and binding unless you or your attorney cancels it within the following three business days of signing. If you do not have an attorney, you cannot change or cancel the contract unless the other party agrees.

Another important service of an attorney is to order a survey, title search or other important reports. The attorney will review them and help to resolve any questions that may arise about the ownership and condition of the property. An attorney will also prepare the documents needed to close title and represent you at the closing.

A buyer without an attorney runs special risks. Only an attorney can advise you the buyer what to do if problems arise concerning the purchase of the property or other matters that may affect the value of the property. Neither the real estate agent, broker or title company can represent you or give you advice. The title company and the real estate agent have an interest in seeing that the sale is completed, because only then do they receive their commissions.

Believe me...the few hundred dollars you spend on an attorney will be worth the peace of mind that you signed a contract with terms that you truly understand and agree with!

HIRE AN INDEPENDENT NEW JERSEY HOME INSPECTOR

An Independent NJ home inspector is the other person that I URGE you to hire! And, as a homebuyer, there really is no way to get around this either! (You actually may be required to hire an inspector by your bank, insurance company or appraiser! Check your purchase documents if you're not sure).

It's the home inspector who will physically go through the home and give you feedback that will help you negotiate a better purchase price! No one else will or can do this for you!

A thorough inspection is the ONLY way that you can uncover the less-than-obvious problems that your new home may have...those which may eventually haunt you (either financially or personally) down the road.

Only a properly executed inspection will provide you with peace of mind and confidence in your purchase decision.

But I think that you know this already. You know that a home inspection is a necessary part of the home buying process...otherwise you would not be reading this document.

So I am not going to try and convince you that you should have one done. I think that we are beyond that!

What I am going to talk about here is....

How To Retain a NJ Home Inspector Who is

INDEPENDENT AND QUALIFIED

Well, consider this.

Would you ever go the seller of the house that you are interested in and ask him to recommend a home inspector to represent you and help you find lots of problems with his house? I don't think so...unless you want to get a recommendation for the worst inspector in town. Why would the seller want to help you find reasons for him to lower the price of his house? You must hire an inspector who will look out for YOU...100%...without any biases or conflicts with the seller!

Did You Know That Over 70% Of The Buying Public Get

Their New Jersey Home Inspection Done By a Person Referred

By a New Jersey REAL ESTATE AGENT?

That's right! And who does the real estate agent represent? THE SELLER!!  And there is the problem.

You see, you want to get the house at the lowest (if not the fairest) price possible...therefore you need to hire a good NJ home inspector to find as many things wrong as possible with the house...to help you negotiate a better and fairer purchase price or otherwise convince you to walk away.

Their commissions will only be paid if the deal goes through and will be reduced if your home inspector turns up anything that may lower the sale price of the home or the sale commission amount.

There Is No Better Way For A New Jersey Real Estate Agent To Ensure That

Trusting Homebuyer A Choice Of Poor Inspectors

Pretty scary stuff, huh!! If you see any of this type of behavior, you should not take any of their referrals and you should report this activity to the office manager or broker of record. You may even want to consider changing agents. This one is certainly not looking out for your interest.

And the culpability does not end with the agents!

Now, you might be thinking..."No self-respecting New Jersey home inspector would purposefully make a delinquent report just to get in good with a real estate agent or otherwise to help get the sale through. After all, I hired him! He supposed to represent me".

Well, your right. No self-respecting home inspector would do this. But... what I am trying to emphasize here is that not all home inspectors are self-respecting!

There are New Jersey home inspectors out there who will do whatever is necessary to ensure future referrals from agents...including doing an inferior inspection that uncovers little to affect the agent's commission.

Now, is this a risk that you really want to take?

Given this artificial marketplace of inept inspectors created and controlled by the real estate industry, do you really want to rely on them for advice on good inspectors?

You can easily avoid this risk by just seeking

out your own Independent New Jersey home inspector

The obvious thing to do to avoid becoming a victim is just not retain a home inspector through a New Jersey real estate agent. That's the easiest way to avoid hiring a less than independent inspector.

To be clear...if you do hire an inspector through an agent, it does not mean that you are necessarily going to have a problem. But you really do open yourself up to the risk!

I market my inspection services directly to homebuyers only...and not through any real estate agent, broker, etc. to avoid this conflict of interest problem.

It is really the only ethical way for me to perform my job. And any home inspector that you hire should do the same.

But you may be asking "If I have to go out on my own and find a home inspector, how can I be sure that he is independent...or even  qualified?"

Well, after telling you some of the horrible things that go on with home inspectors and real estate agents, I'm not going to leave you stranded now!

The rest of this document outlines the steps necessary for hiring a qualified, independent home inspector. It also identifies things that you should do the date of the inspection and afterwards.

I hope you find the helpful! Should you have any questions about this or wish to obtain additional information, please do not hesitate to call me. I feel very passionate about this problem and am happy to talk to you about it and your new home purchase. My number is 609-265-0464.

How to get your home inspected.

The right way!

Now, just because you get the name from an "independent" source does not necessarily mean that the inspector is truly independent!

One way to protect yourself is to ask the Real Estate agent for a list of home inspectors and see if the name referred to you is on it, or look around the office for their brochure or other types of marketing material. Then you'll know that they play on both teams. You will not find any material advertising Absolute Home Inspections in any real estate office in New Jersey.

2) Once you have gathered some names and checked them for independence, you should then get on the phone and "interview" them!

The following questions are those that I think are good gauges for determining whether the inspector is qualified and should be someone worth considering. These questions could be asked over the phone. Now, if a NJ inspector refused to be "interviewed" drop him like an old shoe.

And I mean this! Good New Jersey home inspection companies like to help homebuyers through this process and are very open to discussions about themselves, their abilities, their certifications, their services, etc.

Refusal to want to be interviewed is likely indicative of you having found an inspector who really does not have much backing up his adds!

Now, following each question, I have provided answers that reflect the home inspection services that I provide which you can use as a basis for comparing services offered by other home inspectors.

1. What kind of formal INSPECTION training have you had?

You should never assume that a background in construction trades, engineering or other building fields is a substitute for training as a home inspector.

2. How long have you performed inspection and how many inspections have you performed?

The more inspections that the inspector has performed, the better. Inspections is excess of 1,000 are a pretty good indication that he has been around the block a bit.

3. What geographic are do you cover? What types of homes do you generally look at?

I cover all of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer, and most of Middlesex county. Also part of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. I limit my coverage to these areas so that I can provide my clients with better services. I also limit my NJ home inspection services to residential properties. I do not do commercial inspections.

4. What do you charge? Do you offer any other services besides home inspection services?

If you are looking for a cheap, fast inspection, I do not offer one! Short term I may cost more, amortized over the time you are in your home, the extra cost will be perceived as a great value.

In addition to the traditional home inspection I also can perform radon measurement testing, carbon monoxide testing, wood destroying insect inspections, fireplace and chimney inspections and schedule septic, lead paint, well and oil tank testing.

5. Can you make repairs if they are needed?

If the inspector says "YES"--LOOK OUT! This raises the same conflict of interest problems that I talked about before. If they can make money on you after the transaction is closed, he will have a vested interest in the outcome of the report and may overestimate the problems with the house.

I don't do any repairs and I refuse to make estimates. In fact, I am bound the ASHI's Code of Ethics and New Jersey law, which forbids any actions by me that could be viewed as a conflict of interest.

6. How long does your inspection take?

You should be careful if the inspector sets any fixed time limit on the inspection. An inspection can only be considered complete when you are fully informed as to what the inspector has found.

I will take whatever time is necessary to tell you all there is to know about the home...and only at that point will my inspection be done.

But to provide you with a general estimate, the physical inspection usually takes about 3 hours to complete, depending on the size, age and components of the home with an additional 3 to 4 hours between driving time and at the office completing the report. This is consistent with the standards required by the State of New Jersey as well as ASHI and ensures that you will receive a thorough and high-quality inspection from me.

7. Can I walk with you through and ask questions during the inspection?

Some inspectors may not permit this. It is really a question of style.

It's no problem with me (with the exception of the roof and un-floored attics)! I want you to see what I see and discuss it as we go! I am proud of the service I provide and I insist you tag along and ask me anything that's on your mind!

8. What kind of report do you use?

Much of what the inspector will tell you at the inspection may be forgotten afterward. That is why I will issue a comprehensive narrative report complete with pictures to describe the issues uncovered, how they may harm the house if not corrected and provide recommendations for a course of action.

9.  When do I get the report?

Depending on how technologically proficient the inspector is, he should be able to get the report to you very quickly. The program I use to generate my reports enable me to e-mail the report to you within 24 hours of the inspection but most often it is sent the same day as the inspection! Fast enough for you?

What To Do On The Day Of The Inspection

1. Make sure the inspector  has access to the entire home.

2. Be there when the inspection is performed, and accompany the inspector during the inspection as much as possible.

The importance of this also cannot be understated. There is nothing like being present and seeing for yourself any deficiency that the inspector finds.

He can also walk you through all of the systems and controls of the house so you will know where everything is when you move in. It's always good to know where the fuses are, electric switches, water valves, etc.

I encourage my clients to walk through the house with me so I can show them everything that I found and will discuss in my report.

3. Ask questions during the inspection.

This will depend on the inspector's style. I am happy to answer any questions that you may have about the home during our inspection appointment and for the period of time that you own the home without any additional charge.

4. Don't let the real estate agent distract you!

Sometimes Real Estate agents will want to interrupt if I start telling you too many negative things about the home.

One tactic often used is where the agent will try and distract you away from me by saying, "Oh, excuse me for interrupting. I just remembered, we have to sign some papers before we're done here today. Do you think we could do that right now? I'm sure the inspector won't mind if you catch up with him later."

You have to ignore the agent...you are paying the inspector for his time to be there with you on that day. It's foolish to let this self-serving agent get you to squander your money like that.

Just remember to keep your wits about you on inspection day.

What To Do After Receiving The Report

Make sure that you understand what is written in the report, and determine whether any problems listed are material defects or cosmetic issues.

If there is anything that you do not understand, contact the home inspector. He should be happy to go over anything that does not make sense to you.

You should also discuss with the inspector whether the problems he listed are big or merely cosmetic. As the material defects are the ones that concern you, you should try to get as best an understanding about these before entering into the negotiation process with your attorney.

Compare the inspection report to the seller's and the real estate agent's disclosure statements.

To the extent that there are any items not described or listed in the seller's and the real estate agent's disclosure statements, you may be able to show that the purchase price requested is not realistic given the negative items that your inspector found.

You may have a bona fide argument to have the purchase price reduced or walk away from the contract. Or you may be able to get the seller to fix the problem.

It really depends on how your purchase contract was written and what rights you may have in the event that the inspection process reveals problems. (This is why having a lawyer review your contract is important!)

Obtain professional estimates for repairs or replacements described in the home inspection report.

SO THIS IS IT!

If you follow these steps, you should reduce the risk tremendously of getting a bad home inspector! A little bit of diligence can make a HUGE difference in this area.

And given the magnitude of your investment, you have to make sure that you have people around you that are truly looking out for you.

If you are ready to hire a home inspector now, I think you will find that my fee's are very competitive!

And as your inspector, I will give you:

Absolute Home Inspection New Jersey