Battling Inspectors

[Jim Baird]

Another "first" for me Tuesday.

Conducted inspection on new home, buyer at my heels, wrapping it up, when up comes another inspector. He's working for the lender!

He's the earliest player in our market as well, with way more jobs under his belt, although he is known to be the realtors' darling. I've actually been called behind him by buyers who became uneasy with what they perceived as a cozy relationship between this inspector and the realtors. Have never met him, though.

We met, shook hands, and I left to write my scathing assessment of this poorly built new home.

Am itching to see his report but don't think I will get to.

Buyer is being pressured to close by builder, realtor, lender, even though some items still not done. They told her they wanted to conduct the "walk-through" at the same time as my inspection.

I told her no way, that she needs my report in hand at the walk through and to swing it like a stick.

Any of you ever crossed paths with a competitor on the same job?

[hausdok]

Yep,

I posted a thread about it a couple of months ago when there were no less than 5 of us crawling around a house. If you search for it in the chit-chat forum you'll find it.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[mgbinspect]

It's only happened to me when buyer accidentally booked two inspectors forgetting to cancel one. I'm so hammered I usually try to bow out and enjoy the break.

I did have a buyer purposely book two inspectors. It turned out to be a very good and respected coleague and our reports were pretty much carbon copies.

And, I take that back, for a while appraisers were doing that FHA or HUD mock inspection for a bit. (Most of them hated it and it seems to have stopped.)

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by Jim Baird

. . . Any of you ever crossed paths with a competitor on the same job?

About two years ago, I pulled up to a house and saw, in my rear-view mirror, my oldest competitor and good buddy, Larry Hay pulling up behind me. Getting out of our cars, at precisely the same moment, we each said, "What the hell are YOU doing here?" Turns out that the buyer had scheduled me and the realtor had scheduled him for the same inspection at the same time. We talked about it and decided to do the inspection together.

I took the exterior, roof, electrical, HVAC and crawlspace. He did the interior, plumbing, attic and wrote the report. The realtor was *very* nervous. The buyer was thrilled and didn't mind paying a slightly inflated fee.

We had a ball and had time for lunch together afterward. It was fun to work with a partner. I'd do it again.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[mgbinspect]

Great story and solution. I'll have to keep that in mind if it ever happens again.