Introduction
Selling your residence with a realtor generally goes through a six-week selling cycle (on average). So, it probably makes good sense in sellers’ markets (with multiple bids in the mix) or when there’s no sense of urgency to conclude a transaction. However, whenever divorce, foreclosure, property disrepair, and inheritance enter the picture, homeowners lean toward a faster closing (i.e., suitable for a home cash buyer interaction). It also applies to sudden-out-of-state transfers, bad tenants, and lien situations.
Home cash buyers offer sellers some significant advantages, depending on the circumstances. The biggie, of course, is saving six percent realtor’s commission – a massive saving, which comes with some other significant benefits. Many homeowners who have traveled this route will tell you that not worrying about curb appeal, decluttering, and staging was a considerable relief. Also, they avoided painting splotchy walls and the inconvenience of strangers touring through the rooms every second day. Best of all, it’s always a cash deal, which means no lender’s appraisal to upset the original offer with money in the bank, probably inside a week.
But, putting all that aside, there’s one thing that impacts both options – The Home Inspection.
Why is a home inspection essential?
Any homebuyer with common sense will demand a full property inspection. It’s a precaution to protect what invariably becomes a significant financial commitment. Home defects exist behind walls, in foundations, ceilings, and many places hidden from view. In many cases, laypeople wouldn’t know a structural or appliance fault even if it stared them in the face. So, trained, professional home inspectors provide a valuable service with a proven routine that covers the real estate in question from end to end.
Of course, like in most things, there are obstacles with people accepting the home inspection process. The most common reasons are:
- Buyers attempting to save home inspections fees (costing hundreds of dollars).
- Citing family and friends’ negative home inspection experiences where nothing significant emerged.
Contrary to the above, In a survey covering around 1000 respondents, the overwhelming evidence was that savings easily exceeded the costs in most cases. To appreciate the details of this, see the following:
- Close to 88% of homebuyers opted for a home inspection.
- Of these, 83% admitted they did it because their lender insisted on it. There’s no feedback on what the decision would have been with no lender pushing from behind.
- On average, the inspection ended up costing $377.
- Only in 18% of cases did the seller foot the bill.
The bottom line is that home inspection is a vital part of any residential or commercial real estate transaction. The best yardstick is that Fannie Mae and Fannie Mac get behind it every time. And they, of all real estate authorities, should know. So, that said, there’s the next obvious question to be answered. Read on.
What do inspectors uncover?
It’s safe to say that there’s no such thing as a perfectly clean home inspection. But getting back to the survey cited above, inspectors found at least one defect, and when detected, posed a threat to crucial home components. Indeed, the data was quite revealing:
- Close to 20% of problems detected were in the roof, ranging from unsightly surface blemishes (i.e., cosmetic) to severe cracks and potentially or factually destructive leaks.
- Decaying materials were prevalent in older homes.
- Electrical issues emerged nearly as much as in the ceilings. Still, the dangers involved in exposed wires are far more threatening to occupants.
- Other home inspection discoveries were as follows:
- Broken or improperly sealed windows (18%)
- Plumbing & Water heating (over 25% combined)
- Air conditioning and moisture/mold (nearly 20% of the time combined)
- Gutters cracking up or dysfunctional (almost 17%)
- Foundations – sometimes a massive deal-killer (just under 10%)
- Inspectors also found defects in the fencing (12.6%), exterior paint (9.6%), landscaping (13.3%), and driveways, patios, and walkways (nearly 12%).
Facing a home inspection with either a realtor or home cash buyer in the deal.
If you are a homeowner thinking of selling your house, this article has probably been a shocker to you. Via negotiation, somebody has to pay the piper; you, the buyer, or a combination. Irrespective, it can come to a good chunk of change. For example, replacing a heater alone is well over $1000, and mold remediation can involve thousands. New for exhausted air conditioning is around $4000 per unit. The list goes on, and the total can sometimes take the wind out of the parties’ sails like air leaves a popped balloon.
When a realtor is involved
The biggest tripwire is that the home inspection occurs days after the buyers submit their offer. By then, the homeowners had mentally counted and recounted the money. They have taken the family out for a celebration dinner – maybe two. It never crossed their minds that a contingency offer – “subject to home inspection findings” – would come back to bite them so close to closing. That is, not until the buyers’ agent arrived with the defect list motivating an offer reduction. It’s a downer if ever there was one. Still, a reality and responsibility homeowners have to face at some point. Unfortunately, a realtor-organized home inspection sometimes kiboshes the entire transaction as tempers get the better of everyone.
The home cash buyer benefit when it comes to inspections
The first thing to note is that you’re dealing with a professional as a buyer. Therefore, an immediate saving is the home inspection fees (being zero). Any entities in this category aren’t worth their salt unless they can handle inspections in-house for free. However, that’s not the primary benefit. The massive difference is that the home cash buyer inspects the home before submitting an offer. Indeed, the latter is:
- Already net of home inspection costs (usually itemized for your review).
- The first price you see and the cash you’ll get in the bank on closing, net of standard closing costs (which, to reiterate, cut out realtors’ commissions completely).
Also, home cash buyers are unlikely to throw in petty items like broken locks, minor repairs, cosmetic eyesores, and the like. Why? They probably intend to renovate for resale or rental anyway, so they are prepared to overlook problems more emotional occupancy buyers probably are not.
Conclusion
Home Buyers Birmingham in Alabama has the experience and professional approach to provide reasonable offers without letting the home inspection get in the way. Says Jason Cory of Birmingham, “I’ve covered this aspect from the beginning with complete transparency and logic. We’ve never deducted a cent more than we have to. Because we are in the renovation business, the costs are significantly lower than a realtor-driven deal. Our clients only have compliments, notwithstanding that home inspections are sensitive ground.”
So, if you’re thinking of selling live in Birmingham or surrounding districts, give Jason a call. You’ll find he can demonstrate exceptional benefits all around, including many of those called out in this article’s introduction.
Home Buyers Birmingham
1821 11th Avenue South Suite #55331
Birmingham, Alabama 35205
