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According to those who have already used the services of Accurate Inspections, homebuyers should include the company in their home inspection list. The Texoma-based house inspection service firm is owned by Don Crook and Allison Crook and has been chosen as the Best Home Inspection Company in the area for the past four years.

Don, along with associate Richard Seay, takes care of the house inspection tasks while Allison works as the company's business and office manager. Prior to launching Accurate, Don worked as an insurance adjuster and was also active in the motorcycle family business. He revealed that after six years of dealing with long periods of time away from home, he just decided to use his adjuster talents to launch the property inspection company.

Crook stated that he had always been interested in this type of business. The company conducted its first inspection six years ago in June 2004. The firm is Texas Real Estate Commission-licensed and Crook has revealed that for every house that will be inspected, a seven-page report or form should be filled up.

He talked about trying to remain sensitive to what homebuyers have on their home inspection list. In short, there is a need to be aware of what the homebuyer is searching for. He states that, as opposed to the buyer, they try to look at every house in an objective and professional manner. When Crook is on the field inspecting a residential property, he claims that he starts with the curb.

He details the process he uses during the inspection. According to him, he checks the land where the house is built and examines possible drainage concerns. He then moves on to foundation exploration to find out if there are structural concerns. He advises other inspectors that sidings should be the first stop when checking for structural or foundation problems.

Crook then moves to electrical and plumbing systems, roofing and other areas of the property. He states that most buyers do not have aesthetics on top of their home inspection list, but are more into home problems that can take them by surprise and cost thousands of dollars to fix. He adds that in the area, around 85% of homes sold involved inspections.

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Tighter home inspections guidelines are expected to lower the amount of storm-mitigation insurance discounts that homeowners in Florida receive. According to market analysts, these changes can make it harder for homeowners to qualify for discounts and will likely cause increased maintenance costs.

According to local inspection firms, only one percent of homeowners in the state are expected to retain their discounts. They revealed that one of the changes is the absence of discount for tile roofs, even those that have been built in compliance with the 2010 code. They added that a longer form will be required for a residential inspection which has been approved by the state Cabinet.

Inspectors also revealed that the changed guidelines resulted from two developments. First is the Office of Insurance Regulation's plan to tie discounts strictly with findings from a 2002 scientific study on hurricane costs and common building materials. They stated that if building materials, like roof tiles, were not tested in 2002 then they will get no discount.

Another factor behind the changes is the Legislature's attempt to prevent fraud by requiring detailed home inspections documentation, including digital photos, which should appear on the inspection form. Most of the standards have been retained, particularly those related to roofing requirements.

As before, hip-shaped roofing qualifies for discounts, but only if a carport or porch roof is part of the exterior wall and is not part of the main roofing system. Under the newly designed form, an attic vent attached to a gable roof should have its own shutter for hurricane.

Furthermore, if a house inspector was unable to document the front door's wind rating, discounts for exterior openings that are storm resistant will not be provided. Some inspectors have stated that this will likely cause much discount loss in the area since most homeowners do not keep rating documents on their doors and they usually paint over rating stickers.

Changes in the home inspections guidelines of Florida are expected to minimize the amount of property insurance discounts that most homeowners will receive during the year. The changes, according to local officials, are meant to eliminate residential inspection fraud.

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Michael and Barbara Rhodes from Kanawha, West Virginia have filed a lawsuit against property inspector Curtis McLeod for alleged negligent house inspection. According to the couple, they hired McLeod to inspect a house in Charleston that they were planning to purchase. The inspector’s services came with a warranty, the couple added.

According to the lawsuit filed at the Kanawha Circuit Court, McLeod had assured the Rhodes that the house is free from any safety problem. However, the couple revealed that right after they purchased the property, they experienced defects which forced them to hire a professional engineer for further inspection.

The lawsuit revealed that the engineer had told the new owners that the home has several construction problems, including defective water control that causes basement leakage and mold growth. The costs of repairs that would make the house habitable and safe would reach thousands of dollars, according to the couple. They further added that the water control problem should have been seen and reported by McLeod right after his first inspection.

The owners then reportedly tried to contact the house inspector to resolve the issues but the defendant allegedly failed to respond. The Rhodes family accused the house inspection specialist of violating the Consumer Credit and Protection Act of West Virginia.

The plaintiffs have requested that the court declare that the inspector has violated the Consumer Credit and Protection Act and have sought punitive and compensatory damages. The couple is being represented by David L. Grubb and Cameron S. McKinney. The case was put under the responsibility of Circuit Judge Louis Bloom. McLeod is conducting business under the Assurance Home Inspection.

The Rhodes family is currently awaiting the court’s decision on their negligent house inspection claims. The court is set to decide whether there is merit behind the complaint and whether McLeod violated the state’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act.

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Free homes inspections services to families with asthmatic children in Multnomah County, Oregon have been launched as part of the county-wide asthma education program aimed at low income families.

Home Inspection

If you are buying a home in Florida, there are at least four things you should know about home inspection in this state.

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House inspections have been thriving in the foreclosure market as buyers and investors of foreclosed homes make sure they are buying properties worth their prices.

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Home inspection prior to listing can benefit sellers, according to real estate brokers.

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New home inspector regulations will take effect in Kansas in January next year.
Starting January 1, before house inspectors can carry out their home inspection tasks, they need to first register with the Kansas Home Inspector Registration Board and increase their liability limit to $2,000 or higher. They must also comply with educational [...]

Home Inspectors

The city home inspector has been increasingly taking a greater role in the monitoring of foreclosed and vacant homes in the Minnesota cities of Lakeville and Burnsville, which are both located in Dakota County.
As vacant foreclosure homes continue to rise in the two cities and as mortgage lenders fail to maintain the properties, Burnsville [...]

Home Inspectors

Building inspection is one of the requirements of NeighborWorks in its PEARLS program before a foreclosure home is purchased for the program.
PEARLS stands for Purchase Efficient Affordable Homes and Rehab, Lease and Sell. The homes acquired under the program need to be rehabilitated well before they are sold or rented out to families that cannot [...]

Home Inspection