It is common practice for a buyer to have a physical inspection when purchasing a home. Some sellers choose to do a pre-inspection. A buyer inspection can either conclude with a requested repair or a cash credit to be applied at the close of escrow. There are occasions where an inspection report causes a buyer to think twice or even back out of a transaction. Sometimes a buyer is overly reactive, even when the findings are not severe. There are, however, some reasons for a buyer to back out when issues become costly or complex.

1. Soil conditions, land movement and settlement: These are the biggest reasons buyers back out. Hillside purchases can be very tricky. A buyer should have an intensive geological inspection to determine land and soil reliability.

2. Drainage: Improper drainage can cause a lot of problems, which may be evident at the time of the inspection or may just be the writing on the wall for the future. Drainage issues can be very cumbersome to resolve and, in some cases, cannot be resolved at all.

3. Environmental issues (mold and others): Mold can be expensive to resolve and, in some cases, cannot be resolved at all. It comes down to how deep the mold penetrates and finding the root of the mold problem. There are cases where mold is very difficult to remediate and a cost cannot be determined.

4. Extensive dry rot: This can be resolved in most cases.

5. Significant water penetration: This can be a big issue, particularly when it penetrates the foundation or comes from a place that cannot easily be determined.

6. Structural issues: There are instances when a house has twisted or tilted, or shows cracks or weakness in the foundation. This is sometimes revealed under the house and when an inspector crawls through an attic space. Proper retrofitting, such as bolting or sheer walls, can resolve the problem. In other cases, the remedy is way more significant and costly.

Inspections include sewer, chimney, environmental, structural, drainage, foundation, root, plumbing, electrical and even feng shui. The aforementioned issues are the biggest deal breakers. A typical physical inspection can be anywhere from 20 to 60 pages long depending on the home size. There are secondary inspections a buyer can order with individual specialists. Inspections can be very expensive but are very important. I suggest calling your real estate agent for more information on inspections.

For more information, please call Ron Wynn at 310-963-9944, or email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Ron and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

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