Buying a home is a significant investment, and it's crucial to ensure that you are making a wise decision. One way to do this is by having a home inspection. A home inspection is a thorough evaluation of a property's condition by a professional home inspector. The inspector examines the home's structure, electrical and plumbing systems, HVAC system, roofing, and other components to identify any potential issues. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of home inspection.

Identifying issues before they become costly problems

A home inspection can reveal issues that may not be apparent during a walk-through. Identifying problems before closing on a home can save you money in the long run. For example, if the inspector discovers a leaking roof or a faulty electrical system, you can negotiate with the seller to fix the issues before closing or lower the price of the home to account for the necessary repairs.

Ensuring your safety

A home inspector can identify safety hazards, such as carbon monoxide leaks, mold, and faulty electrical systems. These issues can pose serious health risks to you and your family. Identifying these issues before moving in allows you to make necessary repairs and ensure your safety.

A trend as of late is being driven by the belief that if your use a home inspector your realtor referred, they will be soft or overlook items to make the report easier to manage or shorter for the realtor with minimal issues to keep the transaction moving forward.

While in theory, that would be a potential possibility, in the real world however realtors have a list of inspectors they have grown to trust based getting the findings out on the table in the spirit of full disclosure.

Realtors know the industry they serve can be litigis, and they have no interest in being involved in a lawsuit. With this in mind the inspectors used by realtors are actually some of the most thorough, transparent,  seasoned industry professionals available in their prospective markets.

What are the prospects for the Phoenix area housing market?

• December 2022, Phoenix home prices were down 1.4% compared to last year.
• The median selling price is $410K.
• On average, homes in Phoenix sell after 61 days on the market compared to 31 days last year.
• There were 1,242 homes sold in December this year, down from 2,427 last year.
• The Sale-to-List Price is 96.7% -3.7 points from last year
• Homes selling above list price is 11.9%, -37.7points down from last year
• From Oct '22 - Dec '22, 26% of Phoenix homebuyers searched to move out of Phoenix
• From Oct '22 - Dec '22, 74% looked to stay within the metropolitan area.
• Los Angeles homebuyers searched to move into Phoenix more than any other metro followed by Seattle and Tucson.
• Prescott Valley was the most popular location among Phoenix homebuyers.

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Not that long ago, if you needed a home inspection, you received just that, a general home inspection. 
For the most part it sufficed, however it's safe to say that train has left the station. Honestly todays home buyer, seller, real estate industry professionals  expect additonal ancillary inspections to choose from in addition to the standard home inspection.

For us here in the Scottsdale Phoenix area the majority of our inspections clients are also in need of a termite inspection, (super common in our state), as well as pools, if you ask me a pool here is a not a luxury, it's a necessity, ( think 100 plus days of 100 degree temperatures). Other recent requests we're getting is for a mold air sampling analysis as a recent statistic shows over half of U.S. homes or properties have some type of mold,  for the most part with big surprises to the selling party. New A.I. (artificial Intelligence) technology has become a platform to deliver a 100% read out of the air particulates where as a typical older pump type technology would identify 30 percent, Leaving alot of unknowns.

In addition, another popular inspection is the sewer scope with high tech snake type cameras that do a fantastic job of identifying issues with the main sewer line leaving the structure, and connecting the the city sewer.

Especially popular in areas with older neighborhoods, (think 1980's and older) in which the sewer pipe material can be made of clay of orangeberg, which is  cardboard encased in a tar like lining, both of which are subseptable to vegetation root impact. 

When this occurs a re pipe can be thousands of dollars. Even if the home is  a more recent build,  if left vacant, the line can clog from solids as it is merely relying on gravity to get to the city connection.

Today's buyer has also raised the bar of regular home inspections asking for more cosmetic items to be added as well as items like testing of structured wiring like A/V, security systems, etc. Getting them to pay for the extra items not required is another story. J.K.

So it's no wonder to see your average report get much longer than probably anytime previous. The great new is that your average inspection pricing for the above mentioned ala carte inspections will be less than ordering them from different sources as the home inspector is already on sight.
Keep in mind also that one contact with one payment and one report source really streamlines the process for the buyers

We're returning to a balanced housing market.  Now is the time to prepare your home for the market.  Contact your Realtor for guidance on pre-listing inspections.

A pre-listing inspection focuses on proper functionality of all major systems and components of the house: heating and cooling; electrical; plumbing; roof and structure; siding; and doors and windows. Before you officially list your home for sale, a professional home inspector examines your property to identify any potential problems or repairs that need to be made. Think of it as an opportunity to know what the buyer might request before an offer is made or a purchase agreement is signed.

You can decide how thorough you want your pre-listing inspection to be. If you have one main concern, such as a crack in the foundation, you can limit things to just that area. Or, you might opt for a comprehensive job similar to a standard home inspection.

Other areas a pre-listing inspection could cover include:

• Evaluating the anticipated lifespan of the roof
• Certifying that a DIY remodel was done properly
• Investigating the presence or absence of hazardous materials, like lead paint and asbestos
• Assessing water quality, especially if the home uses well water

If you are an agent, you can solicit more sellers by offering a pre-listing an inspection. 

Now is the to hand pick the trades working on your home, controlling quality and cost aspects. In addition this makes you appear as a pro active homeowner which buyers absolutely love seeing as it gives them that warm fuzzy feeling you've been responsible with their new home. We recommend any repair receipts and work orders be in a folder available to the buyer as well, which only adds to affirm their good decision on picking your home

Click to schedule your home inspection, or just call 480 345 9200, we'd love to be a part of your successful home sale.

The sale of your house is almost a done deal;  you still need a home inspection in the Phoenix area.

Typically a real estate transaction occurs after the buyer has signed a purchase agreement but before the closing date.  The buyers usually choose to make the closing contingent on the results of the inspection.  The buyer is able to back out of the sale if the inspection results in negative outcomes.  As a seller, you'll want the inspection to go as smoothly as possible, with few if any major issues detected.

What does a home inspector do? During the inspection, properties are examined roof to basement, with primary concern on the roof, walls, foundation, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.  They will closely look for leaks, mold, mildew, and other signs of water damage.

There are some things you can do to prepare for the inspection.

Provide open access

Be sure the home inspector has access throughout the property. If they can’t get to an area, they can’t inspect it, and that will be a red flag for buyers. Clear away any clutter that limits access.

The Phoenix housing market is much larger than Phoenix proper – it contains the entire Valley of the Sun, Phoenix’s sprawling suburbs that are home to another five million people. That makes the Phoenix metro area the twelfth largest in the country.

The greater Phoenix area real estate market is one of the hottest in the U.S.  During 2022, the market has been strong.  This market includes most of central Arizona.  After COVID-19, our real estate market not only recovered but the demand has approached record levels.  Repeat sales was up 31.3% which is above the national average increase of 20.4%.

You may be looking to sell your home and upgrade to a larger one, or you may be looking to buy your first home.  Hiring a home inspector like Scottsdale Desert Inspections help make the process more straightforward.

Selling a Home

A certified home inspection by SDI will make all the difference between a simple real estate transaction and a complicated one.  Even though you may have done work on your home in preparation of a sale,  there could be several unseen issues to fix:

• Termites or other pests
• Unknown septic problems
• Mold in the walls or floors of your home

Scheduling a home inspection before you place your home on the market is always a good idea.  It allows you to have repairs completed or problems fixed before going to market

Think about selling? With a cooling market, a pre listing inspection can allow you to maintain a drivers position when an offer comes in.

It appears the days of multiple offers on the first day of a listing and waving inspections all together just to get the house have gone away thanks to several key factors, i.e. interest rates, and rising inventory.

If we're returning to a balanced, or buyers market be sure they will be doing inspections, and asking for sellers to pay for repairs.

The inspection can easily become a bargaining tool or further leverage to ask for credits and other concessions.

It is not uncommon for us to find wood rot, or termites, and or mold, all of which is very surprising to the home owner.

If a pre listing inspection is done your now addressing those not so fun items and simply providing receipts showing all has been professionally addressed. As a buyer this really goes over big, and  keeps them moving forward instead of over reacting by a large inspection report that could have been avoided.

#1 piece of advice - Don’t wait until you have an accepted offer to look for a home inspector. Allow time to interview several candidates to be sure they are an experienced professional.

A home inspection is your one opportunity to get an independent assessment of the true condition of a property.  Here is what to look for:

• If you trust your Real Estate Agent, follow their referral; just make sure there is no conflict of interest.  If you are not sure, you'll need to research and interview.
• To find a reputable inspector, ask friends who have recently used an inspector. Find referrals through online communities like Angie's List, Yelp, or HomeAdvisors.
• You can find inspectors from professional organizations: the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI),, and the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers.
• Search online to see whether there have been any complaints. Try a web search with the name of the company followed by  as “complaints” and “reviews” or "Testimonials" Your local Better Business Bureau chapter may also may have information on the home inspector you’re considering.
• Hiring someone who’s certified by a professional organization will give you more assurance that the inspector is knowledgeable.