Barry Stone Reveals the Ugly Truth

[hausdok]

In answer to a writer bemoaning the lack of ethics and the flaws in the disclosure process for purchasing a home - especially the flaws in the home inspection profession - inspection pundit Barry Stone lays it all out for everyone.

To read more, click here.

[Brian G]

Nice article and all, but he says not one word about how to find and identify an honest, competent home inspector. He talks about experience a little, but experience doesn't make one honest (or necessarily competent).

And disclosure? It's pretty much a joke around here until a lawsuit is filed. They're always vanilla, from end to end.

Brian G.

My House Is Perfect [^]

[homnspector]

Disclosure is a joke here too. They have a checklist with 3 choices for each item, one choice is "unknown", guess which box is generally checked. There also doesn't seem to be any clarity on what to disclose. What is a defect to some may be OK to others.

I am thinking of selling my house and downsizing. As a home inspector, I wonder what I should disclose. The chipped paint in the bathroom? The door that won't latch? The ungrounded receptacle in the living room?

Of course, like Brian, this is theoretical, my house is perfect.

[aaronm]

Whenever I receive a call for a pre-listing inspection I always inform the prospective client of the facts concerning disclosure. Once faced with the idea that they will need to disclose whatever I find in my inspection to all future prospective buyers maybe one in a hundred will book the inspection.

That is really a fairly accurate statistic. Based upon it I would have to say that 1% of the people are truly concerned with ethics.