That's a good reminder about inspections... but did you find yours through your realtor or did you pick someone independently? Wondering if there's a big difference in quality or cost depending on how you choose.
"Wondering if there's a big difference in quality or cost depending on how you choose."
I was skeptical about using the realtor's recommendation at first—figured they'd just suggest someone they knew personally. Ended up going independent for my refinance inspection, thinking I'd save money and get an unbiased opinion. Honestly, the cost difference wasn't huge, maybe $50-75 cheaper independently, but the inspector missed a couple minor things that later became annoyances. Not saying realtor-recommended inspectors are always better, but sometimes their reputation is on the line, so they might be more thorough...
I had a similar experience when buying my second home after my bankruptcy cleared. Initially thought I'd save money by choosing an independent inspector—figured the realtor's pick would be pricier. Turns out the difference was minimal, maybe $60 or so. The inspection itself was fine, but later discovered minor plumbing issues that were overlooked...nothing catastrophic, just annoyingly inconvenient. Like you said:
"sometimes their reputation is on the line, so they might be more thorough..."
Lesson learned, I guess—sometimes saving a few bucks isn't worth the hassle down the road.
Interesting point about inspectors and reputation...makes me wonder, though—do you think the realtor's recommended inspector might gloss over minor issues to keep the sale smooth, or would they actually be more thorough to protect their rep? Curious what others have experienced.
"do you think the realtor's recommended inspector might gloss over minor issues to keep the sale smooth, or would they actually be more thorough to protect their rep?"
Honestly, I've seen it go both ways. Some inspectors recommended by realtors are super thorough because their reputation's on the line, but I've also come across a few who seemed to conveniently overlook minor stuff to keep things moving. My advice? Always get a second opinion if something feels off...better safe than sorry.
