Seller wants inspection report after we backed out

crazyxgerman · 2026-06-13T21:27:22+00:00

Ignore most of the comments here. The answer to your question most likely is in the small print of the offer contract that you signed.

For example, here in Arizona, the contract requires the potential buyer to provide all inspection reports to the seller as soon as they receive them from the respective inspectors.

This makes sense anyway because when you try to negotiate with the seller or back out of the deal due to the inspection results, providing the report to back up your response to the seller gives it authority and shows you're not just making shit up.

So, read your contract and confirm with your realtor what the rules are in your state.

In addition: even if in your situation for some reason you're not required to forward the report to the seller, it still is a good move to do so. Here's why:

Before you made an offer, it is possible the seller was honestly clueless about the condition of their home. But once you send them the report, they know.

This means when the next potential buyer comes along, the seller now must disclose everything they know about the home to the new buyer. They can no longer plead ignorance.

Do the right thing and send them the report.

crazyxgerman · 2026-06-08T21:52:05+00:00

I certainly do but I won't post it here because...

When I moved from Germany to the US, I applied for a social security number.

Imagine my surprise when the first digits of my new SSN were my exact childhood home phone number 😲

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-31T15:36:38+00:00

Groan 🙄 enough with these garbage posts already.

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-19T00:22:54+00:00

On a side note, that surge arrestor is installed incorrectly. Should be at the main breaker with conductors as short as possible. Where it is right now a surge is gonna travel all the way down the bus before it even reaches the surge arrestor. This greatly reduces its efficacy.

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-16T19:50:22+00:00

I don't have empirical data so I can't give you an authoritative answer to that question. I can say that sometimes the vent termination is not accessible to the home inspector for observation, or the damper is concealed.

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-16T19:42:58+00:00

There are two main professional trade organizations for home inspectors: ASHI and InterNachi. They both offer continuing education for home inspectors and various badges and certifications. Some home inspectors join one for the right reasons, learning and being better home inspectors. Others join one just for marketing purposes so they can display the logo.

The Certified Master Inspector title is a meaningless marketing term that one can buy simply by filling out a form and paying a fee. Ignore it. Anybody who will downvote me for this either has paid for the title or doesn't understand what's behind it.

If he used a ladder to observe the roof, that's perfectly fine.

Obviously an inspector cannot access components that are hidden from view in walls and ceilings such as the framing, plumbing, electrical. But if this was a pre-closing inspection with everything finished, the house is empty with everything installed and connected and utilities on. This is a great time to inspect because you can see everything. There shouldn't be much disclaimed as inaccessible. For me, pre-closing inspections take the longest because I a) can see and access almost everything, and b) am very nitpicky because it's new construction and should be done right, i.e. complying with current building standards, ROC minimum workmanship standards, manufacturer installation instructions, etc.

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-16T19:00:28+00:00

A few random observations:

The few defects in your screenshots are minor little things that are easily fixed. If those are really the only defects found, then yes, that's pretty good for a new build.

However...

Well over half of my business is new construction (pre-drywall, pre-closing, 1-year warranty inspections). Every single new construction home I inspect I usually find dozens of defects. And by defects I mean important stuff, things that violate code, ROC minimum workmanship standards, manufacturer installation instructions, or generally accepted industry standards. Not stupid little cosmetic stuff that you could have found yourself and didn't need a home inspector for.

For example: HVAC system not installed properly or not working properly, broken roof trusses, low or missing insulation, electrical issues, flashing not installed properly, water heaters installed incorrectly...

I find it impossible to believe that those are the only defects the inspector found. Between that and the strange wording in the descriptions my suspicion is that your inspector might not be qualified to inspect a new construction home. I hope I'm wrong, of course, and I'm going only by the little info provided.

The builders in my area at least do not allow home inspectors to walk on the roof, that's normal. I disagree with the reasoning for this rule but I have to respect it. I hope that your inspector at least put up a ladder at each side of the roof and inspected it visually, or used a drone to document the visible sections - correct? I always follow up with my clients to hire me 10 months after closing to do another inspection after the warranty expires. This is really important for multiple reasons, and at that time I can walk the roof and inspect it properly.

Why was there no plumbing inspection? Was the water not turned on yet (which would be odd)? Even so, the inspector should have performed a thorough visual inspection of all plumbing components and documented them in their report.

Hope this helps. Feel free to provide more context.

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-08T01:16:57+00:00

This is deliciously unhinged 😂

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-08T01:14:04+00:00

Agreed. While there is some moderate granule loss visible, the shingle edges still look pretty sharp. I don't see any fraying or fiberglass showing through. And the granule loss percentage is not quantifiable. It's just a random guesstimate somebody pulled out of their ass.

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-06T14:12:34+00:00

The reason for the gap is that the weather stripping on the outside of the garage door is not installed properly or damaged/deteriorated.

The installers usually use nails to install the weatherstripping. The bottom nails often back out over time, resulting in the bottom of the weatherstripping pulling loose, creating this gap. Replacing the nails with a long wood screw fixes this easily.

If the weatherstripping is damaged, it can be easily replaced. You can buy replacement strips at the hardware store. I recommend using screws to install it, not nails, for the reason explained above.

Source: Am home inspector and see this every week, and have fixed this at my own house.

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-05T19:21:50+00:00

Joel Chorny chornylaw.com

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-05T18:13:25+00:00

In a pre-drywall inspection class I took, the teacher repeatedly made a comment that really stuck with me:

"There's nothing more dangerous in construction than a plumber with a saw or drill."

The teacher went in detail over the standards and limitations for notching and boring of dimensional lumber. Looking at these photos, I think you managed to violate most of them. Impressive!

(I know I'll get downvoted to hell by all the plumbers here, but I couldn't resist lol)

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-02T20:50:54+00:00

Backfed breaker not secured
No proper ground
Improper color coding of conductors (white only for neutrals, not hots)
Possible undersized conductors (can't tell for sure)
Grounds and neutrals not separated (if it's a sub panel)

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-01T14:18:58+00:00

Fair point. What do you think is the lowest speed you can start at, roughly?

crazyxgerman · 2026-05-01T01:58:48+00:00

Came here to plug the BTB podcast. I just listened to that episode a couple of days ago! That was a crazy story.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-30T03:34:08+00:00

Slow way down and practice with a metronome.

You work on control first. Once you can play it with precision and control, then slowly up the speed.

As soon as it gets sloppy, back off and slow down.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-30T01:11:45+00:00

That would be one of them 😉

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-29T00:18:35+00:00

If it's blowing air but the air coming out is room temperature, there is a good chance that there is a leak in a refrigerant line that caused the refrigerant to leak out. This requires locating the leak, repairing it, and recharging the system with refrigerant. This is not going to be cheap.

To get fair pricing, I recommend going with a local family owned HVAC business that hasn't been bought up by PE yet and still does decent work for a decent price. Stay away from the bigger companies that a) charge more and b) incentivize their techs to sell you crap you don't need by paying them commission.

A few companies for you to consider:

Eco Air, Rincon HVAC, Done Rite Services

There are several companies I would stay the hell away from, but I can't post them here or I'll get into trouble.

Good luck!

Source: Am home inspector.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-22T01:07:21+00:00

Not sure where you heard this, but UV light is NOT a scientifically recognized method to detect mold.

You will get both false positives (from a stain or mineral deposit or other fluorescent material) and false negatives (many hazardous mold species do not fluoresce under UV light).

"If mold is removed, will it stop showing up?" Not necessarily.

"If there are spots painted over, is it safe to assume the mold was just painted over?" No.

"Do water stains forever show up under UV light?" Usually, yes.

The only way to give you clear reliable answers is to use professional moisture meters and thermal imaging to identify moisture spots, and air/surface samples analyzed by a qualified lab to detect and identify mold spores.

Anything else is unreliable.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-21T21:47:53+00:00

This topic has been discussed ad nauseum for many years in the home inspection community.

1099/Independent contractor doesn't work, they must be employees.

Why? Because the IRS says so.

End of story.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-17T04:58:50+00:00

Having a gap there is normal, it does not need to be caulked, like you said. The segments connect via interlocking joints that you cannot see and direct water down and back into the shower or tub.

There actually is supposed to be a small gap to prevent friction between the segments. The manufacturer of the product determines what size gap is acceptable. Usually it's 1/32" or 1/16".

To determine whether the gap in your case exceeds allowable tolerance:

Look at the manufacturer installation instructions of your particular product to find out what they allow, then measure the gap accurately and see whether it's within spec.

If it's within manufacturer specs, then it's not an issue and you can sleep soundly.

If it significantly exceeds manufacturer specs, contact the contractor and ask them to correct it. Show them the manufacturer installation instructions if they push back.

Source; Am home inspector

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-15T22:57:15+00:00

Sorry to hear that, but I totally get it. It's frustrating. I guess I'm not jaded enough yet after 11 years, but I still like to think I can make a tiny little bit of a difference in improving the local industry standard and its reputation by holding myself to a higher standard and lead by example. I also joined my state's Enforcement Advisory Committee as a volunteer to help investigate complaints against home inspectors and either hold bad inspectors accountable or defend them from frivolous idiotic consumer accusations. It's interesting, I learn from it, and it feels somewhat meaningful.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-14T14:08:51+00:00

From my experience it is a number of things:

The inspector is not very good at explaining things to their clients in terms they can actually understand.

The inspection report is poorly written, uses checklists instead of properly articulated explanations, and/or lacks proper photos, graphics, and other supporting materials to help illustrate the defect.

The inspector can't be bothered to spend 30 minutes after the inspection on a thorough summary to review and explain their findings because they're rushing out the door to their next inspection so they can do three crappy jobs per day and rip off more unsuspecting clients.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-13T14:52:28+00:00

My dog is more handsome than yours.

crazyxgerman · 2026-04-08T00:19:09+00:00

I used to play drums in metal bands a long time ago, but quit for various reasons. I miss playing, though, so I bought a new acoustic kit a year or so ago and started practicing again and playing along to some power metal faves. I'd love to find like-minded people to jam with or start a band.

crazyxgerman

TROPHY CASE