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Remax Austin Assoc
3006 Bee Caves Rd A210
Austin, Texas 78746
512-346-3400 direct
512-328-8333 office
512-328-1763 fax
jr@austinhomefinders.com

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Commercial Properties

Inspections

There are many reputable inspectors who are licensed by the State of Texas.  VA/FHA appraisers are often thought to perform detailed and comprehensive property inspections.  This is simply not true.  Their task is to determine the MARKET VALUE of property, while checking for obvious physical defects. VA "inspections" are general overviews and do not begin to approach home inspections in scope, depth or detail.  HUD recently erred, when they required FHA appraisers to begin performing aspects of a home inspection as
part of their appraisals.

To clarify the essential difference between a home inspection and a VA/FHA "inspection", consider the relative backgrounds of these two unrelated professions.

Home inspectors typically come from the construction, architecture, or engineering professions.  Their primary area of knowledge is the physical aspects of the house.  Although some appraisers may also possess this type
of experience, most draw their expertise from business, banking, accounting or other finance-related professions.

As examples of conditions inspected by home inspectors, but not by VA appraisers -- A home inspector evaluates the electrical wiring in the various breaker or fuse panels and tests the outlets for safe and proper wiring.  A home inspector checks the operational condition of the various plumbing and heating components throughout the property.  A home inspection includes a full roof evaluation, not from the ground, but on the roof itself
(not to mention inside the attic).  A home inspector crawls under the house and checks beneath the sinks, inside the fireplace, and down the chimney. The specific details checked by a home inspector number in the hundreds, and most of these exceed the scope of a VA "inspection".

In summary, discovery of defects in a heating system, for example, are something to expect from a professional home inspector, not from a VA inspector/appraiser.  If you were to look for a VA appraiser to conduct the same level of inspection as a home inspector, you would be making a fatal, but common error.

Below are some names of a few professional home inspectors for your reference: