Home Inspections in Omaha, Nebraska

Where Does A Home Inspection Fit In?

You've been shown many homes that are on the market. After much invested time and effort,
you've selected a home that fits your family's needs, is in your price range, and one you feel is
the best house for your money. The Seller has just accepted your purchase agreement. In the
Omaha Metro, Council Bluffs, and surrounding areas, most purchase agreements have a home
inspection contingency. The agreement gives you, the Buyer, 5-7 business days to have the
property inspected. If any major problems are found, then you have the right to walk away from the purchase with no strings attached. For this, you want to hire a competent home inspector to thoroughly inspect your future home to point out any major defects or safety issues. After the inspection, if you decide to proceed with the purchase, then utilizing the inspection report, you will be able to get estimates for repairs and successfully negotiate your purchase.

Hiring The Right Inspector

So, who do you hire? How about a professional home inspector who:

• has a reputation for being thorough
• provides the most detailed and accurate inspection reports on video
• is a CERTIFIED Inspector Member of American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc.
• has served on NAHI's Board of Directors from 2007-2008
• was NAHI's Secretary/Treasurer on The Executive Committee for 2008
• was The Nebraska Chapter of NAHI's President from 2004-2007
• is the only inspector in the area to receive professional HVAC training and have the high-tech furnace cameras to find cracked heat exchangers (We found a cracked heat exchanger in 1/3 furnaces we inspected in 2007 and 1/4 in 2009!)
• is Nebraska state licensed to conduct radon tests
• does not enter into preferred vender relationships with real estate companies
• makes education a priority

If you'd like to meet me in person before hiring me, please attend a home buyer workshop. To learn more about Family Housing Advisory Service's Workshops, click

Expectations

In a Utopian world, the home inspector finds only minor problems with the home, you sign
off on the home inspection contingency, close on the home, and happily move in. In reality, no house is perfect. (See our 2009 statistics at the bottom of this page.) Some are in better condition than others. Some have maintenance issues. Some have 1 major problem, while others have 10. Some, after 5 hours of inspecting,simply need to be dozed in! Older homes tend to have more problems stemming from wear-n-tear while newer homes have more problems resulting from mistakes made during the construction process. Then there are the Do-It-Yourself remodeling projects gone bad found in a lot of homes inbetween. Be sure to check out our video inspection clips and photo gallary in the left nav bar. Below are some examples of what we've found:

• We had a reputable Custom Builder's jaw drop when we found a cracked girder truss that was holding up 1/3 of the roof of this $500,000 new home.
• There was a 3 year old home that needed the entire roof replaced because the Roofer didn't set his nail gun at the right depth before he started installing the shingles. All of the nails on the roof stuck up 1/4" and were either poking all the way through the shingles or about to be.
• We've found elevated deadly amounts of CO gas in several homes that if left unnoticed could have killed the occupants.
• There were 2 homes this year that had breached chimneys so bad that the wood nearby was charred and very close to burning the homes down.
• The Seller of a 5-plex claimed the roof was 5 years old. After finding multiple holes, water damaged ceilings, and a 35' open seam, we guessed the roof to be 20-25 years old with new tar added maybe 5 years ago. Our client got a bid for $6,000 to have the roof replaced.
• On a finished basement bathroom, the shower was aimed directly at the electric furnace. There was no shower surround and the furnace had two 60-amp breakers!

Regardless what year your home was built, it's important to have a professional test every system and inspect every area of the home before you buy it.

Our 2009 Statistics

23.3% had a cracked heat exchanger

49% had inadequate attic ventilation

50.8% had significant flatwork concrete issues

25.8% had major plumbing issues

29.5% had serious electrical issues

25.4% had major roof problems

8.2% had MAJOR foundation issues

21.3% had a breached chimney