Home Inspection Process for Arizona Buyers
So you are buying a home in Arizona and the home inspection process has begun. The process for Arizona Buyers can be overwhelming especially if you live in another state or country. You have ten days from date of contract acceptance (unless a different time limit was specifically written into the contract) to conduct all inspections. We can help you understand what all is involved in the home inspection process in Arizona.
Choosing a Home Inspector
We have preferred home inspectors that we have worked with over the years but you are free to use any home inspector you like. On our website have listed some vendors such as inspectors, lenders and title companies. It is a good idea to check the Better Business Bureau for any unresolved complaints. Here are some important questions to ask:
- Are you licensed by the state?
- How long have you been in business?
- Do you have errors and ommissions insurance?
- Do you have a contract specifiying what you will and will not be doing in the inspection?
- What are your fees?
- When and how will I receive the inspection report?
- Will you do a termite inspection or do you have someone that you will coordinate with?
Home Inspector is Selected…Now What?
We will schedule the inspection as soon as possible. We will accompany you to the inspection. Roger Ferguson, owner of Integrity One Home Inspection and one of our preferred vendors, will meet with the you at the end of the inspection. He will go over the summary report that identifies his findings and you will leave with that written summary. A full report will be emailed to you within 24 hours. Once you have the full home and termite inspection report, we will discuss any items you may want to ask the seller to address.
The image to the left is an example of how many Arizona Home Inspectors will present their report. Integrity One and most inspectors divide their report into critical items sometimes identified in red print and maintenance items sometimes identified in blue or black print.
This report is very useful to you not only in helping identify items you want the seller to repair, but it provides insight to maintenance issues to watch or address in the future. We recommend that you keep this home inspection report in a file that is easy to access after you have moved in.
We will guide and counsel you through the best course of action after reviewing the report and then prepare a Buyer Instruction Notice Seller Response form also known as the BINSR. The seller has 5 days to respond. Their response will be to accept your requests in full, reject all requested repairs or a mixture of both. You will have 5 days to accept their response or cancel the contract and receive a full refund of your earnest money.
Other Due Diligence
Once the ten day home inspection period is up you cannot continue inspections. If your home inspector has identified roof, electrical, HVAC, plumbing or other issues you may want a separate inspection of those concerns by a licensed contract specializing in that field. The Arizona Buyer Advisory is a great resource full of websites to research including whether sex offenders live in the area where you are buying, airport noise, environmental or other concerns. We are here to help home buyers through the entire home inspection process when buying a home in Arizona. Contact us for more information.