The History of Home Inspections

The early 1970s saw the creation of a new industry when buyers began hiring general building contractors to perform pre-purchase inspections on homes they wanted to buy. As the home inspection industry grew it soon became apparent that the depth of knowledge required to properly evaluate a home's systems and components was beyond the capability of most general contractors. Slowly the term "Contractor's Inspection" was dropped in favor of "Home Inspector" as they were now looked upon as industry experts in performing inspections to confirm the current condition a home's overall health. By the 1990s mostly due to California real estate law and increasing consumer awareness, pre-purchase home inspections became "de-facto" and the majority of homes sold in today's market are inspected. Locating and scheduling home inspectors was generally in the realm of the agent representing the buyer but as associations like CREIA grew, more home buyers have begun seeking qualified home inspectors on their own and the internet has become a major player in this approach. 

Many real estate brokers and their agents at first felt threatened by the home inspection industry, but eventually came to understand that it was far superior to the "Uncle Buck" inspections where the buyers brought along some relative or friend who claimed to have a construction background for a "preview." Good old Uncle Buck would push on the balcony railings, open and close a couple of windows, jump up and down on the floor, and perhaps even peek into the foundation crawl space, but only from the access openings.  He would then sum up his appraisal by declaring to all who would listen that the house was either a fantastic buy or an overpriced dump. 

It didn't take long before the more experienced agents recognized the idea that a professionally performed property inspection not only could be employed as a marketing tool, but may help shield them from potential litigation after the close of escrow. The famous Easton vs. Strassberger law suit changed this idea from a theory to a fact.

This landmark case occurred in 1984 when the court held that the duties of a real estate broker include "the affirmative duty to conduct a reasonably competent and diligent inspection of the residential property listed for sale and to disclose to prospective purchasers all facts materially affecting the value of the property that such investigation would reveal."  Real estate brokers and their agents immediately recognized that it would be prudent to refer independent experts to provide a far more complete and thorough inspection than they were capable of furnishing.  Their legal departments also recognized the opportunity to pass on potential disclosure liability by introducing another player into the sales transaction.

This had the effect of a major increase in homes being checked by professional inspectors before the close of escrow and according to a 2009 NAR statistics close to 80% of all homes nationwide are now inspected. In some parts of the country the percentage of homes inspected are even higher. In 2006, close to eight million home inspections were performed, and home inspection have become widely recommended by real estate authors and columnists.

About Steve Zivolich and Guaranteed Property Inspections: www.gpinspect.com

Steve Zivolich, M.A., the owner/operator of Guaranteed Property Inspection and Mold Investigation Inc. has been providing property and environmental inspections for over 13 years in Orange County and Southern California.

Steve Z. has performed over 6,000 home inspections, mold, energy and environmental inspections and is fully certified and insured to meet all your inspection needs. He personally provides all field inspection services and as a result is able to maintain the highest Better Business Bureau rating of A+.

Steve has extensive training and years of experience as a home, mold, energy and environmental inspector that will guarantee that you receive the most thorough, state of the art and comprehensive inspection that follows current industry standards of practice and codes of ethics, a true value and education at a fair price. He conducts every inspection, as if he were moving his own family into the property. Steve also backs up every home inspection with a 90 day warranty, that is purchased on your behalf from American Home Warranty Association.

Unlike other home inspection companies, who will need to refer you to an environmental and/or energy audit contractor, Steve is a nationally certified expert that can handle the job without making you jump through hoops to hire additional people before the end of your inspection period, including the areas of: mold, asbestos, allergens, child safety, radon, formaldehyde, energy, EMF, water quality, and VOC's. As a result of his advanced training, he is able to offer a FREE energy audit and FREE mold investigation as well, with each home inspection.
.
Please take the time to read through Steve's home inspector credentials and qualifications as this is so important when hiring an inspector. Don't focus on price alone, focus on value, quality, experience and professionalism. When you hire an inspector, any inspector, you are hiring their individual knowledge, experience and qualifications so make sure you hire the best, not just the cheapest. We are confident that you will be Steve's next satisfied customer.