Consumer Advocate's Guide to Home Inspection Book

	Introduction: Every house is a silent edifice of unspoken secrets	ix
1.	A Short History of Home Inspection: Disclosure marks the historical turning point in American real estate	1
2.	Understanding the Home Inspection Process: Home inspection is often a grand mystery to buyers and sellers	5
	The Basic Premise of Home Inspection	5
	Common Misconceptions	6
	Scope of a Home Inspection	9
	When to Schedule the Inspection	9
	Inspection Contingency	10
	Hours Needed for an Inspection	11
	Inspections Can Also Benefit Sellers	13
3.	Attending the Home Inspection: If you miss the inspection, you may also miss the boat	16
4.	Choosing the Right Home Inspector: Home inspectors are not created equal!	20
	Professional Affiliations	21
	Home Inspection Experience	23
	Errors and Omissions Insurance	25
	Building Code Certification	27
	Formal Home Inspection Training	28
	Request a Sample Report	30
	Choose Your Own Home Inspector	32
	Avoid Price Shopping	34
5.	Inspecting Brand-New Homes: The Trojan Horse was new ... and should have been inspected	37
	Municipal Inspectors	39
	Reliable Builders	41
	Builders' Warranties	43
	Uncooperative Builders	45
	New Homes Need to Be Inspected	47
6.	Scope and Limitations of a Home Inspection: Home inspectors are constrained by human limits	49
	Conditions Within the Scope of a Home Inspection	52
	Conditions Outside the Scope of a Home Inspection	62
7.	The Home Inspector's Liability: There are two kinds of home inspectors: those who have been sued and those who will be	78
	Converging Views of Liability	78
	Fair and Unfair Liability	84
	Actual Monetary Liability	88
8.	After the Inspection: Repairs and Renegotiation: Moving ahead, starting over, or walking away	90
	Guidelines for Negotiation	90
	The Response of Sellers	96
	Dealing with Repairs	98
9.	Problems After the Sale: Cleaning up the spilt milk	100
	Defining the Issues	100
	Appropriate versus Inappropriate Complaints	103
	Known versus Unknown Defects	106
	Deliberate versus Inadvertent Nondisclosure	109
	Acceptance and Avoidance of Disclosure Responsibility	119
10.	Homebuyer's Inspection Checklist: Don't try to do this at home	122
	Foundation Checklist	123
	Grading and Drainage Checklist	128
	Electrical Checklist	132
	Plumbing Checklist	148
	Heating Checklist	174
	Cooling Systems Checklist	184
	Building Exterior Checklist	187
	Yard Area Checklist	189
	Garage Checklist	191
	Roofing Checklist	193
	Wood-Burning Fixtures Checklist	197
	Building Interior Checklist	202
	Miscellaneous Checklist	204
	Homebuyer's Checklist	206
	Index	219