Q. What are the qualifications of the inspector?
A. Ace Home Inspections inspector, Seth Habben, is also the owner of the company. When you choose Ace Home Inspections you will always get an inspection from Seth, not just another employee punching a time card.
Seth is a second generation home inspector, and has been involved in the home inspection industry for over 10 years! Before deciding to pursue a career in home inspection, Seth worked in construction, demolition, cable, phone, and internet installation and pest control. He is a former licensed Realtor and he currently holds a valid license for termite inspection & treatment in the state of California. These past experiences make for a more informed and well rounded home inspector, which leads to a thorough and reliable inspection by someone you can trust.
In addition, Seth is a Licensed Professional Inspector through the Texas Real Estate Commission. His license number is TREC#10075. Of the three levels of inspector, Professional Inspector is the highest level of inspector in Texas. Finally, Seth is an active Associate Member of TAREI (Texas Association of Real Estate Inspectors) and an Affiliate Member of the Austin Board of Realtors. He has also gone through exhaustive training and been Certified by AHIT (American Home Inspectors Training Institute.)
With all of the above, you can be assured, that your inspector, Seth, receives many hours of continuing education each year, and has passed several rigorous technical and ethical exams related to home inspections.
Q. Why is a home inspection important?
A. For Home Buyers:
Emotion often affects the buyer and makes it hard to imagine that there could be any problems with their potential new home. A buyer needs a home inspection to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the home, before closing, so their dream home doesn’t turn into a nightmare.
For Home Sellers:
More and more sellers and choosing to have a thorough inspection before, or when, they first list their home. First and foremost, you should have a home inspection for full disclosure. You will have demonstrated that you did all that you could to reveal any defects that may be present. Secondly, you will save money by knowing what the defects are. Don’t wait until the negotiations have started and you are faced with costly repairs discovered on the buyer’s inspection. Defects found before listing allows you to shop around for realistic estimates and not deal with inflated estimates that a buyer or their agent may present.
Q. Do I need to attend the inspection?
A. You are welcome, but not required, to be present during the inspection. You should be wary of any inspector that doesn’t want you at the inspection; therefore, we recommend that you attend the inspection from start to finish. If this is not possible then try to attend, at the very least, the last portion of the inspection which is the customer walk through. At this time the inspector will go over the findings with you and answer any questions you might have. Seeing an item in person is often more helpful than a picture or words alone.
Additionally, you may want to prepare a list of questions or concerns about the property prior to the inspection. This way you can relate these questions to the inspector before he begins, and he can specifically address these concerns for you during the customer walk through.
While we do encourage you to attend the inspection, please keep in mind that your inspector will need time and space to do the best job possible. Any distractions during the inspection can lead to items that may potentially be missed.
Q. Can I bring family/friends to the inspection?
A. While we can’t tell you not to bring family and friends, an inspection will go much more smoothly when there are no distractions. If you must bring friends, family, or children to the inspection please be aware that you will have to supervise them. Even though this may be your future home, often times the day of the inspection it is still someone else’s.
Q. How long will an inspection take?
A. Generally, that will depend on the size, age, and conditions of the home. However, typically an inspection will take between 3 to 4 hours to thoroughly complete.
At Ace Home Inspections we inspect no more than two houses per day. We’ve known other inspectors who will look at four or more houses per day, and that’s exactly what they are doing, looking, not inspecting. Do some quick math to figure out how much time they’ll spend “looking” at your home. That is why we will only inspect two per day; we don’t want the quality of our inspections to be diminished in any way.
Q. What will the inspection cover?
A. A quality inspection will cover everything from the roof to the foundation.
However, some conditions may prevent items from being inspected.
Please see our Price Schedule page for more information.
Q. What will my home inspection cost?
A. Again, there are many factors that determine the price of an inspection, such as age, size, and type of home. Click here to see our Price Schedule.
We want you to remember that buying a house is a huge decision, and this may be the largest investment of your lifetime. Our customers continually tell us that a quality inspection from Ace Home Inspections was the best money they have ever spent. We highly recommend that you consider experience, training, professional credentials, and reputation over price when choosing an inspection company.
Q. When do we pay?
A. Payment will be received at the end of the inspection, either by cash, check or money order. Unlike other fees related to purchasing a home, private inspection fees are not paid at closing.
Q. How long will it take to receive the report?
A. Many inspectors chose to generate a report on-site. However, at Ace Home Inspections, we believe that a good inspection deserves a good report. We want you to understand that rushing to get you the report on-site ultimately takes away from the quality of the report. Additionally, having to generate an on-site report will take away from the time allotted to inspect the property, the inspection will be rushed, and the quality of the inspection will go down as well. Therefore, Ace Home Inspections strives to give you a quality inspection and a quality report through concentrating on the inspection during the inspection, and the report when writing the report.
We understand that you want the results of the inspection quickly, that is why we typically can get you the report the same day. Although some reports may take between 24 to 48 hours to complete depending on what is found at the property. Rest assured that we want to get the report into your hands as fast as possible, without compromising the quality of the inspection or the report itself. Reports will typically be emailed or faxed to you. In extreme situations where time is of the essence, reports can be hand delivered.
Q. Who will receive a copy of the report?
A. Inspection reports are considered confidential documents. We will give you, our customer, a copy of the inspection report. We will only provide copies to other parties, such as your agent, the selling agent, or the seller, with your consent. Unless you give us permission no one else will see the report.
Q. What if the report reveals problems?
A. No house is perfect. Your inspector may even find items that weren’t expected, but that’s why you hired him. If your inspector identifies problems, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t buy the house, only that you will know in advance of what to expect. Each situation is different, and it will be up to you and your agent to decide how to proceed after an inspection.
Sellers have three options when problems are found; they may have the repairs made, they may adjust the purchase price, or they can choose to do nothing. It’s best to consult with your real estate professional for help in prioritizing a list of defects to present to the seller.
Q. What if I have questions after the inspection?
A. Most people do have a few questions, especially those who were not present during the inspection. You can call and discuss all the aspects of your home whenever you’d like, for as long as you own it. We’d be happy to visit with you as many times as necessary, our service is a long term relationship. There is no charge for this service as long as we can answer by phone or email without coming back out to the house.
Q. Would you buy this house?
A. Frequently at the end of an inspection, the first question that is asked is: “Would you buy this home?” The to-buy or not-to-buy question is a personal question that you must ask yourself. You are the one that will be spending the next few years living in this home, not your inspector. We are not in the business of consulting on the purchase decision itself, but rather describing the physical conditions of the home and making you aware of repair, replacement, or safety issues to help you make an informed decision. It is best to consult with your family or your real estate professional with questions of wether to purchase or not.
Q. Are there limitations to the inspection?
A. Yes. Your inspector can’t see through walls or predict what will happen to the house in the future. An inspection is intended to assist in evaluation of the overall condition of the home. The inspection is based on observation of the visible and apparent condition of the structure and its components on the day of the inspection and not the determination of future conditions. A home inspection will not reveal every problem that exists or ever could exist. A home inspection will not reveal hidden problems that can only be discovered using destructive testing or invasive means of observation. The inspection is not technically exhaustive, and gives no warrantees or guarantees.
Q. Can a house fail an inspection?
A. No. A home inspection is not an appraisal, which determines market value, or a municipal inspection, which verifies local code compliance. A home inspection is an examination of the current conditions of the home in question. Your home inspector, therefore, cannot pass or fail the home, but rather describe its physical condition, and indicate what may need repair or replacement. At that point, you can take the information the inspector has given you and make an informed decision whether or not the house fits your plans (and budget) for home ownership.
Q. Do you offer any guarantees?
A. On our service yes. All of our inspections are conducted in accordance with the Texas Real Estate Commission’s Standards of Practice.
Guarantees on the home itself - no. You hire an inspector to give you a professional opinion on the condition of the home and its major systems, on the day we see it. However, there is always the chance that an item that functioned correctly the day of the inspection could break the very next day; or that something was not visible during the inspection.
If another home inspection company is offering you, what you believe is a meaningful warranty, then you need to read the fine print, and read it very carefully. Most warrantees from home inspectors are merely marketing gimmicks that are riddled with loopholes. If you truly want a home warranty they are available through companies that specialize in warranties.
Q. If the house proved to be in good condition, did I need an inspection?
A. Absolutely. Now you have peace of mind. You can complete your home transaction with your eyes open about the condition of the property and all its equipment and systems. You will also have learned many things about the property from the inspection report, and will want to keep that for future reference.
Q. Why can’t I have a handy family member, or a contractor inspect the home?
A. This may be one of the biggest mistakes many potential homeowners make when buying a new home. Although the person you may be considering may be very skilled, they are not trained or experienced at professional home inspections. Professional home inspection is a unique skill like no other. Professional inspectors, over time, obtain what we call, an inspector’s instinct for problems. That instinct takes extensive training and years of experience to develop. Many contractors, and other trades professionals will hire professional home inspectors to inspect their own homes when they make a purchase. Finally, Texas requires that home inspectors be licensed in order to perform inspections, and they must meet many requirements and pass exhaustive exams to obtain that license.
Q. Maybe I should buy or build a new home instead?
A. That certainly is an option for you. Buying a brand new house doesn’t mean that it won’t need regular maintenance; rather you will start out with all new systems. However, it is a reality that newer homes aren’t necessarily free from problems. Any home, new or old, is a complex structure, and many things can go wrong from the beginning. Even brand new homes should have an inspection prior to closing, and/or a one year warranty inspection.
Q. Will Ace Home Inspections perform or manage any repairs?
A. No, that would be a direct conflict of interest. The Texas Real Estate Commission, and most home inspection trade organizations, strictly prohibit this type of activity by home inspectors.
Q. Is an inspection with Ace Home Inspections a “deal killer”?
A. The term “deal killer” is applied to certain home inspectors by some real estate agents. A “deal killer” would be someone who the agent has deemed to be too picky or overly concerned. Please understand that we work for you, our client, and not the agent. At Ace Home Inspections if we have ever “killed” a deal, it was because we found a defect that was a safety hazard that our client was not comfortable with. We are going to tell you the truth, always, no matter what we may find. Deals are not “killed” by inspectors, they are stopped by informed buyers who are not comfortable placing their family in a particular environment. You pay us to tell you what is wrong with the house in question, and we will do just that. We’ll also tell you what the positives are of the property and put the defects into perspective, many times the problems aren’t as bad as they seem.
To schedule an inspection go to our
Request an Inspection page.
To contact us immediately please go to our Contact Us page.
