With many properties hitting the market as a result of the foreclosure crisis, many home buyers are seeing an opportunity to get into a home at a price they can afford. Many of these foreclosed homes are being sold on an ‘as is’ basis, which means the bank who now owns the home is not inclined to repair problems that are found by the home buyers. The banks simply want to get the house off their books.
Here’s where new home buyers – and even some investors – are making a big mistake: they’re forgetting to insist on a home inspection on the ‘as is’ property, thinking perhaps that ‘as is’ means the property doesn’t need an inspection.

Would you buy a used car without taking it to a mechanic? Not likely, so why would you buy an even more expensive property and take the word of a bank that’s likely never seen the property either?
Buying an ‘as is’ property might be a good deal, but because the bank never lived in the property, their disclosure statements are ‘don’t know’ all the way down the form. Not only that, the bank doesn’t know if the former homeowners did any damage to the home before they abandoned it.

No buyer wants to move in and find out they’ve purchased a money pit and if you’re buying the home to get a good deal, it’s likely that money is already tight. You may not have a spare $4,000 to replace the carpet when you discover a water leak has been rotting the flooring for years.

If you’re considering an ‘as is’ property, you should be over-cautious – even more cautious than when you’re working on a purchase with a traditional seller arrangement. Buying an ‘as is’ property usually means the property is in some level of disrepair and the true condition is unknown. A standard home inspection really doesn’t work as well in this scenario simply because of the risk, but an infrared home inspection will help you expose the true condition of the property and let you decide if it’s worth it to buy or if you should quickly walk away.

See what difference infrared can make with your home inspection and call Andrew MacDonald, an experienced infrared home inspector for homes in Twin Cities, Algonquin, Schaumburg, St. Charles and Chicago. Fill in our online form to request your infrared home inspection today.