Should I use my realtor's recommended home inspector or find my own?

It's the age old question, and one that can be mildly taboo. Let's start with why you're looking for a home inspector.

There are many reasons to get a home inspection, but the most common is that you're looking to buy a home. Congratulations! So what should you know about home inspectors and their qualifications?

You could spend hours scrolling through every home inspector website in your area, and you would find that most are very similar. They're licensed, insured, and certified. Of course they are! I am as well. But what makes any of those qualifications special?

Firstly, not every state has licensing requirements for home inspectors. There are currently 14 states that do not regulate home inspectors. They are California, Colorado, D.C. (not a state), Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Utah, and Wyoming. So what does that mean? It means that in order to legally practice as a home inspector in those states, there are no formal education requirements. Anyone's uncle, brother, sister or mother can inspect your home for a fee without approval by the state.

In regulated states, such as Indiana, there are education requirements set forth by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency that must be met before a home inspector can be licensed to perform paid home inspections. Indiana's requirements are as follows:

• Must be 18 years of age

• Must have a high school diploma or a or GED

• Complete 60 hours of state approved education (usually much more is required to be knowledgeable) and 12 hours of field training

• Take and pass the NHIE (National Home Inspector Exam)

• Obtain insurance of at least $100,000 in General Liability coverage (usually much more is preferred as well as E&O insurance)

• Pay the $50 application fee and apply

• 32 hours of continued education for every licensing renewal cycle more than 24 months

In the wise words of Ben Gromicko from InterNACHI (The International Association of Home Inspectors), "Being licensed is one step up from being criminal. It's a crime to perform home inspections without a license, so licensing is the bare minimum requirements to be a home inspector." If that's the case, then what should you be looking for?

Well, that's why we're here to help. Home inspectors have many opportunities to gain certifications and additional skills. InterNACHI is the most prominent organization for gaining those skills and certifications. In other words, look for an InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector!

So should you use your realtor's recommended inspector? Well, that depends. It's important to trust your realtor. After all, they are representing you in one of the most important financial decisions of your life. However, there are some (not most or even many, but some) inspectors and realtors that form 'mutually beneficial' arrangements. In other words, the inspector may go easy on reporting the defects of the home in order to continue gaining clients recommended by the realtor. So how do you know if you're in this situation?

There's one surefire way to know. Did the realtor offer up a few inspectors and let you choose or did they push one in your direction? Now, let's be clear. The vast majority of inspectors and realtors have your best interest at heart, but you should do your due diligence when purchasing a home. Find an inspector who is knowledgeable, communicates well, has good reviews, and is constantly learning new skills and gaining new certifications. That person may very well may be one of the inspectors that your realtor suggests, but it may also not be. You should be able to easily identify their qualifications online. If not, they could simply be part of an older generation who works mostly by word of mouth ( which is fantastic), or they could be unwilling to put themselves out there at the risk of scrutiny and criticism.

Transparency is the name of the game in this industry. Without it, trust flies out the window. Do your due diligence, and you won't regret it. It's your life, your purchase, and YOUR home. YOU have the final say! Congratulations on your purchase, and be blessed in your new journey!