Not every home in today's market is getting multiple offers -- but some are.

I've listed several homes recently that have ended up in competitive offer situations. In those cases, some buyers have included a home inspection contingency in their offer -- and some have not.

Let's step back for a moment.

If you're planning to buy a home, and we're out looking at properties together, we'll most likely talk about the contingencies you might include in your offer. I will recommend that you include a home inspection contingency. It gives you the opportunity to have a home inspector take a closer look at the home and gives you the opportunity to request repairs to the home or decide not to proceed with the purchase based on the inspection findings.

That said, there may come a time when we walk into a house that feels just about perfect. Perhaps it's beautifully maintained, the systems and appliances have been recently updated, and everything looks like it is in great shape.  And... we find out there are already multiple offers on the table.

In that scenario, you might start to ask yourself... am I comfortable making an offer without a home inspection contingency?

Doing so is not a decision to take lightly. Skipping a home inspection carries some risk. You're giving up a layer of protection and relying more heavily on what we can observe during your showings.

So yes -- when it comes to making an offer on a house, I'll usually recommend including a home inspection contingency. But I also recognize that in some specific scenarios, you might decide to move forward without one. That's a decision we can talk through together when the time comes, based on the house, it's condition, and how well it fits your needs.