Conduct Inspections

Your contract may contain a number of inspections as a condition of your sale. Whether or not you include inspections in your offer will depend on market conditions, the property, and your comfort level. There are many types of inspections that may be done by a purchaser and are usually at the expense of the purchaser. Please be aware of the inspection date deadlines set forth in your contract. These dates are firm and usually cannot be extended.

Home Inspections

• Schedule a reputable home inspector as soon as you have a ratified contract. Most contracts give you 7 to 12 days to complete a home inspection and report the findings with your requests to the seller. It may take a few days to successfully schedule an inspector.

• Once you have received the home inspection report, review it carefully with your Buyer Representative. The purpose of an inspection is to uncover significant situations in a home. It is not in your best interest to attempt to negotiate cosmetic or insignificant defects in a property. Prepare your response to the inspection carefully.

• The dates outlined in the Home Inspection addendum are hard dates and should be taken seriously.

Radon Testing - Home Buyer's & Seller's Guide to Radon (EPA document)

• Radon tests may be performed by your home inspector. It may take a few days to obtain a reading of reasonable accuracy.

• The EPA has set a safe standard at less than 4 picocuries per deciliter. Any reading of 4 and above should be remediated, usually by the seller.

Lead Based Paint - Protecting Your Family From Lead In Your Home (EPA document)

• Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting, buying, or renovating pre-1978 housing.

• Sellers must disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards prior to selling a house.

• Talk with Funkhouser Real Estate Group about the required Lead Based Paint Disclosure Form prior to making an offer on a home built prior to 1978.

Property Owners Association Disclosure Packet

• The Virginia Property Owner's Act, Section 55-508 of the Code of Virginia requires that all buyers who are purchasing a home in a Property Owners Association (POA) receive a POA Disclosure Packet.

• Upon receipt of this packet a buyer has three (3) days to review its content.

• Talk with Funkhouser Real Estate Group about receiving a POA Disclosure Packet once you have a ratified contract and about what information should be in the packet.