The conversations about home inspections (and whether to do them as a part of a home purchase process) are playing out a bit differently these days.

I used to always recommend that a buyer conduct a home inspection as a part of their home purchase process.

I still do recommend that - but I now much more clearly point out the potential ramifications of including a home sale contingency in an offer in the current market.

When there are five or more offers on a home (as there often are these days) there seems to be a relatively good chance that at least one of the buyers will not include a home inspection contingency in an attempt to be the buyer whose offer is selected by the seller.  Most sellers, after all, would much rather not have to deal with a home inspection -- even if they wonderfully maintain their home and do not know of any property condition issues.

Thus, many buyers are now asking themselves...

If you asked most buyers that question three years ago they would probably say "plenty of things!" - and most buyers would then include a home inspection contingency.

These days, more and more buyers are saying "well, probably not much, right?" - and those buyers are deciding not to include a home inspection contingency.

So - if you're buying a home (or hoping to buy a home) in the crazy seller's market of 2021 - should you include a home inspection contingency?

It probably depends on...

We can talk further about this decision as we consider each particular property during your home search.