Seriously? Home inspection

[dakcp2001]

I paid 450 for a home inspection on a home we wanted to buy. Turns out the home had a slew of problems, including structural problems and a leak "under the slab". We walked. Well, I got an email from my idiot realtor today, which cc'd the realtor who was selling THAT home asking if we minded letting the new buyer have our inspection report. I ,of course, said no let them pay their own 450. I hate to be a jerk, but I spent my hard earned money getting that report and I am out that money. It is gone. Why would anyone give it over for free? Got another email from the realtor apologizing, she had already sent it over and didn't think we would mind. Is that even legal? The end of October cannot come soon enough. Is this a normal thing to do? I have never heard of anyone doing that before. I am mad that my 450 bucks is going to someone else's profit.

 

[Minnesota!]

I would be very mad, too. Maybe see if the person is willing to chip in half. or if your idiot Realtor will knock $450 off the commission they make from you...

 

[etoiles]

I paid 450 for a home inspection on a home we wanted to buy. Turns out the home had a slew of problems, including structural problems and a leak "under the slab". We walked. Well, I got an email from my idiot realtor today, which cc'd the realtor who was selling THAT home asking if we minded letting the new buyer have our inspection report. I ,of course, said no let them pay their own 450. I hate to be a jerk, but I spent my hard earned money getting that report and I am out that money. It is gone. Why would anyone give it over for free? Got another email from the realtor apologizing, she had already sent it over and didn't think we would mind. Is that even legal? The end of October cannot come soon enough. Is this a normal thing to do? I have never heard of anyone doing that before. I am mad that my 450 bucks is going to someone else's profit.

Too bad you could not offer it to them for half of your cost and recoup some of your money before the realtor handed it over. You could always tell your realtor that you would like half of your fee or change realtors since you do not agree with their policies.

 

[npmommie]

Yep I would not be happy either. as far as legal, I don't know. but she should have had your permission before she gave the report that you paid for

 

[Tozzie]

I paid 450 for a home inspection on a home we wanted to buy. Turns out the home had a slew of problems, including structural problems and a leak "under the slab". We walked. Well, I got an email from my idiot realtor today, which cc'd the realtor who was selling THAT home asking if we minded letting the new buyer have our inspection report. I ,of course, said no let them pay their own 450. I hate to be a jerk, but I spent my hard earned money getting that report and I am out that money. It is gone. Why would anyone give it over for free? Got another email from the realtor apologizing, she had already sent it over and didn't think we would mind. Is that even legal? The end of October cannot come soon enough. Is this a normal thing to do? I have never heard of anyone doing that before. I am mad that my 450 bucks is going to someone else's profit.

Why did the realtor have the report to begin with? When I was buying my house and had my inspection done the report was sent to me and only me.

 

[aprilchem]

To me, it would be a kind thing to do. We are in the process of purchasing a vacation home and some previous buyers (whose contract fell through) kindly allowed us to see their inspection report. It helped us decide whether to make an offer or not.

But of course, that should be entirely up to you. I think it just depends upon what kind of person you are.

 

[Disney Doll]

This wouldn't have even hit my radar.
I'd have let them use it.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Reread the disclosure this real estate agent gave you. More than likely, he works for the seller, not you. I would seriously consider reporting this incident to the state licensing board and

I would definitely not continue working with this agent.

 

[rwdavis2]

Reread the disclosure this real estate agent gave you. More than likely, he works for the seller, not you. I would seriously consider reporting this incident to the state licensing board and

I would definitely not continue working with this agent.

I would look into this. At least get them to pay for part of it. Sounds like a pretty underhanded bunch of people to keep the house on the market with all those problems.

 

[FayeW]

After her giving someone else access to something you paid for without your permission, I'd be telling her that SHE has to recoup at least half of the cost you paid for the inspection from the other party, or pay it herself.

What a knucklehead.

 

[RitaE]

Well I'd join you as being the most selfish and uncharitable schmuck of the decade because reading that I thought "Heck no would I share my report with no compensation!"

I don't know if it is illegal but I wouldn't be pleased with the Realtor. Asking but then going ahead and doing it before hearing an answer? Yeah, that makes no sense. Why even bother to ask if you are just going to go ahead and do it? She obviously knew it was something she had no right to do, but just went ahead and did it anyway.

It might be a minor thing but it is the kind of thing that would have me firing my Realtor. People who act unprofessionally, like sharing a customer's papers or information without approval, really irritate me.

If she's working under a licensed Broker I'd be tattling to the boss too. Make sure he/she knows why a client is walking.

 

[dakcp2001]

Reread the disclosure this real estate agent gave you. More than likely, he works for the seller, not you. I would seriously consider reporting this incident to the state licensing board and

I would definitely not continue working with this agent.

She is OUR realtor, not the sellers. When we had our home inspection the inspector sent it to us and OUR realtor. She is the one that sent it to the sellers realtor.

April, this has nothing to do with "being a good person" as you put it. This has to do with the seller profiting on our loss.I highly doubt it was a surprise to him that he has a plumbing leak under the slab or that his entire addition was done without permits and is not structurally sound. 450 is a lot of money for me, maybe not for you, but for me it is money I work hard for. I am out that entire fee. If we find another house we want, I need to shell out another 450 bucks again. I can guarantee no one will hand me one for free.

 

[dakcp2001]

To me, it would be a kind thing to do. We are in the process of purchasing a vacation home and some previous buyers (whose contract fell through) kindly allowed us to see their inspection report. It helped us decide whether to make an offer or not.

But of course, that should be entirely up to you. I think it just depends upon what kind of person you are.

Get back to me after you spend 450 on an inspection, the deal sours and the next buyer wants to use yours.

 

[Peanut Giggleface]

Why don't you offer to sell it to the prospective buyers for half the fee? Everything in real estate is negotiable.

 

[tvguy]

She is OUR realtor, not the sellers. When we had our home inspection the inspector sent it to us and OUR realtor. She is the one that sent it to the sellers realtor.

April, this has nothing to do with "being a good person" as you put it. This has to do with the seller profiting on our loss.I highly doubt it was a surprise to him that he has a plumbing leak under the slab or that his entire addition was done without permits and is not structurally sound. 450 is a lot of money for me, maybe not for you, but for me it is money I work hard for. I am out that entire fee. If we find another house we want, I need to shell out another 450 bucks again. I can guarantee no one will hand me one for free.

Well, I have to wonder if ........when you used that report as the legal basis to walk away from the sale,........you legally walked away from exclusive access to the information in the report. However, since it was NOT the seller or seller's agent that gave away the information, I do find it odd that YOUR agent gave it away.
I just sold my parents house........my first experience with a home sale......and my god, there are some idiot real estate agents out there. Not sure what legal obligation is to write an offer even though it has legal issues, but we got a couple of doozey offers. One was an above asking price offer with one buyer paying half, and "a buyer to be named at a future date" putting up the other half."

 

[dakcp2001]

Why don't you offer to sell it to the prospective buyers for half the fee? Everything in real estate is negotiable.

It was already given to them for free. Why would they pay me now? And legally I am not sure I can charge for work the inspector did. Shouldn't he be entitled to some sort of fee since he did the work?

 

[RitaE]

Why don't you offer to sell it to the prospective buyers for half the fee? Everything in real estate is negotiable.

Well the buyers already have it. For free. So I doubt they're going to pay now. There might be something in the contract with the Inspector which prevents resale also.

Every negative item in that report should have already been reported by the seller to the new buyer anyway. If it hasn't, then their listing agent is not being ethical either.

 

[tvguy]

Why don't you offer to sell it to the prospective buyers for half the fee? Everything in real estate is negotiable.

Maybe it's unique to California, but both my agent, and the buyers agent said it was against the law for them to negotiate any exchange of money for anything other than the real estate itself. In my case, they refused to have anything to do with any discussions about whether any appliances would left.

 

[aprilchem]

Get back to me after you spend 450 on an inspection, the deal sours and the next buyer wants to use yours.

Actually, we're doing a second inspection on the same house (we weren't satisfied with the level of rigor on the first one). If we decide to walk away, I will certainly provide it to my Realtor for any subsequent buyers to use. Like I said, I just think it's a nice thing to do.

 

[dakcp2001]

I am shooting an email to the inspector. If the new buyers have any questions about their free inspection report, he should get some sort of fee. I also think it is hard to trust this seller and his agent with the now "free report". Do you think they will show the actual report to the new buyer? Or misrepresent it to their advantage? Who knows.