Florida homeowners what's the

[kiki02]

mandatory list we'd need for an inspection for the home?


Trying to budget this is crazy. Do I need wind mitigation? (is that like hurricane insurance)?

i 'm being told it's $400 to inspect a 1550 sf home. sounds high, right? thanks all. still shopping......

 

[vicki_c]

I don't know about the list, but the price doesn't seem that off to me. We paid something close to $400 for one over 6 years ago. Even my first house purchased In 1996, we paid a few hundred dollars, maybe $250.

 

[Ali]

I paid $350 in 2001 for a 1550 Sq ft home. Seems normal to me.

 

[wgeo]

Sorry, I'm not in FL, but that's close to what we paid in WI, so it seems normal to me.

 

[jgreco]

You want the wind mitigation (report) done to give to the insurance co to receive insurance discounts you may be eligible for.

I would pay extra to have a mold inspection, termite inspection (especially in Florida) and septic system if applicable.

What year was the house built? This would help a lot in helping you compile a list of what to check.

I would not trust your realtor in an inspector suggestion unless he/she is someone you really trust. It is in their best interest to make sure your closing goes smoothly if you know what I mean.

Our inspector missed over $10k in issues which had to be fixed almost immediately due to the home's electrical being out of code, among other issues. I wish we had some legal recourse. He had a $1000 bond which only paid out $125.

BTW- We paid $600 for our inspection but included the above + dock and seawall inspection.

 

[KodakFigment]

mandatory list we'd need for an inspection for the home?


Trying to budget this is crazy. Do I need wind mitigation? (is that like hurricane insurance)?

i 'm being told it's $400 to inspect a 1550 sf home. sounds high, right? thanks all. still shopping......

The list will vary depending on where in FL you are buying. We bought in the Orlando area in April 2012. We didn't need a wind mitigation or flood inspection. We did have a full home inspection, mold inspection and termite inspection. Together they were about $500. I think the appraisal itself was $375 on a 2100 sq. ft SF home. We had the report by email the next day. The appraiser took about 2.5 hours and we were present.
If the house is vacant/ foreclosure you may have to pay to have the utilities turned on for the inspection. Don't let them tell you they can inspect without the water/gas/electric being on.
Hire an independent appraiser, not one from the real estate office who will say anything to get the sale through. There are National Certification Boards for appraisers. Go to the website and look for well rated inspectors who work in your area.
Buying a home in FL was a lot harder than buying on in upstate NY where we lived before. Make sure you leave time to shop for Homeowner's insurance, the prices were all over the place!!
Good Luck!

 

[4GoofyCrew]

Sorry, I'm not in FL, but that's close to what we paid in WI, so it seems normal to me.

Ditto. It sounds reasonable to me.

 

[kiki02]

The list will vary depending on where in FL you are buying. We bought in the Orlando area in April 2012. We didn't need a wind mitigation or flood inspection. We did have a full home inspection, mold inspection and termite inspection. Together they were about $500. I think the appraisal itself was $375 on a 2100 sq. ft SF home. We had the report by email the next day. The appraiser took about 2.5 hours and we were present.
If the house is vacant/ foreclosure you may have to pay to have the utilities turned on for the inspection. Don't let them tell you they can inspect without the water/gas/electric being on.
Hire an independent appraiser, not one from the real estate office who will say anything to get the sale through. There are National Certification Boards for appraisers. Go to the website and look for well rated inspectors who work in your area.
Buying a home in FL was a lot harder than buying on in upstate NY where we lived before. Make sure you leave time to shop for Homeowner's insurance, the prices were all over the place!!
Good Luck!

thanks! THE HOUSE WAS built in 2006. in south florida, jupiter area (if we buy it).

 

[m_fancher]

we bought in south florida 2.5 yrs ago and paid just under $400 for our inspection. we had mold and termite inspection but not the wind mitigation. in our area there was a large problem with chinese drywall being used in the newer homes (built 6-7 yrs ago) so that was also something that our inspector looked for and contacted the builder on.
i was greatly surprised with the increase in homeowners insurance compared to our previous payments in WI. so shop around!

 

[m_fancher]

LOVE jupiter area...great place... we are just north of you!
I would love to move to jupiter!!

 

[girli565]

We just paid $520 for our inspection of a 2000sq ft home in Miami, and it included a chinese drywall inspection. Without the chinese drywall inspection it would have been $450.

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

We're also in Palm Beach County (going through a refi right now) and were told $400 for a 1100 sf condo... BUT most likely we will not have to have an appraisal, since it's a condo (or something like that? I don't know). So that number sounds right.

 

[jgreco]

What neighborhood? You can DM if you'd like to keep it private. Have lived in this area since 1979 and I am very familiar with most of Jupiter. There are particular neighborhoods which have been known to have particular issues which should be checked into. If its an HOA neighborhood, some of the neighborhoods have serious financial issues due to the housing bust. I would check online for financials or minutes for the community you are looking into. Bristol Management manages many HOA, that would be a good start.

 

[kiki02]

we bought in south florida 2.5 yrs ago and paid just under $400 for our inspection. we had mold and termite inspection but not the wind mitigation. in our area there was a large problem with chinese drywall being used in the newer homes (built 6-7 yrs ago) so that was also something that our inspector looked for and contacted the builder on.
i was greatly surprised with the increase in homeowners insurance compared to our previous payments in WI. so shop around!

would you mind pm / ing me the name of someone you used for inspection if you liked them? thanks

 

[MissBritt]

Paid $425 for 1780sf in 2008, N FL.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

The list will vary depending on where in FL you are buying. We bought in the Orlando area in April 2012. We didn't need a wind mitigation or flood inspection. We did have a full home inspection, mold inspection and termite inspection. Together they were about $500. I think the appraisal itself was $375 on a 2100 sq. ft SF home. We had the report by email the next day. The appraiser took about 2.5 hours and we were present.
If the house is vacant/ foreclosure you may have to pay to have the utilities turned on for the inspection. Don't let them tell you they can inspect without the water/gas/electric being on.
Hire an independent appraiser, not one from the real estate office who will say anything to get the sale through. There are National Certification Boards for appraisers. Go to the website and look for well rated inspectors who work in your area.
Buying a home in FL was a lot harder than buying on in upstate NY where we lived before. Make sure you leave time to shop for Homeowner's insurance, the prices were all over the place!!
Good Luck!

Your post talks about 2 different things, an appraisal, and a home inspection. An appraisal is more about placing a monetary value on the house based on several factors. Some of the factors would be the comps in the neighborhood and the general condition of the home and lot. A home inspection (which should always be done, even on a new home) checks the homes mechanical systems(electric, plumbing, HVAC, foundation, roof etc). A good inspector will get in your attic to make sure the roof is properly tied into the frame, will get on the roof to check shingles and such, as well as doing a through check of most of the expensive things to repair/replace. You can take recomendations from your agent for an insepector, but your mortgage company will probably pick an appraisor.