Seriously? Home inspection

[purpledisneyprncess]

It was very unprofessional of your realtor to hand over your inspection report without getting your ok. It's out of your hands now since she just went ahead and gave it anyway but it was wise you informed the inspector. I would even go so far as to forward written documentation to the inspector of you saying "no" to sharing that report. Realtors can and do lie and I wouldn't put it past your realtor to lie and say you verbally okayed it. You just never know.

Also, since that report was prepared just for you, the new buyer will have to get their own inspection anyways. I'm pretty sure their mortgage company will require that. So even if they see what the report showed, they need their own inspection.

Lastly, if you are still really peeved about this you should contact your realtors boss and see if the agency will reimburse you partially for taking a confidential document and sharing it.

Good luck! We are trying to buy a home and working with realtors is such a nightmare. At least the ones we have dealt with. So incompetent and lazy!

 

[Albort]

As much as i agree that what the realtor did was wrong, i believe helping other people out so they wont get screwed over for it.

Its hard to put this the easy way but the saying "what goes around comes around." Perhaps one day, another buyer would give you their report on a house your buying, saving you the $450...

Just my 2 cents, i know a lot wont agree.
OP: i hope you have a better experience with another Realtor.

 

[Sadie22]

Part of the home inspection should involve the potential purchasers accompanying the home inspector on a tour of the property while he or she points out findings and opinions. So it's more than just a written report which includes a checklist or summary of the findings. Every potential purchaser should receive their own inspection report.

OP, I'm glad you're running from this seller. Wow.

 

[beaucoup]

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.

Right, I hear it all the time on HGTV that any problems found in a home inspection, now need to be disclosed by the seller to any future buyers.

 

[beaucoup]

Realtors should pay for house inspections. But then, I wouldn't trust whatever the report said. So...never mind.

Bad idea. You do not want someone who's commission based on sale of house going thru hiring the inspector.

I worked with someone who used a realtor recommended inspector. House "passed". 2 year later, town condemned it as roof as ready to fall in & one exterior wall that was bowed at the time was found to not even be attached. And proof of a previous fire, hidden behind a drop ceiling was found, but never "found" by inspector.

After lawsuits by a few others, it was found this inspector was doing poor inspections in order to not kill deals for realtors.

Hire your own inspector with no connection to anyone else in the deal at all.

 

[sam_gordon]

Part of the home inspection should involve the potential purchasers accompanying the home inspector on a tour of the property while he or she points out findings and opinions. So it's more than just a written report which includes a checklist or summary of the findings. Every potential purchaser should receive their own inspection report.

OP, I'm glad you're running from this seller. Wow.

When we sold our first home, the inspector DIDN'T want us around. The results of the inspection WERE shared with us so we could make necessary repairs (minor stuff... things I was able to do).

 

[DebbieB]

As much as i agree that what the realtor did was wrong, i believe helping other people out so they wont get screwed over for it.

Its hard to put this the easy way but the saying "what goes around comes around." Perhaps one day, another buyer would give you their report on a house your buying, saving you the $450...

Just my 2 cents, i know a lot wont agree.
OP: i hope you have a better experience with another Realtor.

You have to read your contract with the inspector. If it says you cannot forward the report without his permission, you can't. It's not about being "nice" to someone else.

When we sold our first home, the inspector DIDN'T want us around. The results of the inspection WERE shared with us so we could make necessary repairs (minor stuff... things I was able to do).

When I bought my house, the seller was not there during the inspection. The only problem was a leaking pipe value in the basement, the realtor told me to type a letter to her requesting it to be repaired.

Regarding the mortgage company someone mentioned, mine only required a pest inspection. They did require an appraisal, which required an onsite visit.

 

[Albort]

You have to read your contract with the inspector. If it says you cannot forward the report without his permission, you can't. It's not about being "nice" to someone else.

I understand that, like i said, i agree that the Realtor did the wrong thing and provided the report to the next buyers but im just saying helping others out, one day, someone would help you out...

 

[2disneyboys]

This would be the icing on the cake to me. I would inform the realtor that I was DONE with them and wanted released from my contract. ( even if there were only a few days left in my contract, I would still demand to be released just for the principle of the matter).

I would also inform the inspector of what the realtor did, as well as the boss of the realtor assuming she is not the boss.

IMHO, following the inspectors copywrite policy would NOT make you a bad person as some previous posters have implied. Any other time, if someone dared to hint that they would "share"copywritten info they would be seriously flamed for having no morals, so I don't get while all the sudden your a meanie

Good luck OP on your home search and hopefully, in your relationship with a new realtor

 

[design_mom]

IMHO, following the inspectors copywrite policy would NOT make you a bad person as some previous posters have implied. Any other time, if someone dared to hint that they would "share"copywritten info they would be seriously flamed for having no morals, so I don't get while all the sudden your a meanie

I don't think anyone has said or implied that she would be a "bad person" if she followed the inspector's copyright policy. Some people have said that *unless* the inspector has a "not to be shared with anyone else without the express permission of the inspector" policy (I'm not sure if that's standard? It's been 17 years since we've ordered a home inspection.) then some of us wouldn't mind sharing it.

The OP did not say she was concerned because her inspection report said it was non-transferrable. She said:

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?

and

I am mad that my 450 bucks is going to someone else's profit.

She was concerned about the money (and the fact that her agent turned over the report without her permission. I would be mad about that part, too.). I would not be concerned about the money. Not because $450 isn't a big deal, but because showing the report does not decrease it's value to me. The OP already used the report for its full purpose. Since she's no longer considering the inspected house, it's no longer valuable to her. Her money is spent and now the report is gathering dust. I wouldn't have a problem giving it to someone else for free because it's worth nothing to me.

If the report indeed said it was non-transferrable, then I would have declined on those grounds, but I wouldn't have declined on "I spent my money on this. Get your own!" when sharing would not harm me in any way. I think it would be nice to share (but nobody ever said that not sharing made the OP a "bad person" or a "meanie." I just don't see any logic in her reasoning. Keeping it for herself isn't going to get her $450 back.)

ETA: And, given the new details the OP provided (about the seller likely knowing about the problems but not disclosing them to the OP, and probably not disclosing them to the new prospective buyers), I would be even MORE likely to share the report. Heck, I'd want to shout from the rooftops "Don't buy that house! That guy is a liar and a cheat! I've got the report!"

 

[3Gsandme]

I understand why OP is upset, but I'm another one who would have said yes, too. Unless providing it was illegal, what am I going to do with it? It saved me, but I can't use it to my benefit again.

Also, I always thought the findings of a home inspection were disclosed to the seller.

 

[bdcp]

I understand why OP is upset, but I'm another one who would have said yes, too. Unless providing it was illegal, what am I going to do with it? It saved me, but I can't use it to my benefit again.

Also, I always thought the findings of a home inspection were disclosed to the seller.

They can be if there's issues that the buyers want fixed or they want out of the contract. Generally, the buyers request repairs or renumeration in writing based on the report, not necessarily the report itself. Either way, once the sellers know of major issues, they are required by law to disclose them to future buyers. It's a double-edged sword for the sellers. Otherwise, the inspection is purchased by the buyers so it doesn't belong to the sellers or their agent. The agent had no right to give it anyone without permission. Once again, it's not about being "nice" but about the law and ethics.

 

[Holly]

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

Me too

 

[bdcp]

Me too

I bet legally they couldn't even use it to get out of a purchase or to get repairs done. More than likely since they didn't buy it, it can't be used by them, just looked at.

 

[design_mom]

I bet legally they couldn't even use it to get out of a purchase or to get repairs done. More than likely since they didn't buy it, it can't be used by them, just looked at.

Perhaps not. But the OP didn't say that these new prospective buyers had a contract on the house. Maybe they saw it online and came to the real estate agent who said "I had another family interested in that house, but they backed out after the inspection. Let me see if I can get a copy of it for you." Then those prospective buyers could walk away before they even got into a contract.

And if they are in contract, they would know that it would likely be well worth their money to get their own inspection report (if they hoped to negotiate repairs), or it might be worth walking away and losing their good faith money before they end up buying a money pit.

This is all, of course, assuming that the OP is free to share the report with whomever she wishes.