We received a solicitation in the mail today from a home inspector in Covington, WA. This one blew me away with its blatant disregard for home buyers, so I will let him speak for himself.

These two quotes from Bill Easter at Move Smart Home Inspections are stunning:

1. “I’m not a Deal Killer”
2. “we don’t knit pick the property to pieces!”

The home inspection is a critical piece of the home buying process and ensures that the buyer is protected against hidden defects. The only home inspectors we will recommend are ones who always knit-pick the property and who are not afraid to be a “deal killer.” Some deals deserve to be killed because of the poor condition of the property, and any inspector who is not willing to make that call is not worth their inspection fee. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), which this inspector is a member of, is pretty clear on this point in their code of ethics:

“1B) Inspectors shall not inspect properties under contingent arrangements whereby any compensation or future referrals are dependent on reported findings or on the sale of a property.”

An ethical home inspector represents only the buyer and is not hired to make the real estate agent happy by “keeping the deal together.” Any home inspector who is unwilling to adhere to these basic ethical premises should not be hired.