STEPHEN HOME INSPECTION

"Than you [Member Name Removed]!"

"This review is a SPOOF. This house sold back in 2015. It is not even up For Sale. I was at the RED SOX parade on Oct 31 !"

"The inspection for Mr. [Member Name Removed] was conducted on June 23. He received the report on June 24 and all the pictures on June 23. The Summary Page had 30 SERIOUS PROBLEMS noted which is far more than the average home. It was not a home - it was a [Member Information Removed] camp. The typical 1st time home buyer person would have walked away from this property. The house was a tear down. I am afraid that Mr. [Member Name Removed] is experiencing sticker shock at the cost of fixing a camp (ie. home) that was in FAIR OVERALL CONDITION Stephen Sala"

"Thank you I am pleased that your found my inspection met your needs We try to meet the needs of all our clients Sometimes we do ... Sometimes we don't but we try very hard ! Stephen"

"First of all, I question why someone would comment on a report 3 years after the report was completed. I spent over 3 hours on this old, small 1930 inexpensive two family. The report was over 25 pages long and included a significant number of photos. I have never done a "checklist" type of report . A home inspection is to comment on the overall condition of the home and when the overall condition is "FAIR" it usually means it needs a lot of work. Most home inspections do not comment on minor details. Many firms use a checklist type of report amounting to less than 10 pages with no accompanying photos. This is the reason why they are charging less than $400 for an inspection and only take 2 hours to complete. My client's "expectations" were far greater than what is met in a home inspection report. I believe my report showed that the overall condition of the home was unsuitable and my client should not have purchased the house. I didn't tell him to buy the home. I believe various economic conditions being experienced by my client is the reason for this negative report"

"A individual hires a home inspector to provide and objective analysis and unbiased opinion on the home or condo he or she is about to purchase. It is serious business and your decision to or not to buy is greatly influenced by our findings. It was pretty evident to me that an elderly person resided in this older home for a period of time and that no substantial improvements to the home had been completed in over 40 years. You and your realtor both confirmed that fact. As I proceeded to comment on all the dated systems in the basement, your realtor downplayed my comments and made statements that appeared to me as statements made by a "novice" realtor. In addition, it did not seem to me that she had your best interests in mind and I made that observation to you in confidence. We spent three hours in this vacant house and garage and completed a thorough inspection. I summarized my findings at various stages of the inspection and encouraged you to ask any questions during the entire inspection process. In the end, you had a property in fair overall condition located on a difficult site with only 1 bathroom. The home had numerous electrical issues and it is my business policy to recommend an electrician to fully investigate the cost or upgrading old electrical systems. It is difficult to determine if knob and tube wiring is present by removing a cover plate on a old light sconce. It is also prudent for a buyer to contact a general contractor to develop a comprehensive cost analysis on upgrading and renovating the numerous systems, components, finishes, kitchen, and bathrooms on a home that requires substantial capital expenditures. In addition, a home requiring a substantial renovation cannot be lived in while work is being completed. Home inspectors have a different job than realtors. Realtors are their to "sell the property" and tend to massage the emotions of the buyer. It was pretty evident to me that the realtors were worried that their $35,000 commission was going to go up in smoke based on my inspection findings. Unfortunately home inspectors are not there to engage in "pleasant chit chat" and we are going to be at odds with the realtors and sometimes our clients. I left the inspection knowing full well that my comments and findings were going to fall on deaf ears unfortunately. We assume a lot of liability and I have been down this same road where a buyer has bought a home that requires substantial additional investment that he or she was unprepared for because they let their emotions get the best of them. Purchasing a home is a "business decision" first and emotions cannot get in the way of it. Please do not call me months from now when you are way over your head in renovations and costs because I will say " I told you so.""

"On July 22 2009, I inspected a condo in a two family home for this member. My findings were summarized in a 22 page report with 27 photos. He was very concerned about two issues with the property; site drainage conditions and the basement finishes. As the inspection proved, he was right to be concerned. The property had a significant change in elevation from the front of the house to the rear. In addition to having a shared driveway, this steep slope would make it difficult to safely walk or park your car in the winter. In addition, the old garage located under the rear of the house was converted into living space which was not a good sign as it too would prove to be. The basement was finished without waterproofing or installing a vapor barrier on the exterior walls. The basement area was humid and insulation was wet indicating significant water infiltration problems. The basement bath and laundry area had significant design and workmanship issues. The stairs leading to the basement were poorly designed and provided difficult access to the basement living area. In essence, the entire basement living space had significant issues. Relating to structural issues, since only 5% of the foundation was visible and I did not note any visible cracks in the foundation, ( I also have an engineering degree) I have a hard time understanding this issue. Since the records show that this deal soon ended after the inspection and another offer was accepted on the property a month later, it seems to me that he did not even purchase this property. If he did purchase the property as he states, he had plenty of time to obtain estimates to rectify the problems. Unfortunately, these issues were not easily solved with complete renovation. As you can see, many of his comments are inaccurate and do not even apply to my report; I think he is is taking his wrath out on the wrong inspector"

"On May 17 2007, I completed a home inspection on a 55 year old single family for the member. The member was present during the 2 1/2 hour inspection and received an 18 page report with accompaning photos. The inspection revealed the following - The chimney required repairs - The roof required replacement - Two patio doors were in fair condition - Window systems were in fair condition - Exterior lighting and outlets were minimal - All entrances and the deck required repairs - Driveway, walkway, patio and fencing in fair condition - Bulkhead system in fair condition - The clothes washer discharged into the backyard and not into the sewer system as required - The electrical panel was 30 years old in fair condition - Minimal lighting and outlets in the living space - A dated kitchen and two dated bathrooms - Minimal attic insulation It was certainly not the "perfect house" alluded to in the marketing sheet. The home required $50,000 to $100,000 in repairs to repair and update systems, components, and areas. Ontop of that, the price was 10% over assessesment bought at the market peak and now the market here in Boston has dropped 20%. I did not tell the member to buy this house and I feel that if he fully investigated the cost of making the required repairs and upgrades, he would have not purchased this house. The member was instructed to get a termite inspection. The house exterior was old and in good to fair condition reflecting carpenter ant damage. I do not usually answer my phone during inspections - I am sure it was an unusual personal matter that was occuring for me during the inspection. - It is very puzzling to me why the member has waited two years after the inspection to comment on his inspection; it doesn't make any sense to me. The inspection was complete and not rushed as alleged. I feel the member, like myself and many other homeowners in the US are not happy with their recent real estate investments and this is the basis for his comments."

"ON JULY 1, I PERFORMED A 3 HOUR INSPECTION FOR THE MEMBER ON A 90 YEAR OLD SINGLE FAMILY HOME. MY REPORT WAS 23 PAGES LONG WITH APPROX. 45 PHOTOS ATTACHED. THE FEE WAS $425 AND $75 FOR A RADON TEST. BETWEEN THE INSPECTION, TRAVEL TIME, REPORT DEVELOPMENT, CONVERSATIONS, ETC IT WAS A FULL DAYS WORK. SINCE A TERMITE INSPECTION LASTS 30 MINUTES AND COST $175, I THINK THE MEMBER GOT HIS MONIES WORTH. THE MEMBER, WHO HAS A BACKGROUND IN CONSTRUCTION AND OWNS A CONTRACTING BUSINESS, HAS A PRETTY GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF CONSTRUCTION AND THEREFORE I DID NOT HAVE TO ELABORATE AS I TYPICALLY DO WITH 1ST TIME HOMEBUYERS. IN ADDITION THE HOUSE WAS VACANT MAKING MOST ITEMS VISUAL AND THE MEMBER WAS WITH ME DURING THE ENTIRE INSPECTION. IN THE END, THE HOME HAD SIGNIFICANT ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE ROOF, PORCHES, PLUMBING, ELECTRICAL, KITCHEN, BATHS, ATTIC FRAMING, ASBESTOS, LEAD PAINT, ETC; ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU TYPICALLY FIND IN A HOME THAT IS 90 YEARS OLD. THE MEMBER SIGNED A TYPICAL HOME INSPECTION CONTACT AND RECEIVED THE REQUIRED MA HOME INSPECTION DOCUMENTS THAT EXPLAIN WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A HOME INSPECTION REPORT. I TRY TO LIMIT THE DISCLOSURES AND FLUFF THAT YOU FIND IN MANY REPORTS BECAUSE IT MAKES THE REPORT CONFUSING. THE HOME HAD SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS AND THE MEMBER WAS AWARE OF THESE ISSUES WHEN HE LEFT THE PROPERTY THAT DAY. AS THEY SAY IN THIS BUSINESS, THE HOUSE TELLS THE STORY AND THE INSPECTOR JUST RIGHTS IT DOWN. THIS IS THE 1ST TIME IN THE 10 WEEKS SINCE THE INSPECTION THAT I HAVE HAD CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE MEMBER AND UNFORTUNATELY I FEEL THAT NO HOME INSPECTOR COULD HAVE PLEASED THE MEMBER. AND OF COURSE, THERE IS ALWAYS THE PRE-MEDITATED AGENDA THAT SOME HOME BUYERS HAVE INVOLVING A LAWYER WHEN THEY PURCHASE AN OLDER HOME WITH NUMEROUS ISSUES. MOST PEOPLE WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY FROM THIS HOME BASED ON THE REPORT AND I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE MEMBER PURCHASED THIS HOME OR NOT. A BUSINESSMAN CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THEY PLEASE MOST OF THEIR CLIENTS - YOU CANNOT PLEASE ALL THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME."