National Property Inspections

The inspection did not uncover several serious, expensive issues that were brought to my attention after close. A plumber discovered the garbage disposal was broken and had to be replaced. Painters discovered a mold problem with attendant wood rot in a living space. Electricians discovered exposed electrical wiring on the garage ceiling. Attic insulation specialists discovered sub-code insulation levels, in some areas as little as 1 inch, but in most areas no more than 3 to 4 inches. Pest control told me they discovered evidence of mice in the attic as soon as they got to the top of the stairs. In each case, each professional told me that they could not believe my inspector did not bring this to my attention. I conveyed these issues to the inspector, Greg Eckert, who had an excuse for each omission. For the garbage disposal, he said he found it be acceptable, but they are prone to failure at any time. For the wiring he claimed it "is extremely common and is not written up as a defect by virtually any inspector." For the mold, he said that it was excluded by the inspection agreement, thus he was under no obligation to bring it to my attention. For the mice, he similarly said it was excluded by the inspection agreement. For the insulation, he said that he found the insulation 6-7 inches thick in one area and thus so noted it was R-19 rating. In addition, he dismissed my concern as mistaking his services for an energy audit. Needless to say, this is very disappointing. Thousands of dollars have already been spent and will continue to be spent to address these issues. I had expected the inspector to help protect me and my family from buying a house with hazardous and subcode conditions. At the end of the day, all he did was grease the wheels so the house would close.