2021 was a VERY competitive year for home buyers nationally, and the Northern Virginia area was no exception. Many of my clients (buyers and sellers alike) found themselves in multiple offer situations, and oftentimes the "winning" offer was submitted with no contingencies - which meant that buyers often waived their rights to a home inspection as part of their ratified contract. One approach buyers can take to offset this waiving of rights is to arrange for a home inspector to do a "walk and talk home inspection" BEFORE they submit a written offer on a home. This interview with licensed home inspector Scott Biller, CEO of Biller & Associates, provides guidance on how to do a "walk and talk home inspection" and covers what items he reviews with consumers - so they can confidently move forward on submitting an offer on a property they like, or choose to move on and wait for a different property to come on the market.
So, the big take away here is... you need to look at the house you're buying!! I have talked to many buyers who have major regrets by not doing a home inspection. If you really can't do a home inspection, then you need to at least walk through the house with somebody who has the knowledge to be able to spot anything major. And if the buyer won't let you do even a cursory walk through, I would seriously question whether they were hiding something. It might be just a really competitive situation, but is it really worth the risk?
