Universal Home Inspections is a full service company offering home inspecions, mold testing and treatment as well as air quality testing in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton and Newport News.
Why You Need a Home Inspection
Buying a home is one of the most important purchases you will make in your lifetime, so you should be sure that the home you want to buy is in good condition. A home inspection is an evaluation of a home’s condition by a trained expert. During a home inspection, a qualified inspector takes an in-depth and impartial look at the property you plan to buy. The inspector will:
Evaluate the physical condition: the structure, construction and mechanical systems.
Identify items that should be repaired or replaced.
Estimate the remaining useful life of the major systems (such as electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning), equipment, structure and finishes.
The home inspector does not estimate the value of the house.
After the inspection is complete, you will receive a written report of the findings from the home inspector, usually within five to seven days.
This brochure is primarily for homebuyers that buy their homes with the help of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance programs. All homebuyers can benefit from the information in this brochure to understand the difference between home inspections and appraisals, the benefits of home inspections, how to find a qualified inspector, and the importance of radon testing.
Home Inspections Are Not Appraisals
A property appraisal is a document that provides an estimate of a property’s market value. Lenders require appraisals on properties prior to loan approval to ensure that the mortgage loan amount is not more than the value of the property. Appraisals are for lenders; home inspections are for buyers.
To make sure that the property meets FHA minimum property requirements/standards (health and safety).
To make sure that the property is marketable.
The FHA appraisal process will note property deficiencies that are readily observable and found not in compliance with HUD’s minimum property requirements/standards (Handbook 4905.1 REV-1 and Handbook 4910.1). These deficiencies may not be the same as those items noted in a home inspection report.
About FHA Home Inspections
FHA helps individuals and families become homeowners by providing lenders with mortgage insurance for certain loans.
FHA does not guarantee the value or condition of your future home, and FHA does not perform home inspections. If you find problems with your new home after closing, FHA cannot give or lend you money for repairs, nor can it buy the home back from you.
That’s why it is so important for you, the buyer, to get an independent home inspection. Ask a qualified home inspector to thoroughly examine the physical condition of your future home and give you the information you need to make a wise decision.
The Bottom Line: Spending Hundreds May Save Thousands
When you make a written offer on a home, you should insist that the contract state that the offer is contingent on a home inspection conducted by a qualified inspector. You will have to pay for the inspection yourself, but it could keep you from buying a house that will cost you far more in repairs down the road. If you are satisfied with the results of the inspection, then your offer can proceed.
FHA does not guarantee the value or condition of your potential new home, and FHA does not perform home inspections.
Finding a Qualified Home Inspector
As the homebuyer, it is your responsibility to carefully select a qualified inspector and pay for the inspection.
The following sources may help you find a qualified home inspector:
State regulatory authorities. Some states require licensing of home inspectors.
Professional organizations. Professional organizations may require home inspectors to pass tests and meet minimum qualifications before becoming a member.
Phone book yellow pages. Look under “Building Inspection Service” or “Home Inspection Service.”
The Internet. Search for “Building Inspection Service” or “Home Inspection Service.”
Your real estate agent. Most real estate professionals have a list of home inspectors they recommend.
Radon Gas Testing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General of the United Stateshave recommended that all houses should be tested for radon. For more information on radon testing, call the National Radon Information Line at 1-800-SOS-Radon or 1-800-767-7236. As with a home inspection, if you decide to test for radon, you may do so before signing your contract, or you may do so after signing the contract as long as your contract states the sale of the home depends on your satisfaction with the results of the radon test.
Information Resources
HUD has resources available for information about homebuying and homeownership. You may find the following services helpful.
Universal Home Inspections is the leader in Home Inspection in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton and Newport News.
Identifying Termites and Possible Termite Problems
Whether it is a carpenter ant or a worker termite, both can damage your home and furniture. However, it is very important to be able to identify one from the other for one very obvious reason, and that is to be able to obtain proper assistance and treatment.
Experts would know how to determine what a termite looks like and the corresponding treatments to solve the problem. But to carry out immediate and appropriate action, your being able to detect their presence in your own home would be essential.
Subterranean Termites
Termites belong to numerous species and this may become an additional confusion on your being able to know how a termite looks like. Among them, the subterranean termites would be the most frequent to be found in many homes.
Not everyone is familiar with what termites look like. But being able to correctly identify them is critical, for this would mean you would be able to save your home from considerable damage. These termites survive on paper products and wood and for those who are not in the know, all termites could harm their library and furniture. What should be your utmost concern though are the so-called worker termites.
The termite colony consists of several groups: the soldiers, the swarmers, otherwise known as reproductives, and the workers. Most of them look like grains of rice. The soldier termites have mandibles and the reproductive termites posses wings. Worker termites are close to the appearance of the reproductives, although they are smaller and without wings. These termites have the biggest number in the colony and they are identified as the wood eaters.
The Differences Between a Flying Ant and a Termite Swarmer
When you see termite swarmers, it is a sign that there is already an ongoing termite infestation of your home. They, the swarmer termites, are responsible in propagating termite colonies. There are some people who suppose the swarmer termite and the flying ant look the same. Actually, they are not.
While the ant appears to have a head, thin abdomen, and thorax, the termite appears to have only a head and a straight body. They both have four wings; however, the flying ant has longer front wings compared to the rear wings with very obvious vein marks. All the four wings of the swarmer termite, on the contrary, are of the same length and are much longer than its body and without any vein marks.
A flying ant's antennae are somewhat bent that end in a somewhat small-club while that of a swarmer termite has beaded antennae, which do not curb with no club-like ends, pointing away from its body.
Getting Professional Termite Help
It is hard to remove termites, especially if the damage is widespread. What you need to do is seek the help of experts. They use proven methods to solve a serious problem like termite infestation.
Their methods may include the use of chemical treatment to avert termite attack on the structure of your house. Another is the baiting method where wooden baits are applied with chemicals, which will ultimately kill the termites.
We specialize in Virginia Beach Home Inspections,Chesapeake Home Inspections,Norfolk Home inspections,Home Inspections Portsmouth,Local Home Inspection Companies,The only Home Inspection company offering mold testing and air quality testing.
A property appraisal is a document that provides an estimate of a property’s market value. Lenders require appraisals on properties prior to loan approval to ensure that the mortgage loan amount is not more than the value of the property. Appraisals are for lenders; home inspections are for buyers.
As the homebuyer, it is your responsibility to carefully select a qualified inspector and pay for the inspection.
