Be the Solution with Maria Quattrone

Home Inspection Secrets That Can Save Your Next Deal with Corwin Jackson

• Maria Quattrone • Season 1 • Episode 340

Share episode

Ever wonder what's really happening during those crucial hours of a home inspection? In our eye-opening conversation with returning guest Corwin Jackson, we pull back the curtain on this pivotal moment in the real estate transaction that can make or break a deal.

Corwin dismantles the common misconception that home inspectors are "deal killers," explaining their true purpose is to provide an objective assessment of a property's current condition. We explore why those aging roof systems, hidden foundation issues, and outdated HVAC equipment matter so much in negotiations, and why the typical visual, non-intrusive inspection has important limitations every buyer should understand.

The game-changing takeaway from our discussion centers on pre-listing inspections. For just about $450, sellers can transform their negotiating position by identifying issues before listing their property. This strategic approach prevents the dreaded scenario where a home sits on the market for weeks, goes under contract, fails inspection, and returns to market with a damaged reputation. As Corwin puts it, "It's penny-wise and pound-foolish" to skip this crucial step.

Beyond transaction strategy, we discuss how home inspections serve as valuable educational opportunities for new homeowners. From locating water shut-off valves to understanding maintenance schedules, this knowledge transfer helps buyers properly care for what is likely their largest investment.

Whether you're buying your first home or selling your fifth, this conversation will arm you with the insights needed to approach inspections strategically. Ready to be the solution in your next real estate transaction? Listen now and discover how proper home inspections can save you thousands and prevent headaches down the road.

Connect with Maria Quattrone:
Facebook: Maria Quattrone
Facebook Page: REMAX at Home Facebook
Facebook Page: Rise in Real Estate Facebook
LinkedIn: Maria Quattrone
YouTube: Maria Quattrone
Instagram: @maria_quattrone
TikTok: mariaquattronerealestate
Website: MQrealesate.com
Office number: 215- 607-3535

Maria Quattrone:

This is the Be the Solution podcast, and I am your host, maria Quatron. I'm excited because today we get to talk to Corwin Jackson. Corwin is a friend of mine. I've known him gosh we knew each other well over a decade probably now and he is a return guest to Be the Solution podcast, but today we're going to talk a little bit more in-depthly about the actual home inspection, the process, why it's important and what things get overlooked during this time. Before we do that, though, I have a quote specifically for you, corwin, and the quote of the day is what would you attempt to do if you knew you couldn't?

Corwin Jackson:

fail. I love that quote and it's actually been thrown in front of me a few times and for me it would be. I've always felt like if you can get one company up and running and running successfully, why can't you multiply that and run separate entities or run multiple entities at the same time? Guess what? There are some people that are doing it really well. They're not only running multiple companies, but they're doing that in various markets. So I think the challenge that entrepreneurs like you and myself often bump into is how right and bump into is how do we clone ourselves so that the systems, the processes that we put in place can be ran overnight, kind of on I'll call it on auto drive, so just being able to take on just multiple organizations, multiple companies and run them all successfully and run them all successfully.

Maria Quattrone:

If you can think it, you can make it happen.

Corwin Jackson:

There you go.

Maria Quattrone:

My motto so Be the Solution podcast. It's all about we internally have the power within us to be the solution. Sometimes that requires us to make hard choices, to say no, and sometimes it requires us to say yes, yes, yes, yes, yes and eliminate all of the doubt that's coming because it's made up. We made it up in our head.

Corwin Jackson:

So, yeah, All the doubts all the distractions and just being able to stay productive. What is it? The 80-20 rule, where 80, the, the, the volume we generate is done by 20 of our activity. But I think the challenge is just diving into what is the 20. What's actually creating? Uh, those phone calls that are coming in?

Maria Quattrone:

what is the 20? Yeah, well, that's something that we all have to figure out for ourselves so today, today unpacking, like you know you've seen in past years with multiple offer situation, people leaving home, inspections and I'm not a big proponent of that unless you are, you know, a seasoned buyer and know what you're looking at. But nonetheless we've seen that Now we're going into a more normalized, stabilized marketplace where property's sitting longer and buyers have a little bit of upper hand. So in regards to home inspection Corwin.

Maria Quattrone:

Some of the things. How does it work for people? What should they be looking out for? How does it work for people? What should they be looking out for? How does it work with your company?

Corwin Jackson:

awesome, so sure.

Corwin Jackson:

So with the home inspection, you know, a lot of times what I try to uh bring to light with the clients is, during that home inspection process, that's the most time that you're going to spend in the house before you take ownership, right?

Corwin Jackson:

I know a lot of times, if they're going out to see the see the home, it going later in the evening, it may even be dark outside, or maybe on a Sunday where they've seen five different homes but for some reason it stood out. But now you're at the home inspection, you're probably going to spend two and a half to three hours there, right? So some of the things that we bump into that's more problematic or more costly is the roofing systems that haven't been well maintained, right? And that's important because, or that comes up because that's one of the scenarios where, on the home inspection, of course, the client is standing right there while we're testing the heating system. They're standing right there while we're looking at the structural components, but they're already a little nervous about the roofing system because, guess what, they're not going to get on the ladder and walk the roof with you, right? So just you, you're you being able to explain everything that's going on with the roofing system and that could be a really expensive repair right.

Maria Quattrone:

Anytime a roofing system has to be replaced so that brings up a point that we just had an inspection where, because the roof was older, the buyer couldn't get insurance.

Corwin Jackson:

We're seeing that more and more where the home inspection is taking place and, of course, after the home inspection is done, negotiations happen again, the appraisal comes back, the appraisal comes out to be completed. Happen again, the appraisal comes back, the appraisal comes out to be completed and the appraisal will just have appraisal will just have questions, right? Hey, we're seeing some discoloration down at the foundation wall. Is it mold? Right? And then that scenario you know a lot of times. As the inspection company, we're coming back out.

Corwin Jackson:

One of the things that the buyers should know is hey, what's in the scope of the inspection versus what's an ancillary service or outside of the inspection? Mold is certainly one of those things where, unless they elect for it, right, unless they're asking for mold testing or mold inspection to be completed, it's not going to happen, right? Same thing with termite, same thing with radon, same thing with sewer scope. These are all ancillary services, all services that can be done in addition to the inspection, but the client has to elect for it. So good point with the appraiser. And they're calling out hey, issues because they feel like the roofing system is older. From my chair I'm just seeing the appraisal, the appraisers, coming out and just playing a more, a larger part in the entire transaction.

Maria Quattrone:

They are playing a larger part in the transaction. So one of the things I think is a misconception with home inspections is that the home inspector is there to kill the deal. You've heard that, wow.

Corwin Jackson:

You've heard that. Wow, I've heard that.

Maria Quattrone:

And you know that-. So what is the home inspector's job? And they're not buying a brand new house, right? They're buying a used home, basically.

Corwin Jackson:

In most cases they're buying a used home, and that's a very important point because the buyer are even more so. We know if the buyer has a host of family members there, then they're feeling a bit anxious as well. But there are certain scenarios Like let's talk about the heating system, for example. A lot of times we may have an older heating system that's 25 or 30 years old that could be functioning just fine, right, but from the buyer's standpoint they feel like, because it's an older system, it can be tagged as defective. But that's not the way it goes. So the home inspector is there to determine what's functioning properly versus things that may need to be fixed, repaired, replaced at the time of inspection. Right, that's the critical piece at the time of the inspection. So a lot of times we'll get the question well, how long is this heating system going to last? Or, okay, the roofing system is 12 years old. How long is the roofing system going to last? We can give them the manufacturer's timeline right, meaning that typically a boiler system is going to last 30 to 35 years. But we have no magic globe to say, hey, this thing is going to stop working in the winter of 2028. We don't know. We're there to determine is that system functioning properly at the time of the inspection, right? And then the other piece that we get into as a home inspector.

Corwin Jackson:

As the home inspectors, we're completing a visual, non-intrusive inspection. So a lot of times you know we'll watch these shows where you'll have a home inspector and he's tearing off the wall board or he's pulling back the door molding. Well, guess what? That's absolutely 100% not going to happen during an inspection. Because guess what If the owner comes home and they see that the door has been dismantled or the carpet has been pulled up to see what type of shape the subfloor is in? Someone's got to write a check for that right. So there are limitations within a home inspection. Where that the buyer needs to appreciate. The home inspection company that you work with should be sending out hey, this is our school of work, these are the things that we're going to be evaluating and inspecting and here's how we're going to go about doing it. That way you kind of keep everybody on the same page and you really level set expectations with the home inspection.

Maria Quattrone:

That's extremely important and we talk about that with the buyers prior to even buying a house, and then the home inspector there to let you know everything that is going on with the house today, and the home inspection generally shouldn't be killing deals. In fact, I talk with all my sellers about doing a pre-inspection so that they can give it to the buyer prior to them making an offer.

Corwin Jackson:

I love love, love that idea of a pre-listing inspection. And here's why I really think the home inspection happens at the wrong part of the real estate transaction. Traditionally right. What happens is the buyer goes out, they're going to find a home that they like, they're going to agree at some point to the price, right After they go through negotiations, and what happens next? Then the home inspector comes along, right After they go through negotiations. And what happens next? Then the home inspector comes along. Right, traditionally that's how it goes. The home inspector comes along and he's going to go into that area of the attic that the seller has not been in in five years. He's going to go into that area in the basement where people only go once a year to remove items for the holidays. Thanksgiving is coming up, christmas is coming up, they're now bringing up some of those ornaments and he's going to find he or she is going to find stuff that needs to be corrected, those things that they find at a minimum.

Corwin Jackson:

Typically they're going to force the buyer and seller to go through a level of renegotiating. Well, what if the home inspection was done before the property was listed? Right, that way, if there are any concerns, any damaged joists, potential mold on a subfloor, a heating system that's not working properly. That doesn't mean that the seller needs to fix those items, they just need to disclose them. Even better if they disclose them and they associate a cost to it. That way, if a buyer still brings along their own home inspector, then guess what? These things are already disclosed. They don't have to enter another level of renegotiating right those things the buyer is already aware of.

Corwin Jackson:

Renegotiating right, those things the buyer is already aware of. So I'm a big fan of pre-listing inspections. We do have a ton of brokerages, teams, agents that we work with through that, and again their reasoning with that is whatever price they now set on that home, the buyer comes in. They already know the challenges. Hey, there's an older water heater, there's a few windows that don't function properly. They don't have to go over a heavy renegotiation or aha moment. Here's what's going on with the property.

Maria Quattrone:

I think that's critical. Nobody wants to put the house on the market and then it come off during inspection and then put it back up and it comes off during inspection.

Corwin Jackson:

That's just a big waste of time.

Maria Quattrone:

It's a big waste of time. The seller's time, the listing broker's time and the three buyers agent who bought, buyers who still didn't buy the house.

Corwin Jackson:

Who still didn't buy the house. There you go. So, yeah, you will hear that out there about the deal killer. But typically what we're learning is it's never what's said, how it's explained, right? So a really good home inspector is not only going to go over hey, here is a leak at the roofing system, but also guess what?

Corwin Jackson:

The leak is typically caused by a flashing issue, right? It doesn't necessarily mean that the roof needs to be replaced, but the flashing needs to be corrected, or the low-lying area needs to be corrected or the roof needs to be sealed. The challenge with that is that's not what the buyer wants to hear. In most cases, if the buyer understands that there's a leak in a roof, what are they asking for, maria? They want the roof replaced. They want the roof torn off and replaced, right? That's why the listing inspections become so important, because if it was a pre-listing inspection, right, that seller would be in a driver's seat to correct that before the buyer was even made aware, right? So now that seller is in a driver's seat, they can get the flashing corrected, they can have the roofing system resealed and now they have a roofing certification, sometimes a company with a warranty that they can turn over to the buyer before they even have that inspection completed on the buyer's side.

Maria Quattrone:

So a big, big fan of pre-lifts. It's like when you're buying a car, the car gets treated in at the dealership. The dealership that's the listing broker gets the property ready for sale and one of the things they do is pre-certified car. Nobody wants to buy lemon. And it's not buyer beware in the state of Pennsylvania on residential real estate. It is in commercial real estate but not in residential.

Corwin Jackson:

Yeah, and speaking with some of the listing agents, I think some of the challenge that I hear from them is hey, we're working so hard to get the listing, the last thing we want to put in front of them is there are the costs. Hey, when we list this house, you're going to have to pay for an inspector to come out. I think a lot of times you know that becomes a tough conversation with them.

Maria Quattrone:

I know because we have on average what is say a three-bedroom, two-bed town row home. Generally costs for an inspection or a pre-inspection.

Corwin Jackson:

If we're below 2,000 square feet, you're going to be right around $450 with most home inspection companies.

Maria Quattrone:

So I look at it like this that's their fee, they have to pay for it and they have to negotiate. They have to contract, excuse me, you for inspection directly. However, that $450, what could their mortgage be't? A pre-inspection or worse than that it goes under contract. It's on the market for two weeks, goes under contract, inspection happens another two weeks, it gets canceled. It's a month now and now over. I'm going to start all over again.

Corwin Jackson:

There you go.

Maria Quattrone:

So penny wise pound four. Because I always go see, the sellers aren't required to do anything. They can simply present the facts as facts and the buyer can decide to move forward up front or not and waive the inspection because they have an inspection which gives the buyers a little bit more room for negotiation but keeps the seller deal intact. The seller then at least there's an opportunity to negotiate because there's an offer in hand.

Corwin Jackson:

Yeah.

Maria Quattrone:

And the value is there is such a thing as market value and then perceived market value. Perceived market value. So I could say that your house Corwin is worth $625,000. But the perceived market value could be $580,000.

Corwin Jackson:

It's what that buyer is going to come along and is willing to pay for it. I've had to learn that one myself the hard way I think like most sellers do at some point.

Maria Quattrone:

Well, everybody wants more than the house really is worth and I always say to the sellers you are the highest bidder. There's no bidders coming along. There's no shelling, so there's no bidders. And I can't negotiate when I don't even have a shelling. There's no shelling, so there's no bidders, and I can't negotiate when I don't even have a shelling. Systems and processes are what makes listings sell. If you, as a buyer, are looking at a home that's a pre-inspected home, you have a much better chance of knowing every single thing that's going on with that, because most inspectors are going to do that, are that are reputable, are going to do or find the similar things.

Corwin Jackson:

I would say nine and a half out of ten times and most scenarios, because they're the same scope, right, they're going by the same scope. It may be a different uh process, but as far as the scope of work of what they're what they're evaluating is going to be in alignment, right. So I know the worst case scenario was to go under contract and then something happens with that the buyer side of the inspection, because when the new buyers come along and now they catch wind that hey, this thing came apart because of the home inspection, they're already coming into it a little bit nervous, right, of course. So that's just one more scenario where that pre-listing inspection is going to get in front of it right To remove any of those issues.

Maria Quattrone:

So buyers should get an inspection. If there's not a pre-listing inspection, sellers, if you want the deal to stay intact, should get a pre-listing inspection because it actually gives them more power. And the $450, and we're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more is nothing.

Corwin Jackson:

Absolutely. And he's on a dollar, so and he's on a dollar.

Maria Quattrone:

Yeah, it takes a little bit of time to have it happen, but I think knowledge is power and what you do with that I'm giving the knowledge to information. That here you should do it. Now you have the power because the ball's in your court.

Corwin Jackson:

Absolutely. I think we want people to appreciate about the home inspection right Is that it gives the buyers the opportunity to learn everything about the home. It's so many times I have to say that there may be some an inaccuracy in the seller's disclosure because sometimes the seller just don't know right. I can remember being on a home inspection a few weeks back where the heating system was listed as gas. It was actually an oil operator, heating system, right. And the seller who was it was a scenario she had been in the home forever but the husband was taking care of everything, right. So she's kind of filling out the seller's disclosure the best way she knows how.

Corwin Jackson:

So you'll be surprised or actually you wouldn't be, maria, been in the business so long. But I guess most consumers would be surprised how many things they learn about the house just by attending you know that inspection. What type of water heater do you have, how it's operated, the, the, the electric panel? Sometimes you have what's called a service disconnect. We see that more and more at the exterior right. But just those things of learning how to function a home, how to function, how to operate everything in the house, right. If there's an emergency going on at the home. Where do you turn the water main off at right? All those types of things that that's typically learned at the, typically learned during a home inspection.

Maria Quattrone:

I mean, and think about it, I bought this house on May 4, 2011. So, whenever, how many years ago that was 14? I can't believe it.

Corwin Jackson:

Wow, life happens fast.

Maria Quattrone:

I couldn't tell you how to turn off the water main. I have no idea. I probably have no idea about half the things going on. I also have a husband and I'm not the person right.

Corwin Jackson:

There you go. Somebody at the house needs to know.

Maria Quattrone:

Somebody needs to know, but say he's not here. It's good to know these things right, so you need a refresher, is my point. You don't remember what you learned 14 years ago.

Corwin Jackson:

Because who's going to remember? You know how often you change the filter, where the filter needs to be changed, at the smoke detectors. How often are they tested? So what we're seeing, maria, is more and more people are more home inspection companies also developing maintenance programs, maintenance programs, right, or handyman programs, because, let's face it, some people, they may understand how to do those things, but life is so busy, right, life is so busy, it's easy to miss that thing on a calendar where the smoke detectors need to be changed or, like I said, filters and things like that.

Corwin Jackson:

So what we're seeing is more home inspection companies come out with different maintenance programs, handyman programs, things of that sort, just to make sure that the house is. If that house is well kept, as you know, then they're going to get their asking price when they turn around a list to sell the house five to seven years from now. Right, If it's not well kept, then guess what? They're going to have other issues.

Maria Quattrone:

That's true, they're going to have other issues. It's not well kept, then guess what? They're going to have other issues. That's true, they're going to have other issues.

Corwin Jackson:

So it's important that people know, when you do buy a home, that you have to maintain it.

Maria Quattrone:

When you do sell a home, you have to disclose it right.

Corwin Jackson:

And if you don't?

Maria Quattrone:

know, pre-home inspection is almost a guarantee that the house will get sold at some point. And the more I say, the more information you provide, the more everybody is better suited to move things through the process.

Corwin Jackson:

We want to avoid those surprises, right, we want to avoid that skeleton in the closet. You know, when home inspection is done from the buyer's side, every home has it right. Every home has something that you guys have to turn and renegotiate for. The pre-listing inspection is going to help get the seller past that hurdle to a large extent. The issues that do come up guess what? They can stay in the driver's seat. Absolutely, we probably could have did this whole session of pre-listing inspections.

Maria Quattrone:

I think it's a great session and, corwin, you are an expert in what you do and I'm blessed and thankful for you today and thank you for being the solution.

Corwin Jackson:

Hey, I appreciate you for taking the time to have me, maria. I know there's no shortage of real estate professionals as often calling you, knocking you on the door, just looking for time to connect. So I appreciate you keeping me in mind, my pleasure.