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HOME INSPECTORS VS. APPRAISERS

BYRON DUERKSEN, ACI, MCI
CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR AND THERMOGRAPHER
707.245.7545 (cell) or 707.355.9067 (office) 

INSPECTORS VS. APPRAISERS

It is important to know the difference.  


Banks and mortgage companies are suddenly requiring appraisers to act as home inspectors. Many appraisers realize they are not equipped for this task.  The following is an excerpt from a recent article published article  by Dave Braun.
 
Appraiser Tony Bamert says he is asked to do work that he is not qualified for—namely that of a home inspector.  Several home inspectors say they know how Bamert feels.
 
With 17 years’ experience, five as the head of his own firm, Bamert is fully familiar with standard procedures, and feels these requests are pushing him beyond that norm. “As an appraiser, my job is to go through the house, take notes and use comparables to come up with a value for the property,” he explains. “that’s completely different than the role of a qualified home  inspector.  Now they are asking the appraiser to test some of the mechanical systems and give a statement as to whether they are in working condition.”
 
Bamert say he’s not comfortable with such request, nor does he have the expertise to make such an evaluation. “On an FHA inspection, our job is not to make a determination on whether something is in good working condition or not,” he notes. “When something doesn’t look right, we advise to hire a home inspector to take a look.”

On numerous occasions in recent months I have done an in depth home inspection only to be notified a few days later that the appraiser had made a report that contradicted my report.  In every instance the appraiser was proven to be incorrect in their reporting.  This type of reporting reflects on all parties involved and causes delays, added expense and in some instances a lost sale.  It is very unfortunate that a professional in the field of appraisal gets put in this position.