A home inspection might feel a bit overwhelming to a first-time home buyer or first time home seller.  The inspection often includes a written report, checklist, photographs, and environmental reports.  When combined with the Seller’s Disclosure Form 17, this is a lot of information for a home buyer to absorb.  Most inspections contain maintenance recommendations, life expectancies, and minor imperfections.  The major issues to look for will fall into four categories:

1. Major defects.  An example of this would be a structural failure.
2. Things that lead to major defects.  A small roof-flashing leak, for example.
3. Things that may hinder your ability to finance, legally occupy or insure the home.
4. Safety hazards, such as an exposed, live buss bar at the electric panel.

Anything in these categories should be addressed.  Often a serious problem can be corrected inexpensively to protect both life and property.  Most sellers are often surprised to learn of defects uncovered during an inspection and most first-time home buyers are surprised to learn that sellers are under no obligation to repair everything mentioned in the report.

In this four clock hour class, Realtors will learn the current licensing status of home inspectors in Washington state, learn how to explain the home inspection process to real estate clients, understand the "pre-inspection contract," discuss strategies for preparing a home for inspection, learn some of the major home defects that a home inspector can identify, and understand good reasons for and good reasons against recommending a home inspector to your clients. Finally, Realtors will have the opportunity to see a video OR slide show of what some home inspectors have found during routine home inspections.