INSPECTION.

Byline: Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard

Kicking the tires might be one way to decide whether to buy a used car, but taking the vehicle to a mechanic for a checkup no doubt yields more dependable results.

The same holds true for purchasing a house. With home prices soaring into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, peering into crawlspaces or jumping up and down on bathroom floors to see if they're spongy isn't enough information to justify a purchase, say many real estate agents, homebuyers - and even the state Legislature.

The need to provide everyone involved in home sales a more reliable method of evaluating the condition of a house has spurred a relatively new industry in Oregon, as well as nationwide.

Termite and dry rot inspections have been common for decades, but many real estate agents say having a "whole house inspection" report in hand makes the sale of a home more comfortable for everyone involved.

"I always recommend a whole house inspection to my clients, whether buyer or seller," said Valerie Nash, a broker with Smith & Smith Realty in Cottage Grove. "If the seller gets a (certified) inspection, they can make it available to the buyer. If they don't, the buyer can order one. It's not legally required, but it's a good idea."

In 1997, at the request of the Oregon Association of Realtors, the state Legislature passed a bill to regulate the growing home inspection industry, said Gina Fox, spokeswoman for the state Construction Contractors Board, which oversees construction and home inspection operations.

The law covers education and testing of home inspectors, what their inspections will and won't cover, and the standards that certified home inspectors must meet in order to keep their licenses.

Fox said the state licenses 559 home inspectors, 35 of them in Lane County.

Grants Pass resident Wendy Sigel recently purchased an older house near the University of Oregon campus for her daughter to live in with friends while attending the UO.

The $385 she paid for two inspections - whole house and termite and dry rot - was worth every penny, Sigel said.

"When you're looking at a house built in 1946, it's even more important to have a thorough inspection than if you're looking at a new house" built according to up-to-date codes, Sigel said.

"The inspector came up with a whole list of concerns, including the foundation, outlets that weren't grounded and a water leak under the floor. The home inspection lists possible problems with the house, and then it's up to the buyer and seller to negotiate what to do about it."

In her case, the seller "was willing to fix most of the problems, especially the electrical ones you find in older houses," Sigel said. "Some of it was pretty minor, and some pretty major. But it gave me real peace of mind to know the condition of the house at the time of the sale."

Electrical issues often lead the list of needed repairs when home inspectors do their reports, said Jeremy Moody, a certified home inspector with the local franchise of the Cincinnati-based Home Team Inspection Service.

"A lot of them are small, but they are safety concerns, so we recommend that they be fixed," says Moody, who has been doing local home inspections for more than four years.

Inspectors point out a broad range of deficiencies in the structural, plumbing and electrical systems of the homes they examine, Moody said, from untreated moss growing on roofs - "Probably 70 percent of reports in this area mention moss," he said - to leaky faucets to poorly drained or ventilated crawlspaces that can foster pests and dry rot.

`A lot of homeowners get nervous and ask us, `Did my house pass?' ' Moody said. "We're not there to pass or fail a house - we're there to give everyone an honest evaluation of a home's overall condition.'

Occasionally his work even spills over to his personal life, Moody's wife, Kamisha, says a bit ruefully.

"Jeremy won't let me have window boxes for flowers at our house," she said. "He says they shouldn't be attached to the house because water can get trapped behind them and cause rot."

It's the same advice he'd give to any of his paying clients, Moody says.

Oregon regulations authorize certified home inspectors to "observe readily visible and accessible installed systems and components" that make up a house, including foundation, floors, walls, columns, ceilings and roofs and describe these features in their reports.

Inspectors are responsible to probe areas where they suspect deterioration may have occurred, "except where probing would damage any finished surface," the law says, as well as to crawl into accessible underfloor crawl spaces and attic spaces.

They must check the workings of water supply and sewage systems, the capacity and safety of electrical, heating and air conditioning systems and how well insulation and vapor barriers have been installed and maintained.

Their reports must note whether doors, windows, kitchen appliances and plumbing fixtures function properly.

`Inspectors don't like to have to call out stuff as deficient,' Moody said. `When I'm going along doing an inspection and I suddenly find a big problem, I always think, `Oh, no.' '

At the same time, homeowners can minimize what a home inspector will find by carrying out obvious repairs ahead of time, he said.

"People shouldn't be annoyed at what the inspector writes, because what we see at the time of inspection has to be in our report," Moody said. "If people don't want something in the report, they should get it fixed first."

That's why longtime homeowners might consider getting a home inspection even if they're not planning to sell their property, he said. "It's a way to make sure it's properly maintained in case they do decide to sell."

While state law requires properly prepared home inspection reports to include dozens of specific observations, it also exempts many items from scrutiny.

Inspectors do not evaluate nonessential installations such as screens or storm windows or doors, recreational facilities such as swimming pools or spas, or detached buildings. They don't check water conditioning or sprinkler systems or evaluate the workings of window coverings or cabinet doors and drawers.

They also don't look at the condition of fencing, privacy walls or the condition of vegetation on the property.

Home inspectors do not predict the life expectancy of any component of a house - such as the roof, appliances or heating systems - or offer any advice on the cost of making any repairs. And they may not advise potential buyers whether to go through with the purchase of a property.

But Michelle Gremon, an agent with Equity Realty GMAC in Junction City, says what they do do "is well worth the few hundred dollars it costs to hire them."

"The home inspection can reveal a great deal that's not obvious - many of these people have worked in construction, and they know what they're looking at," Gremon said.

"Buying a home is a high-end transaction, and I think the inspection is a protection for everyone - the more everyone knows, the better. When it comes to buying a home, nobody needs a surprise."

FINDING A HOME INSPECTOR

Home inspectors must be licensed by the state Construction Contractors Board, following an extensive education and testing program. Continuing education also is required. The board keeps records of licensed contractors and home inspectors and their complaint histories.

Oregon Construction Contractors Board: www.oregon.gov/ccb online or at [phone]

Yellow Pages: Under Home & Building Inspection

HOW TO HAVE A BETTER HOME INSPECTION

Taking care of minor home repairs can mean a better inspection report and a smoother sales transaction.

Interior:

Patch and paint holes or cracks in walls and ceilings

Make sure windows and doors open and close properly.

Replace loose or broken moldings, and fix loose stair railings.

Make sure chimney dampers operate properly and chimney flues are clean.

Exterior:

Repair cracks in foundation walls, and make sure water drains away from the foundation.

Replace cracked or missing roof shingles, and make sure gutters and downspouts are clean and operate properly.

Make sure wood trim around doors and windows is in good condition and that porch and stair structures are solid.

Repair cracked or heaved sidewalks or driveway areas.

Plumbing:

Fix leaky faucets, and make sure debris does not affect the flow of spigots or shower heads.

Clear clogged drains, and make sure stoppers in sinks and bathtubs open and close properly.

Insulate water pipes in unheated portions of the home, and make sure access to the main water and gas shutoff valves is clear.

Properly caulk bathtub and shower enclosures, and make sure toilets are secured at the floor and the tank.

Electrical:

Replace any broken receptacles, switches or covers, and make sure they're operating properly.

Check to see that doorbells work.

Have all smoke detectors in good repair.

Make sure the stove burners, oven and exhaust fan work properly.

- Home Team Inspection Service