Home Owner Resources

Most first-time home buyers aren’t fully aware of all the steps involved in the home buying process. Some think that it’s just a matter of getting a loan and choosing the house you want. Others understand that there are numerous peripheral roles needed to ensure a well-placed purchase.

Today, we’d like to clear up the distinction between two of those peripheral roles: the home inspector and the home appraiser. While some believe they’re one in the same, their jobs don’t necessarily overlap.

Home Inspectors
The primary mission of a home inspector is to investigate the quality of the property. This includes a thorough examination of all of the areas of a property that we covered last week.

Because of this focus on home issues or areas that may need future repairs, home inspections tend to be more so for the home buyer or seller as opposed to other entities involved in the process.

Essentially, you’ll walk away from a home inspection with a list of recommended repairs prior to buying or selling a property. What you won’t have is an evaluation of the property’s overall worth.

This is where a home appraiser comes into play.

Home Appraisers
Although commonly misconstrued with home inspectors (in part due to their job being referred to as an “appraisal inspection”), home appraisers are actually focused more on the property’s economic value.

Because of their emphasis on a property’s market value, mortgage lenders typically make a home appraisal a mandatory step in the home buying process. This helps them determine whether or not to grant a loan prior to mortgage loan approval.

Why Get Both?
While these two roles are similar, both are still highly valuable. Although home appraisers tend to be mandatory, they usually aren’t certified in the home inspection process or have undergone the training required to perform a comprehensive home inspection.

To ensure that you’re getting the most out of your new property, make sure you conduct plenty of research before deciding on who will inspect or appraise your home.

For more information on home inspections, contact Illinois Property Inspections by phone at 224.585.7835 or by email at [email protected]

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