NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Home inspectors are being forced to adapt as buyers fight tooth and nail for homes in the Nashville area market.
It's a cut-throat market right now due to low inventory. "What I am seeing that’s kind of weird is there’s a lot of back up offers right now, so if clients are having a hiccup, if they’ve got contingencies on their purchase, if they have a little hiccup in that process, the rugs getting pulled out from under people, especially on new construction," Aaron Schroer said.
As the owner of Tennessee Home Inspectors, Aaron Schroer said more buyers are wanting a pass or fail inspection, and their deadline is days not weeks. Meanwhile, other buyers are saying they want no repairs made, and will take the home as it is, to beat out other offers.
Schroer said, "It can be costly for sure, not having somebody go through their crawl space is a pretty big deal, that’s where we see a lot of the times the rubber meets the road."
Aaron's also seeing more maintenance inspections that happen after the fact. Schroer said, "What do we need to put on our honey-do list and our radar to keep an eye on."
At House Call Home Inspection, Chris Behling said they've had to adapt and overcome. Behling said, "and we can even do same-day inspections."
His on-demand inspection service has become so popular, he's in the process of hiring more employees. “That’s a part of why we’re so successful because we’ve pivoted and we’ve always kept that, availability is king for us," Behling said.
Due to tight offer deadlines, he's also seen an increase in buyers wanting a consultation during a showing. He actually did the interview on the way to one. Behling said, "For us the business is booming."
In some cases, not getting a home inspection can be a safety issue, which is why buyers are encouraged to get one.
