You should care, whether you're the buyer, seller or investor. In Arizona real estate, Professional Home Inspectors are licensed and certified. They have to pass a rigorous course of work at an accredited school, then must work on the job for a minimum number of inspections working directly with a Licensed home inspector after sitting for their state exam.

Professional inspectors usually are hired by the buyer and inspect the home that was purchased using an agent who found the home on the Phoenix MLS. The home could be in Ahwatukee, Chandler, Gilbert or Phoenix, or any other part of Arizona. If the buyer indeed used a Realtor they most likely wrote the offer on the standard Arizona Offer to Purchase agreement. The standard agreement allows for a 10 day inspection period commencing the day after the last counter offer signature was completed.

During the inspection period the buyer has the opportunity to inspect virtually all the systems of a house and can thereby determine if the house has any problems serious enough to ask the owner to repair or replace an item or simply fix something. It is during this 10 day period, the buyer in almost every circumstance should hire a Professional home inspector. In Arizona, including Phoenix, real estate inspectors have a standard form they fill out on every home they inspect. The form allows for inspections of the exterior including cracks, the roof, plumbing, kitchens and appliances, the HVAC system, wiring he can see, like in the attic, other electrical items like whether each outlet works and whether or not there are GCFI Circuits close to water areas like sinks and tubs.

Important: The inspector records all of his/her observations, writes them in the standard report, and including taking pictures, leaves a copy with the buyer. The seller by law is also entitled to a copy even though the buyer is probably paying the inspector. With this information and any other information gathered during the inspection period, the buyer has one and only one chance to ask the seller to make repairs or accept the house as is (the default) or cancel the contract in writing and receive their earnest deposit back. This request is usually done on a form called the Buyer's Inspection Notice and Seller's Response.

Although it is not a checked box option, I also include for my buyer clients, an amount of money the seller can simply pay to the buyer in lieu of making any repairs at all. This has the advantage of the buyer being able to oversee all of the repairs, rather than risking that the seller make all the requested and accepted repairs with a minimum of quality.

In any event, hiring a Professional Home Inspector is imperative to getting the home you really thought you were buying.