The inspector can give you a detailed report on any potential problems that may arise while owning said property. Additionally, it is valuable to have a home inspection before you sell a property to identify any issues before accepting an offer. Handling any potential bumps in the road before is much easier than facing them in the middle of escrow.
Regardless of what role you play in the real estate process, a home inspection will only ever be as good as the home inspector. Unfortunately, some inspectors are not credible when it comes to their background (be it personal or professional) and their qualifications. To help circumvent these individuals, here are a few credible organizations that can be used as a resource.
Located in Des Plains, Illinois, is The American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. (ASHI). This organization was founded in 1976 to create a resource for home inspections, as well as a quality control atmosphere.
The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors is also a credible source. This organization resides in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The Association requires compliance with both a code of ethics and strict practice standards for its members.
Another credible organization that stands out is the National Association of Home Inspectors, Inc. With its headquarters located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this organization also requires its home inspectors to abide by a code of ethics and strict standard practices.
While these are not the only organizations that provide high quality and credible home inspectors, they do stand out among the rest in the industry. Hopefully knowing they have strict rules for both morals and the technicals can provide stress relief during the real estate process. Using a credible Home Inspector removes most of the unknown issues sure to arise when buying and/or selling a property.