First-Ever Home Inspection Industry Study Shows

Friday March 30, 7:01 am Eastern Time
SOURCE: American Society of Home Inspectors; National Association of Realtors

DES PLAINES, Ill., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the first-ever Home Inspection Industry Study, seventy-seven (77%) percent of all recent home buyers obtained a home inspection prior to the purchase of their homes. Among these home buyers, ninety-seven (97%) percent believe that the home inspection was a good value for the price they paid.

In the survey, conducted jointly by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), findings indicate that home inspectors, professionals hired to inspect homes bought and sold, have become an integral part of the real estate process.

``It's clear from this survey that home inspections are utilized more now than ever,'' said ASHI President John Ghent of the study that surveyed 1,000 home buyers and 900 real estate agents. Ghent noted that on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being ``strongly disagree'' and 5 being ``strongly agree'') home buyers scored a 4.51, indicating that a home inspection significantly increases their confidence in their purchase.

Key Findings

The study surveyed home buyers and real estate agents via an omnibus poll, which was divided regionally between the Midwest, Northeast, South, and West. Key findings showed that among those who had a home inspection:

-- 81% had a contingency placed in the contract for the inspection.
-- 79% attended the home inspection, a step that Ghent encourages home buyers and sellers to take.

Among realtors, (99%) recommend that the buyer get a home inspection, with 92% saying they ALWAYS make this recommendation, and an additional 7% saying they OFTEN do so.

These and other results, as well as additional information on the methodology employed in the study, are available from ASHI at http://www.ashi.org .

For More Information For more information on the American Society of Home Inspectors, contact the organization at 932 Lee Street, Suite 101, Des Plaines, IL 60016. Phone: 800-743-2744.

For more information on the National Association of Realtors, contact Annmarie Roketenetz at 202-383-7560, or visit NAR on the Web at http://www.realtor.org .

SOURCE: American Society of Home Inspectors; National Association of Realtors

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