There are some repairs that will be required by lenders before they will release funds to finance a buyer’s home purchase. Typically these address structural defects, building code violations, or health and safety issues.
Please note, some local municipalities will require a presale inspection report before you can sell your home. If you are Buying or Selling in one of the below cities, an escrow can only close and be property transferred, if a presale is done. Depending on the City, they can disclose to the Buyer items/issues on the City records as to the status of the property, its permits, violations, and compliance with its building code ordinances. Many require an on-site inspection by their inspector, others just do an internal check, but all require fees to be paid.
Heres a list of cities: (unsure? Ask your Realtor)
Azuza (City of Azuza)
Beverly Hills (City of Beverly Hills)
Carson – Residential Property Report Ordinance (City of Carson)
Compton – Inspections Services (City of Compton)
Cudahy – Building and Safety Department
Culver City – Building Safety (Culver City)
El Segundo – Building Safety Division (City of El Segundo)
City of Hermosa Beach
Huntington Park – Building Division (As of 7/1/02 1-4 units only) (City of HuntingtonPark)
Inglewood – Building and Safety (City of Inglewood)
Laguna Beach – Building Division (City of Laguna Beach)
Los Angeles – Inspection Request (City of LA only RPR-form 9)
Manhattan Beach – Building and Safety (City of Manhattan Beach)
Maywood (City of Maywood)
Monterey Park – Building & Safety (City of Monterey Park)
Newport Beach – Inspections (City of Newport Beach)
Orange – Inspection Services (City of Orange)
Oxnard – Guide to Building Inspections (City of Oxnard)
Palos Verdes Estates – Building and Safety (City of Palos Verdes Estates)
Pasadena – Building and Safety (City of Pasadena)
Port Hueneme – Building and Safety (City of Port Hueneme)
Rancho Palos Verdes – Inspections (City of Rancho Palos Verdes)
Redondo Beach – Building & Safety Division (City of Redondo Beach)
Rolling Hills – Presale Inspection Report (City of Rolling Hills)
San Diego (City of San Diego)
San Marino – Planning and Building (City of San Marino)
Santa Monica – Schedule an Inspection (City of Santa Monica)
South Gate – Building Inspections (City of South Gate)
Signal Hill – Inspections (City of Signal Hill)
Torrance – Inspections (City of Torrance)
Thousand Oaks – Residential Resale Reports (City of Thousand Oaks
If a home inspection or presale reveals such health and safety, code violation problems, odds are you, the seller will be responsible for fixing them. Start by getting some bids from contractors to see how much the repairs will cost. From there, you can fix these problems OR the more advantageous route, offer the buyers a repair credit so they can pay for the repairs themselves after closing escrow. This might be preferable since you won’t have to oversee the process; you can move out and move on with your life.
Cosmetic issues and normal wear and tear usually don’t have to be fixed. Be sure to check your local ordinances to know which fix-its legally fall in your realm of responsibility.
Home inspection repairs are sometimes negotiable. Between repairs that are typically required and those that aren’t is a whole gray area of repairs that are up for grabs. If you’re in a hot seller’s market, you have more power to call the shots. In a normal market, you won’t be able to draw such a hard and fast line. Work with your real estate agent to understand what items you should tackle and where you might want to push back.
You’ll want to be reasonable—after all, you’ve already put a lot of time into the selling process, and it’s likely in your best interest to accommodate some repairs rather than allowing the buyer to walk away. Depending on the magnitude of the requested repair, it’s not likely to go away and you’ll need to disclose the issue to the next buyer.
Another great thing that can bring value to your Buyer is to offer a home warranty. If there is an element that doesn’t truly need repairs but is still worrying the buyers like an aging HVAC unit, they can use the home warranty.
Heres a Home Warranty Company that I personally use!
Old Republic Home Protection https://www.orhp.com/
Tracie Bagnoli / 800.282.7131 Ext 1352 / TracieB@orhp.com
Kathy Lansford / 800.282.7131 Ext 1352 / Kathy@orhp.com
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JUDY HA
Blackrock Investments and Finance, Inc.
direct (951) 963-4023 | cell (626) 731-4485 |fax (626) 529-0850
email realtorjudyha@gmail.com | web http://www.realtorjudyha.com
CA DRE: 01884583
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