The Blog

Buyer Inspections

The Carlsbad transaction coordinators at Transaction 911 have noticed that many folks do not use the BIE form—the Buyer Inspection Elections form. It’s a darn good form, according to our Carlsbad transaction coordinators. And, even though it isn’t required, it is nice to have documentation in your file that you advised buyers about all of the available inspections.

There are so many different types of inspections available—from pool to roof to plumbing, and just about everything in between. And, it is always recommended that buyers conduct thorough inspections of the property before removing contingencies.

Home buyers often get so excited about their pending purchase that they pay little attention to the items that come up on the inspection report—some of which could be quite costly to address down the road.

While the California Association of Realtors® did not consult with the Carlsbad transaction coordinators at Transaction 911 before creating the BIE form, we believe that this form is intended to alert all buyers of every possible inspection that they have a right to conduct on the property. Then, the buyer can mark ‘yes’ or ‘no’ beside each of the inspections that he or she plans to conduct.

Using this form can protect agents down the road if something comes up on the property. For example, if the buyers did not want a roof report and they later learned that the home had a large gaping hole in the roof, the buyer could not state that he or she was unaware of the opportunity to conduct an independent roof inspection. The form would provide actual notice of the availability of these inspections.

So, if you are considering making additions or changes to your paperwork, consider adding the BIE to your bag tricks. And, if you need help with your transaction file, please contact the team at Transaction 911.