Dear Barry,

We bought our home several months ago.  During the escrow, the property was
inspected by a VA inspector, and everything was approved.  But two months ago, the heat pump began to malfunction.  When our contractor came to repair it, he said the unit had been installed incorrectly, resulting in damage to the heat
element.  Now we have to replace the system at considerable cost.  Shouldn't this have been discovered by the inspector? -- Barbara


Dear Barbara,

Discovery of defects in a heating system is something to expect from a
professional home inspector, not from a VA inspector/appraiser.  If you looked for a VA appraiser to conduct the same level of inspection as a home inspector, you made a fatal, but common, error.

VA and FHA appraisers are often thought to perform detailed and
comprehensive property inspections, when in fact, their task is to determine the market value of property, while checking for obvious physical defects.  VA
inspections are general overviews and do not begin to approach home
inspections in scope, depth or detail.  But don't fault yourself to harshly for this misunderstanding:  The Department of Housing and Urban Development
recently made the same error, when they required FHA appraisers to begin
performing the equivalent of a home inspection, as part of their appraisals.

To clarify the essential difference between a home inspection and a VA or FHA inspection, consider the relative backgrounds of these two unrelated professions. Home inspectors typically derive from the construction, architecture, or
engineering professions.  The physical aspects of real estate constitute their
primary area of knowledge.  Although some appraisers may also possess this type of experience, most draw their expertise from business, banking,
accounting or other finance-related professions.

As examples of conditions inspected by home inspectors but not by VA
appraisers:  A home inspector evaluates the electrical wiring in the various breaker or fuse panels and tests the outlets for safe and proper wiring.  A home inspector checks the operational condition of the various plumbing and heating components throughout the property.  A home inspection includes a full roof evaluation, not from the ground, but on the roof itself (not to mention inside the attic).  A home inspector crawls under the house and checks beneath the sinks, inside the fireplace, and down the chimney.  The specific details checked by a home inspector number in the hundreds, and most of these exceed the scope of a VA inspection.

If a home inspection was not performed during your escrow, it is strongly
advised that you have one done now.  Regardless of who is liable for
nondisclosure, you owe it to yourself to learn as much as possible about the safety and operability of your newly acquired home.