Home buyers hire inspectors to learn about needed or soon-to-be-needed expensive repairs. But how thorough and helpful are the inspections?
Undercover shoppers from Washington Consumers’ Checkbook, an independent nonprofit consumer advocacy group, rented a typical three-bedroom, three-bath, two-story, single-family house in Arlington and — posing as prospective buyers — scheduled home inspections with 12 local companies to put inspectors to the test. Highlights from the report: