The Jedi® Guide to Selecting Your Inspector

Home Buyers – Use the Force!

The “Jedi” approach to purchasing your home and selecting your home inspector.

Good Morning America on Selecting Your Own Inspector: Click to download (WMV)

Yoda: "Use your feeling, Obi-Wan, and find him you will."

Congratulations on your new home purchase! This is perhaps one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll be making, but the good news is, you’ve taken the first steps to making the American dream of home ownership a reality for you and your family. Here are some tips to help the home purchasing process go smoothly and to ensure that your interests are being taken care of as you finalize your contracts and financing for your new home.

Follow the teachings of the old Jedi masters, and you will be a happy homeowner before you can say “May the Force be with you”.

Achieve a Calm Mind and Focus on the Present Moment

Yoda: “You will know. When you are calm, at peace...”

Qui-Gon: "Concentrate on the moment."
Qui-Gon: "Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs."

With the assistance of your Realtor, make a list of the things you need to do in order to close on your new home. Be sure you are working with your own professional buyer’s agent, who understands the industry and the laws in your area, and who is on your side to help you through this process.

It doesn’t cost you extra to have your own buyer's agent working on your behalf and looking out for your best interests, since they are paid out of the seller’s commission. Nonetheless, they work for you and have a “fiduciary duty” to you, and not to any other party to this transaction. Your buyer’s agent can help you find the right home, the right lender, and the right home inspector for your needs.

Keep your thoughts positive:
Qui-Gon: "Don't center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan."

Qui-Gon: "Remember: Your focus determines your reality."

Being mindful of our thoughts is important when we are being bombarded with all types of thoughts and influences from outside sources. Maintaining a positive and healthy attitude toward ourselves, our lives and others is a cornerstone of success.

Owning your own home, instead of renting, is one of the smartest financial decisions you can make, as long as you go into it with both eyes open and be sure you are not overpaying for what you are getting. Shop around for the right home, the right mortgage, and of course, the right home inspector to help you through this process.

Hiring a qualified home inspector to inspect your home before closing can save you hundreds if not thousands off your purchase price if defects in your new home could lead to unexpected repair bills down the road.

Use and Trust your Feelings

Yoda: "Use your feelings, you must."

Obi-Wan: "Trust your feelings, Luke."
Qui-Gon: "Feel, don't think. Use your instincts."

When the Jedi masters say to trust your feelings and intuitions, they are talking
about that 'gut feeling' that you get sometimes if you pay attention. Do your homework, and trust the inputs you receive, externally and from within.

Check with your buyer’s agent when selecting an inspector, and be sure to interview that inspector over the telephone before you contract with him or her to do your home inspection. Ask for your prospective home inspector about their qualifications and credentials, and of course, ask for references and samples of their work.

Don’t make the mistake of selecting your inspector solely based on cost. Since buying a home is one of the most expensive purchases you’ll ever make, this is not the time to opt for a cheap inspection. Since the cost of a home inspection is so small relative to the cost of the home you are purchasing, and the extra dollar or two you spend for a quality inspection could add up to hundreds or even thousands on savings for you in the long run, don’t let anyone talk you into skimping here. Do yourself a favor and pick a qualified ASHI home inspector, even if it means paying a little more for the professional home inspection you expect and deserve.

Have Patience and Accept that Nothing Happens by Accident. Trust in your Destiny.

Qui-Gon: "We shall have patience."
Qui-Gon: "Nothing happens by accident."
Obi-Wan: "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck."

Meditation means calming the mind and really looking at things. It's an excellent way to get in touch with ourselves. Sit down and focus on your inner energies, but in order to do that your must first empty your mind of all the distracting thoughts. Review your home buyer's "to do" list and your notes on the home inspectors that you interviewed to inspect your new home. Now, select the best, most qualified inspector, give him a call, and check that off your list. One less thing to worry about as you move forward with your home purchase.

Qui-Gon: "Finding him was the will of
the Force...I have no doubt of that."

Yoda: “A Jedi must have the deepest
commitment, the most serious mind.”

Believing that there is a plan for the Universe is important. If we trust in the will of the Universe there is no fear. Trust in your destiny and you’ll get through this, and many other challenges in your life.

May the force be with you.

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