Ask the REALTOR: What if the home inspection discloses a problem?

Ask the REALTOR® is a regular video series in which I answer your most commonly-asked real estate questions, with a new Q&A posting every week. If YOU have a real estate question for me, drop me a note here.

This week’s question comes in from Karen R., who asks: What if the home inspection discloses a problem? Here’s the answer in this brief video, and don’t miss the transcript below.

Transcript:

Hi, this is Cari McGee from Keller Williams Real Estate. Welcome to this week’s episode of “Ask the Realtor.” Every week I answer questions from buyers and sellers — and pretty much everyone in between — regarding real estate.

This week’s question comes to us from Karen R., who asks, “What if the inspection discloses a problem? Does the buyer have the right to get out of the deal? Does the seller have to fix everything found?”

Great question, Karen, and here’s the scoop: As the buyer in Washington State, you can get out of your deal for pretty much any reason at all within the first 10 days. This usually coincides with your inspection contingency timeline, as well. So if something happens and either something is disclosed during the inspection or you simply change your mind, actually, you can go ahead and check the box that says “This inspection is disapproved,” the purchase and sale agreement is terminated and their earnest money gets refunded to the buyer, and go off and look for another house.

As the seller, if your buyer is asking for everything, you have the right to decide what you’re gonna go ahead and fix, if anything at all. That is something, though, you’re gonna wanna talk to about with your agent, because there are lots of factors involved with that. Quick, easy answer is no, you don’t have to fix everything. But that may not be the best course for this particular transaction. And of course, your agent’s gonna know what’s going on, because they’re in the middle of it with you. So, that’s the scoop there.

If you have any other questions for me, by all means, give me a shout via text, email, call, whatever, and I will answer as soon as I can. Thanks so much for watching and have a fantastic day.