MREIA Presents:

The Jersey Girls - Women In Real Estate (WIIRE) - Zoom Meeting

Home Inspection Insights for Smart Investors

Speaker: Hannah Nielsen

Topics:

1. 5 Major Systems That Can Impact A Deal
2. Foundation & Structural Red Flags That Kill Deals
3. Minor Repairs vs Issues Affecting Budget And Timeline
4. Using Inspections As A Negotiation Tool

Our goal is to focus on issues, opportunities, and challenges that women investors in real estate face.

Open to ladies only. Please join us on the 3rd Tuesday of every month as we Zoom the evening away!

Register to get the Zoom link.

Hosted by Ms. Kimberly Bartlett, Ms. Baronda Wallace, and Ms. Joyce Aponte.

At this month's Jersey Girls (WIIRE) Focus Group Meeting, Hannah Nielsen, a licensed home inspector with Vitale Home Inspection Services, will help you think like both an investor and an inspector.

If you’re new to real estate investing, here’s an important truth:

You don’t need to know everything about houses.

You do need to know how to manage risk.

That’s where a home inspection comes in.

A home inspection can be a risk assessment.

My job is to help you understand:

• What’s wrong right now
• What’s likely to become a problem soon
• What could become expensive if ignored

For investors, this matters even more than for homeowners, because every issue affects your acquisition cost, rehab budget, timeline, and return on investment.

When inspecting properties for investors, I pay close attention to five major systems that can significantly impact a deal:

1. Foundation & Structure

Cracks can be common; structural movement is not. Structural issues can turn a good deal into a costly one very quickly.

2. Roof

Generally, a roof that is not leaking or damaged even if it has exceeded its designed life is not a negotiation.  But, any defects, damage or leaking is grounds to have the whole roof evaluated and priced out.  Roofing material and age may affect insurance eligibility.

3. Electrical

Outdated or unsafe wiring can affect financing, insurance eligibility, and tenant safety.  Electrical work can escalate in price quickly if additional unsafe wiring is uncovered during their work.

4. Plumbing

Water damage spreads quietly. Plumbing issues often cost more than expected because they impact walls, floors, and finishes and could potentially cause mold growth.

5. HVAC

Heating and cooling systems affect habitability, operating costs, and tenant satisfaction.  During the home inspection you will learn the age and life expectancy of the HVAC system.  Although, there are seasonal limitations for testing the HCAV system.

If you learn to evaluate properties with these systems in mind, you’ll already be ahead of many new investors.

Not every issue is a deal-breaker, during the home inspection we weigh out severity into major and minor items. The key question is always: Do the numbers still work?

An inspection can help with more accurate rehab budgets, avoiding unexpected repairs after closing and price negotiations or seller credits.

Some common pitfalls I see include:

• Skipping inspections to save money
• Reading only the summary instead of the full report
• Not attending the inspection

Being present at the inspection is one of the best learning experiences an investor can have.

Real estate investing isn’t about avoiding problems.

It’s about buying problems at the right price.

A quality home inspection will help you make decisions with clarity, confidence, and fewer surprises.