George Real Estate Group Radio Broadcast

Know Before You Close: Truths About Inspections, Septic, And Negotiation

• George Real Estate Group

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Hidden problems kill deals and drain savings long after closing, but they don’t have to. We sat down with Jim Rawlings of Quality Home Consultants to unpack the clearest path to safer purchases, smoother sales, and fewer 3 a.m. homeowner regrets—starting with inspections that actually inform decisions.

We open with a quick market pulse for Henderson County: prices holding, days on market rising, and inventory ticking up. Then we dig into what an inspection really does in an as‑is state like North Carolina. Jim explains why inspectors report conditions, not guarantees, and how a strong report turns uncertainty into a plan: what to fix now, what to budget for, and when to walk away. Moisture in crawl spaces tops our local risk list, so we outline practical control steps from vapor barriers to dehumidifiers—no scare tactics, just priorities that protect your structure and air quality.

New construction isn’t a free pass. Jim shares cases of gas leaks, foundation issues, and even live termites in brand‑new homes, plus the simple strategy that prevents headaches: a pre‑close inspection to create a punch list and an 11‑month warranty inspection before coverage ends. For sellers, pre‑listing inspections are a secret weapon. Disclose early, fix smart on your timeline, price with clarity, and skip mid‑contract renegotiations. We’ve seen cleaner offers, stronger prices, and fewer fall‑throughs when everyone knows the facts up front.

We also go deep on septic systems, which serve roughly 40% of North Carolina. Learn why pumping every three to five years is the most cost‑effective maintenance you can do, how the right bacterial additives support healthy systems, and what a dedicated septic inspection can reveal before you commit—like tanks under porches or drain fields under slabs. Whether you’re buying, selling, or staying put, annual mini‑inspections of the roof, attic, exterior, and crawl space catch small issues before they become five‑figure problems.

If this conversation helped you feel more confident about your next move, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Ready to talk strategy? Call us at 828‑393‑0134 or visit realestatebygreg.com.

SPEAKER_02:

Hello, friends. Thank you so much for being here. This is the George Real Estate Group Podcast, which is a production of our live weekly radio shows hosted on multiple radio stations here in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The George Real Estate Group serves Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, and it is a privilege to share positive news about our local real estate market and community. Thanks so much for subscribing. And of course, if you have any real estate questions or if we can help you in any way, be sure to reach out. Visit us at George Real Estate Group Radio.com for more information. Good morning and welcome to the George Real Estate Group Live Radio Broadcast here on WHKP every Thursday morning, bringing you positive news about your local real estate market community. Grateful to be here with you. Thank you so much for joining us. We're having, we're just so grateful to share about what's going on in the market. We're going to have a conversation about what's going on. Have a special guest with us, Jim Rawlings with Quality Home Consultants at Septic, and grateful to have Jim with us this morning. Jim, uh, thank you for being here with us this morning. Um, grateful to talk. Uh before we get started, again, if you're tuning in for the first time ever, the George Real Estate Group, we're located in Flat Rock, right next to the Flat Rock Bakery, Hubba Hubba Barbecue, Campfire Grill, our friends at Hubaloo. And again, just grateful to serve the community. We serve all of Western North Carolina and the upstate. And if you're thinking about buying, selling, or investing in real estate, we'd love to have the conversation. Uh, you can find us online at realestatebygreg.com. You can also call us directly at 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com, follow us on social media. Again, uh, so much is going on. And we'll talk about some of the highlights of what's going on in the market. A lot of people are concerned with the market and the interest rates and what's going on. There's even some discussion about a 50-year mortgage, and we'll talk about what that means. Um, but you know, here's a quick overview. I mean, the you know, we're our average single-family home price in the last 12 months is$541. Um, the prices are holding, they've come down a little bit, but I mean, we're still averaging 132 single-family homes a month selling over the last 12 months, and that's in light of coming right off of Helene. Um, but our market continues to move. Actually, if you look at year-to-date, year to date in Henderson County, um, the through the end of actually, let me go through the end of October, we've actually had a uh 9%, almost a 10% increase in the number of single-family homes sold in Henderson County compared to the same time frame last year. Uh, prices are coming off just a little bit, but days on market are increasing. That's probably the biggest increase. And then the percentage of lists price to sales prices down to about 95% when you look about what somebody's asking versus, and that's because of again, days on markets longer. There's more inventory. We actually have about a 14% increase in inventory uh for homes available in Henderson County. But whether you're buying, selling, or investing in real estate, we'd love to have a conversation. There's no pressure, there's no cost, there's no obligation. One of the things that we do frequently for of course for our buyers is is is having a home inspection. If you're buying a home, North Carolina is an as this state, but uh one of the the things that we want to talk about today with Jim and Jim Rawlings, you are you guys uh you've done over 30,000.

SPEAKER_00:

We're over 35,000.

SPEAKER_02:

You're at 35,000 now. Isn't that incredible? 35,000 and this is uh 20 plus years?

SPEAKER_00:

27.

SPEAKER_02:

27 years in in the industry. It's incredible. Um, and before we get into that conversation, Jim, let's just share with our listeners about quality home consultants and and in your septic business as well. And then we I want to dive into the conversation about pre-inspections and inspections. I mean, like this is a these are conversations that we're having every single day with our buyers and sellers.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, all good stuff. So quality home consultants, I started it in 1998, and over the years uh with the market's ups and downs, uh, we we've uh amassed uh eight uh home inspectors and eight septic inspectors. We've done over 35,000 home inspections. We're we're probably at about 10,000 on the septic inspections. We do septic installations and repairs. Uh so we got a full house, one-stop shop, home inspection business. So we do everything except for appraisals and surveys.

SPEAKER_02:

So I mean the this this includes radon, this includes pest inspection, um, again, home inspection, water quality testing, radon testing, well inspections, uh uh mold testing.

SPEAKER_00:

So we do annual inspections for for uh homeowners. So we yeah, we do we cover it all.

SPEAKER_02:

Purchasing a home is usually someone's biggest financial transaction they'll do in their lifetime, and having a real estate broker to walk them alongside the process, whether it's buying or selling, and then again, equally as important is our home, our home inspectors, and again, all the array of services that you offer because someone making such a substantial investment and purchase, it's so important. North Carolina allows buyers to have their investigation period during what's called a due diligence period. And just for some just to give our listeners some context, North Carolina is an as is an as-is state. Sellers are are compelled, and so are the real estate agents, to share what's called material facts, things that they're aware of through what's called a residential property disclosure. They don't have to they they can actually mark on their no representation, but even if they mark no representation, the real estate agent's still compelled to share material facts that they're aware of with the property. But even with whatever disclosure a seller makes, we uh we it is so important that the client do their own investigation during that due diligence period.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, oftentimes we're we're doing a pre-listing inspection, and we have this whole laundry list of things that we found with this client's home that they've lived in that home 20 years and they have no idea that this is going on. So the disclosure doesn't mean all that there's everything's gonna be found.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. And and again, the to the seller's best knowledge, they're again, they're trying to do their and I most sellers are again they're trying to do the best that they know, but and most sellers are not doing a pre-inspection, which we'll talk about the benefits of for our sellers and why we do recommend pre-inspections, but for the most part, you know, buyers are having to do their own investigation, and even though a seller is sharing to the best of their knowledge, you guys day in and day out, I mean, you guys are doing you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_00:

We'll hit 2,000 inspections this year.

SPEAKER_02:

Incredible. And I can imagine I mean, I'm sure there's you're not surprised, but I mean, the point is you guys, your job is to make observations and to ultimately provide information for the the buyer to decide whether they want to proceed forward or not.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we give them an understanding uh uh of what they're buying. So is this something that we already like the house, we put an offer on it, but is this something that we'll be able to take care of? Or is this a little bit if if it needs some work, is this something above and beyond what we can do? So so we give them an idea of what they're buying before they buy it so they don't get stuck in something that they can't afford to to fix up.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and it allows buyers and sellers to negotiate. Sellers are not required, uh sellers don't have to fix anything, but buyers don't have to buy during that investigation period. Um, and so what what do you think what do you think the one of the biggest misconceptions are about a home inspector?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh biggest misconception about a home inspector is that uh I guess that that we're there to uh uh make a home warranty for him. So whatever happens, you know, we might do an inspection and four months later uh the the the furnace gives them trouble or something like that. And it's wait, wait, you know, this this is the home inspector's fault.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, so again, you're just reporting as to the condition as to the day of the inspection.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And so and we've had people be like, two two years ago you did a home inspection and now my furnace isn't working. It's like, well, yeah, it was working, and we gave you the the uh condition at the time of the inspection, but we you know, we're really good at at giving a clear understanding, something on furnaces or water heaters and things like that, or roofs. Um, you know, this is an aged system, but it's still working today. Consider budgeting for a new system in the near future, something like that. We'll give them that kind of information.

SPEAKER_02:

And by the way, buyers can purchase home warranties. That's a separate service and a separate expense buyers can choose to buy, and which does cover, I mean, if again, there's and you got to be careful about home warranties. I mean, there's pros and cons, and again, what's covered, what's not covered, and a lot of times it's prorated and all these things, but home warranties are different than than home inspections. Um, what's one of the most common problems you encounter in in our area for inspections? Like, what's the most common thing that you're uncovering?

SPEAKER_00:

So it's it's undoubtedly moisture in a crawl space. You know, moisture is the the worst thing that can happen to a home. So whether it's a roof leak or if it's a uh foundation moisture intrusion, it's places usually that the homeowners can't see right away, and it turns into a little bit bigger of a mess before there's some kind of uh visual indication that something's going on and they have to call somebody. So, you know, we can catch it long before the homeowner even knows about it.

SPEAKER_02:

Now, here's a common response I hear all the time. We're in western North Carolina, there's not a dry crawl space here. I mean, like, what's your what's your response to that? I mean, like, and there are there's solutions for that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, there's solutions. You can get into some encapsulations, which is a sealed crawl space, but uh even a naturally vented crawl space can be dry and at no standing water. You know, the humidity levels can be controlled through dehumidifiers or or foundation vent fans. So um, you know, we even open crawl spaces can be controlled. Controlled, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay. Again, this is probably the number one concern that you're observing uh here.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that the moisture is the you know is probably the the worst thing that can happen to a home. You know, that uh you you can have you know, carpenter bee will uh will you know do a small hole in in some the siding somewhere or the fascia or the deck somewhere. But when you get moisture penetration, you leads to mold or wood rot that can go on for months and years, and you never know about it, and it just continuously gets gets worse and worse.

SPEAKER_02:

What about the difference between issues you see? Now, here's something interesting. People probably don't really think they they're like, it's a new home, I don't need a home inspection. But what are some of the differences you see between new construction and and older homes? And and and by the way, we do advocate and recommend home inspections, especially on on new construction.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so we've never found a perfect home on a new construction home. And and we've gone to find foundation issues, we've found gas leaks in a crawl space that they would never have known about until they could smell it themselves or something else worse happens. And I've actually found live active termites on a foundation wall on a brand new home before anybody's ever moved in.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. And again, I think people think, oh, it's a new home. I don't need to do a home inspection. It's probably even more critical to do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and and another another thing that you they get out of that is they're gonna get a punch list. So before they move into that house, they're going, okay, Mr. Builder, Mrs. Builder, whoever you are, here's my list that my home inspector found. Yeah. And I'd like to get these things fixed before I move in so that it's not going to inconvenience convenience me from having to go take off work and and and allow somebody to come into the house to fix these items. So, you know, it's helpful to get it done before you move in.

SPEAKER_02:

And and and the reality is new constructions usually at a higher cost around here than than buying an existing home. And so the expectation for buyers is hey, this should be right.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm buying a new home.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, the other thing is we actually recommend on new homes two inspections.

SPEAKER_02:

Tell tell me more.

SPEAKER_00:

So the one before you move in, and we just covered that. But 11 months later, they have a 12-month warranty. So oftentimes, you know, some of the settling hasn't happened in the first week that that they're we're allowed to come in and take a look at the house. And after 10, 11 months, before that 12 month period warranty period ends, we can come in and see things that developed over that period of time.

SPEAKER_02:

And this is again ultimately for the protection of the consumer. That's why these laws are in place and that's why these warranties are in place. I mean, general contractors have have to go by these guidelines.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that's right. And and we've helped many, many clients where we've come come in and see something has happened over the 10, 8, 8, 9, 10 month period, and then the builders go, okay, yeah, we'll you know, we'll we'll we'll take care of that. And and they never really have a problem with the builders taking care of it. It's it's just if the builders don't know about it, then they can't fix it.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, if the buyers don't know about it, they can't ask the builders to to fix it. I mean, like it's a it's a domino effect. And so this is why this information is so critical. And and yes, there's a cost. This is normal. These are normal costs associated with buying and selling a house, and it's the best money you can spend as a buyer and a seller to do these inspections. Again, it's it impacts your your safety, your money, and it ultimately gives you negotiating uh information when you're working, depending on which side you're on. Again, it's information. It's not, and you guys are are just the messengers, right? It's like, hey, we're making observations. We're a third party, we're an unbiased party. I mean, our job is just to make observations.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, our reports are exactly the same for a buyer or a seller. You know, ultimately, if we do an inspection for a seller, uh a buyer's gonna come in and they may bring another home inspection uh inspector with them, and we want to make sure that that's the same report, you know, so that you hey, we we don't sugarcoat it for the sellers. We're not gonna try to make them feel better, we're gonna give them the information to be aware of what's what's coming, you know. So another home inspection inspector comes, they're gonna find these items, and we want them fully prepared to see them.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. You mentioned something earlier. Again, someone's been in their home 20 plus years and and again, not aware of any issues, and then you guys they're selling your home, and maybe they're doing the pre-inspection and you guys discover things. I would encourage our listeners, maybe you're not even thinking of selling your house, and you've been in the home 20, 30 years, and you just want to have a fresh set of eyes, check things out, because I bet what are some of the biggest safety issues that you guys come across that just people are not aware of?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, decks that that have uh gotten weakened from damage and and and so they're they're unsafe really to to walk on, but maybe not visible to the to the untrained eye. Yeah, so that and how many people ever live in on a house with a crawl space that actually go into their own crawl space?

SPEAKER_02:

Right. Or even into their attic. I mean the attic and crawl spaces. Again, it's not I mean, most people are those are not normally looked at unless there's usually it's being purchased or bought or sold.

SPEAKER_00:

Not many people take us up on this, but we have an annual home inspection program, and it's$250, and we cover the attic, the crawl space, the exterior, the roof, just to make sure we don't do a full home inspection, like check all the windows and doors and and turn your dishwasher on and all that stuff. But uh, we cover all the things that a homeowner would normally not the major things. Yeah, and uh and and it's really a cheap insurance because we've on these on these uh annual home inspections, we found uh right after a chimney has been cleaned, the chimney sweep disconnected a metal flue pipe inside the chimney, and it was a a fire waiting to happen.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow. Again, not not intentional, but again, it happened and and you guys maybe found that out. Yeah. Again, saving ultimately, I mean preventing a a house fire.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

What about um how about this? There are things that I'm sure you guys observe that aren't necessarily required by code to be repaired, but you s you guys are still strongly ad re recommending addressing. Like, is there stuff with electrical? Is there stuff with that again, code when homes were built 20, 30 years ago, the code was very different than what it is today.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, yeah. So so we're not really looking for code, you know. Uh we'll um we're we're gonna look for safety items and make sure that things are are operating as they're intended to operate. So um, like in 1980, deck decks didn't have to have the same uh railing spacing as they do today, required by code. So oftentimes we'll see 1980 standards and we're gonna say, hey, you know, it was code back then, but this is not safe for a kid because they can fall out off or something like that.

SPEAKER_02:

So it's not about the code, it's just this is not safe right now.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep, and then electrical, same thing. You know, we'll get into some wet areas where back in the day, you know, early 1900s, there wasn't any grounding or or any GFCI or protection like that. And we'll find some of these areas that, hey, you know, this is really this could be safer for your family if if you upgrade this to a GFCI type outlet or something like that.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. Let's let's go back to the conversation about most people only only think about a home inspection when they're buying, but we've had tremendous success with helping our sellers. Let's go back to the conversation about pre-inspections.

SPEAKER_00:

Pre-inspections, in my opinion, are more beneficial than the the than the actual buyer's inspection. And I'll tell you, it's because everything when when the buyer's agent comes and shows the client the home, they want to make an offer with with on a house that's not been pre-inspected. So they make this offer, and then they get a deal, and then they get the home inspection, and there's a laundry list of things. Now they have to renegotiate. The seller's a little upset because they thought they were going to get X amount of dollars, and now they have to fix things or give money to the buyer. Where if you have the initial pre-listing inspection done, the buyer comes in, they read the inspection, they make an offer, everybody knows what they're buying.

SPEAKER_02:

Everything up front.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep.

SPEAKER_02:

And the thing about the pre-inspection, it's always time versus money. If you're in a time crunch, things usually cost more versus if a seller discovers something that they weren't aware of and that they're willing to fix, a lot of sellers are fixing things before they go on the market, so it's a non-issue. And they get a higher price, and usually get a better price on fixing it, and they usually get a higher price on selling their home.

SPEAKER_00:

I have an agent that won't list a property without a pre-listing inspection, and she has never lost a deal that had a pre-inspection done from a home inspection. Right. You know, the home inspection has never killed that deal once she if she had the pre-inspection done.

SPEAKER_02:

By the way, sellers, even if you have a pre-inspection, sellers are still not required to fix anything, but again, if if buyers know up front, hey, here are the issues, here are the you know, this is the range of costs. I mean, but again, it's the it's the full disclosure up front where a buyer's not being surprised after they go under contract. I mean, most buyers are fine, they understand not every home's perfect, but if they know about issues up front, again, they're they're deciding to make that offer, knowing about things, and and usually that leads to a successful conclusion.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So you have, you know, there's a um a roof that needs replacing within the next two years, and and this, and it's gonna cost us fifteen thousand dollars to replace this roof. And here's the disclosure, here's your pre-listing inspection. Buyer comes in, okay. Well, based on this information, I'm gonna give you X amount of dollars for your home, and then you make the contract, they don't come back and say, okay, now I want money for a new roof. And so everybody is happy that way. Yes. We had we had this agent I was telling you about, um, had a full price offer. Actually, it was$50,000 over in today's market. They got a$50,000 over asking, and um, and they didn't even want a home inspection.

SPEAKER_02:

So because it was already completed. Because it's already it was already and and multiple offers and above asking prices are still possible in this market. Again, pricing it right, making sure the conditions are right, these pre-inspections, again, it's all about how the the seller is set up for success uh in getting it sold. In addition to home inspections, radon and pest uh and water tests, you guys are are the probably the biggest uh uh septic company in the area, and maybe, maybe, maybe not, but you guys are doing so much with septics. Let's let's talk about the septic uh business. Let's talk about, I mean, because majority of people I would have in Henderson County most likely have septics.

SPEAKER_00:

40% of North Carolina is on septic. Wow. So um, and it it I really enjoy uh septic systems and and explain it because most people hear uh a septic, they they flush their toilet or they do the sink or run the sink and it goes in the ground and it's magically gone. It's just it just goes away. Out of sight, out of mind. Yeah, so um we educate our clients and we we we show them you know where their septic systems are, how to take care of them. We have annual um pro uh maintenance programs for septic systems. But um, you know, we we really love to sit down with our clients and show them how a septic system works, what condition their septic system is in, and how to maintain their system properly to make it last a long time for them because it could be costly to fix.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, what's the most preventable thing you can do with septics? Preventable or or most of the the best maintenance, or what's the what's the what what do you recommend for people to prevent issues with septic?

SPEAKER_00:

Pump them every three to five years. Okay. Just get the solids out of there. They start to build up, and the less solids that go into the drain field, the longer your drain field's gonna last. So regular maintenance of the of that septic system is key to longevity.

SPEAKER_02:

Because people have people have been you hear stories, right? Oh, you're never supposed to pump it, but that's not true.

SPEAKER_00:

No, and you hear this if it's not broke, don't fix it, you know. So you you might cause trouble if you pump it. It's that's not true. You know, the the the truth is the less that's in there, the less that's gonna get into your drain field, and the less that it's gonna get clogged up and and and stop absorbing the liquid that gets into the drain field.

SPEAKER_02:

And again, it's again out of sight, out of mind, but the last thing you want to do is deal with it when when you when it's there's a big problem, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, but then then the county, you know, if you're on a tiny lot and you have only a certain amount of area that you can put a drain field in and you let that drain field go bad, then then it gets expensive. It can be costly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

So again, it's it's that what's ounce of provision with a pound of cure.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, right. So we have a septic um uh maintenance program, and a lot of people that buy a house, and and my first time I did this myself, you know. They buy a house, I know I'm nonseptic, you flush the toilet, you run the faucets, and you forget about it. And eight, ten years later, oh wait, am I supposed to have this thing pumped? Where uh for 15 bucks a month, we we give them additives to flush you know uh bac bacteria into their system, and then every three years our office calls them up. Hey, it's time for your free pump. You get a free pump in three every three years. Yeah. So um, and they don't even have to put it on the calendar because we're calling them saying, when do you want us to come by and pump your system?

SPEAKER_02:

Right. Well, uh, talk about the additives. I mean, that is something you guys recommend.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yeah. It's it we have additives that uh it contains bacteria and and uh they it also eats grease. So even though you're not dumping a lot of grease you know in into your septic system, down your drains, some of it gets in there and it can cause issues. And and this uh the these uh chemicals that we're giving them uh breaks all that down, breaks down uh bacteria is breaking down the solids and eats that grease so that it doesn't become issues in your into your drain field.

SPEAKER_02:

Not only are you guys doing the maintenance and repair and service, but you also install new septic systems.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, we we're doing it all and and advanced systems too, pump systems and and drip systems, so um difficult systems systems, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And what uh uh well not the well, I mean what what's a new what's a normal system running these days? I mean like uh it maybe you don't want to put you on the spot, but I mean like I I'm sure every it depending on the bedrooms, depending on the drain field size, the location. I mean, like there's probably so many factors that it's probably hard to even say that.

SPEAKER_00:

So it's it's okay. It it's it you know, it depends on the site and how big it is. You know, if it's a steep site and you're going off of a cliff, then it's gonna be preparation. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, you can ten to fifteen thousand is for a normal system. For a normal system, yeah. Okay. Yeah. It could be a little bit less and and not usually on a typical system over ten, fifteen thousand.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh-huh. And and again, these are now how much in advance notice you guys, I mean, like how far are you having to plan ahead for these systems for people that are doing new construction homes?

SPEAKER_00:

We're booking it in December right now, so mid-December is where we're booking about right now for repairing. Uh we can inspect next week, but uh but repairing or or installing new systems in the middle of middle December and going back to the cost, you know, that's a typical new system. Yeah. Uh repairs, you know, we've seen you know 100,000 plus uh dollar systems having to go in because they have no place to put them, and we have to put many, many treatment plants on site uh to actually treat the sewage to where um the they can put it back in the ground. Wow.

SPEAKER_02:

So um I mean anything's possible.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. Anything's possible, but you don't want to have to go that route.

SPEAKER_02:

No. Again, that and that's again, you guys are willing to take on any challenge and and figure it out. But I mean it repair repairs of existing, especially systems that don't have any repair issues, is possible, but can be extremely costly.

SPEAKER_00:

It can be, yeah. And oftentimes it's not.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, we can still fix the system for less, but which by the way, just like when buyers are selling or buyers are purchasing a new home, it equally as important as the home inspection, the radon, and the and the pest. I mean, you're remiss if you don't do a septic inspection if the house has a septic. I mean, I in my career we've we've uh uncovered septic systems that were there's been additions of houses built over from for whatever reason over the years. I know you've you've had access within in a kitchen floor.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, the kitchen floor. Yeah, or or the dining room floor too, yeah. So it's it happens.

SPEAKER_02:

It can happen. And again, if you're gonna buy a house and it has septic, it's just as important to do the septic inspection and to find and and locate and to do the to make sure everything's uh on the up and up, and and you as a buyer can decide if that if everything checks out. And again, if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world. The buyers and sellers can choose to negotiate uh for credits, they can choose to negotiate for repairs. Again, all of this this is the biggest financial transaction most likely you'll do in your lifetime, and it's so important to gather this information.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we we had a a client from last year that didn't get a septic inspection and called us out. Hey, my my my uh sinks aren't draining, and the septic tank was under the concrete porch in the front, and so uh the county came out and gave wrote a permit for that, and we replaced that tank and we're finding the drain field, and where's the drain field? Oh, the drain field is under the slab underneath the house. So they ended up having to put a drain field and a tank in because they didn't do the inspection to begin with, and they would have had the sellers fix it, or just not buy it.

SPEAKER_02:

Or did that mean but that that talk about an expensive repair and and and no one wants to take I mean again, it's let's be honest, it's it's it's a challenging enough economic environment where I mean for a lot of people getting a home is is they're stretching to make it happen. It's five hundred thousand dollars for the average single family home price is$540 in the last 12 months.

SPEAKER_00:

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02:

So again, the biggest the biggest, the best money you can spend. And and you know how it is with uh medical advice, um, where doctors are telling you this is what you should do, and then guess what? If you don't do it, the doctors actually have you sign called an AMA against medical advice. If you choose not to follow their advice, we have a similar document in real estate where it's called the professional services uh disclosure. And it's like, hey, we recommend a home inspection, we we recommend a pest inspection. By the way, if your real estate agent's not doing that with you, there's some major red flags. But we actually have clients say, Yes, I want it, or no, I don't. And this is almost like a again, against in medical advice, if you don't do a home inspection. Inspection, you're actually as a client signing that. I'm I'm knowingly choosing not to do that.

SPEAKER_00:

If a doctor handed me that sheet, I'd say, wait a second, go ahead and do whatever you need to do. That's right.

SPEAKER_02:

And again, this is uh though it's not our health, this is our financial health, and again, it's so important. So we're so grateful for our partnership with Jim Rawlings at the quality home consultants and septic uh solutions. You guys are amazing. 35,000 plus home inspections, 10,000 plus septic inspections. And again, here I mean it's amazing. You guys, you have an incredible team. How many inspectors do you guys have right now?

SPEAKER_00:

You said eight home inspectors, eight um septic uh inspectors, and we have five fabulous uh office admin.

SPEAKER_02:

Your team is amazing.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, the our admin is is top-notch.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that's that's what makes all the difference. I and I say that about our attorneys we work with, they're only as good as their paralegals. Yeah. And just like us and you, I mean, like we're only as good as our staff and our team, and that's what makes it all all possible. So, Jim, so grateful uh that you're with us this morning. Anything in wrapping up you want to make sure our listeners what's the best way to for listeners to get in touch with you guys?

SPEAKER_00:

So you can get us on the phone at 828-687-7221 or qualityhome consultants.com is is our website, and qualityhomeconsultants at gmail.com. You can get a hold of us either way.

SPEAKER_02:

That is awesome. Again, grateful, and again, we radon's so important. I mean, all these factors, and again, we clients and potential clients and potential buyers, potential sellers, they they can have these conversations with your staff and asking what's the what's the best plan forward. So, Jim, thank you so much for being here and to our listeners. We're here every Thursday morning right after the 10 o'clock news. Uh, we also podcast. If you didn't get a chance to hear the whole program, you can we're gonna have this up on a podcast so you can hear the whole program. Of course, reach out to Jim and his team. And then if you're considering buying, selling, or investing in real estate, give us a call. If you're thinking about a career in real estate, we're growing, we're hiring more agents. We've we've had an incredible year. Uh, can't believe how quick 2025's flown by and uh, you know, Thanksgiving's around the corner, so is Christmas. But I'll tell you, we're just as busy as ever uh year-round. And again, we have a great team, great staff, and again, grateful for the partnerships uh with Jim Rawlings and his team and what make it all possible, ultimately to serve our clients. But thank you so much for for tuning in this this Thursday morning. Uh grateful to be here with you. Tune in, give us a call directly, 828-393-0134. Find us online at realastatebygreg.com. And be sure to follow us on social media. We have a number of open houses this weekend as well. You can check those out. Take care, and we'll see you tomorrow morning. You've built a lifetime of strength, wisdom, and independence. And here's the best part: you still have it. Every decision, every step, every next chapter is yours to choose. Selling your home isn't about letting go, it's about opening the door to more freedom, more time for what you love, more energy for the people and passions that matter most. At the George Real Estate Group, we believe independence isn't behind you. It's right here, right now. Our team goes beyond buying and selling. We're here to help you protect your wealth, preserve your legacy, and make sure Uncle Sam doesn't become your biggest benefactor. We'll guide you every step of the way towards your next chapter, your next opportunity, and your freedom on your terms. Call us at 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you for listening to the George Real Estate Group Podcast. Tune in next time for more industry news, updates, and real estate tips. You can reach Greg, the George Real Estate Group, at 828-393-0134 or at realestatebygreg.com.