SHASTA COUNTY REALTORS ADOPT USAGE OF AVID
HOME INSPECTIONS, REAL ESTATE PRACTICE, TIPS FOR BUYERS, TIPS FOR SELLERS, TIPS FOR SENIORS
September 4th, 2008
What’s an AVID? It’s the latest and greatest form for Realtors who want to document a thorough inspection of a property they list or sell. Prior to this form’s release, agents were provided three lines on the Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS). This was hardly enough room to note everything that should be documented on a typical property. Some agents developed local addenda or added blank sheets with additional findings.
The Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure (AVID) was released last year and is a 3-page form for use by buyer’s and seller’s agents. The first page highlights the limitations to our inspection, agents will not:
- Climb on the roof or into the attic
- Move furniture, pictures on walls or rugs
- Crawl under the house, move or look behind bushes, climb hills
- Operate appliances to determine functionality
- Measure square footage or lot size or identify boundaries
- Determine if the house has mold, asbestos, lead-based paint, radon, formaldehyde, etc
- Pull permits or inspect public records (this is the law by statute)
- Provide analysis or cause of a disclosed item or a cost of any possible repair
Furthermore, California law does not require an agent to inspect areas that are not reasonably and normally accessible, areas off site of the property, public records or common areas of condos, PUD’s and the like.
Agents are required to make a reasonably competent and diligent visual inspection of the readily accessible areas and report those findings in writing to prospective purchasers. This law applies to all residential real properties with 1-4 dwellings.
Surprisingly, some agents still do little more than write “agent recommends buyer obtain any and all inspections they deem necessary to satisfy themselves with property” on those three line of the TDS. This will get a plaintiff’s attorney salivating at the opportunity to grill that agent in a deposition to explain how the agent satisfied their inspection duty by making such a statement. This also puts the agent’s client at risk by failing to meet their statutory obligation to make a reasonably diligent inspection of the subject property.
I adopted usage of this form immediately. The form has blanks for each room of the home and sections for the exterior, yard and garage. I typically take whatever time is necessary to complete the form, bring it back to the office where I type it up nice and neat (my handwriting is terrible!), then provide it to the parties for review and signature.
By doing this, I am protecting my broker and clients from needless litigation by diligently completing my fiduciary responsibility to my clients. If I can be or service to you whether buying or selling, contact me:
530-224-6767 or 530-941-7492
BRAD GARBUTT
REALTOR/BROKER ASSOCIATE
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS GMAC
QUARTER CENTURY LOCAL REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE
Really like your websites details! Undoubtedly a beautiful offer of data that is extraordinarily helpful. Keep on to carry publishing and that i’m gonna proceed reading by the use of! Cheers.
Have you thought about adding some social bookmarking buttons to these blogs. At least for google.
You have noted very interesting details ! ps decent website .
I respect your work , thanks for all the informative posts .
Hello Irecentlydiscovered your page via Yahoo What a great blog you have I like it very much since you got this fantastic blog why not turn it into
Thank you for an additional fantastic post. Where else could anybody get that type of data in these a perfect way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I am to the look for such details.
I do trust all the ideas you have offered in your post. They’re really convincing and will certainly work. Still, the posts are too quick for beginners. May you please extend them a bit from next time? Thank you for the post