Happy Holidays from A.N.T.T.S = A North Texas Termite Specialist. Normally at the start of most of our blog entries we feel the need to let the readers know that we do not just do termite inspections and treatments but we do specialise in all forms of structural pest control. But this time we are sticking to our roots and will be talking a bit about what we are well know for and that is termite inspections / treatments in around the Dallas / Fort Worth areas. Our main division of our pest and termite company is our termite inspection division. We work with over 25 home inspectors and are referred by countless Realtors. Now when we are contracted by a potential home buyer and referred by a Real Estate Agent the important thing to remember is we are working for you not your agent! There are some agents out there that only care about one thing and that is their commission check. I can always tell when we have a sketchy Realtor calling in a inspection, they call and say” we need to order a clear WDI report”.  I think “what should we just drive by” ? It’s as if they don’t even want you to look they just want a clean report. This is something A.N.T.T.S would never do for many reasons. The biggest thing is the liability not to mention it’s not fair to you the new buyer. The only one benefiting from that would be the seller and the agents. Let me educate you a bit on what a WDI even means ? A official WDI/O termite report is in a nutshell a visual inspection for the lending company to tell them if there is any active termites, prior termites or conducive conditions which we will talk about later. It is not a damage report or a fortune tellers report of future termite or past hidden termite damage. When A.N.T.T.S is hired buy a buyer we are working for them and nobody else. We inspect each and every home as if our mother in law was buying it. Even though it is clearly noted that it is a visual inspection and not a damage report people still can get quite upset if we inspect a home and give it a clear report only to find out termites tunneled up the side of the foundation a week later which can and will happen. It’s a fine line we walk when we do these reports. So when we are doing a WDI we hope and pray we find either active termites, conducive conditions etc only because if we don’t we are clearing a home on the basis it looks good for that hour we are there but what about the weeks, days and months after ? At least when we find something we recommend treatment and one would think that would leave us looking good but sometimes even that is not good enough. The biggest thing you have to know is that ALL homes are conducive by design, meaning if you build a home and do not pre-treat it you are putting wood, sheet rock etc close to the ground where Subterranean termites live and eventually most homes will be attacked. I would say 1 out of 10 homes we inspect gets a clear report and that one home is either brand new or brand new but has had a pre-treatment by the builder. When you are buying a untreated older home you are buying a potential future termite buffet. The only way to stop this is to treat or clear all conducive conditions from your home such as wood to ground contact, high soil grade, wood rot etc. So this takes me back to the greedy Realtor who wants a clear termite report on your future home. They want us to put our necks on the line and say “there are no termites and never will be” NOT going to happen! We work for you, you write the check! When we inspect your potential new home we start on the outside perimeter and if even one inch is not visible due to high sold, heavy foliage, siding sitting on the ground we will write it up. This is for your protection and the seller must take care of these findings before you close or at least we are telling them to and sometimes the agents will try to skate pass this so be diligent and make sure your agent is doing his or her job! Moving on next we are also looking for active termite tunnels or prior termite evidence on your foundation. If we find even one tube we recommend treatment or even if it is old but no signs of a past treatment we check the box (yes) for treatment recommendations. Again this is telling the seller you need to treat this lovely home for your future owner and don’t think you can get your uncle who is handy to go to the store and buy a can of bug spray and all is good. No you need a licensed pest and termite company to be called out and treat the home. In closing I must say there are some good agents out there and do have your best interest in mind. Do your homework and hire a great home inspector and a separate termite inspector. You don’t even want to hear my rant on the agent who recommends their in pocket all in one inspection guy! Don’t walk away from that run as fast as you can. Remember this is the biggest investment you will ever make so don’t rush read up and make a few calls to people you can trust. We at A.N.T.T.S are far from perfect but can tell you with 100% guarantee that if you call us we indeed work for you..

On December 4, 2011   /   Ants, Home Inspections, Pest Control, Termites