4
Investigations, Inspections and Reviews
[7] The Buyer is encouraged to
have a professional with appropriate qualications conduct inspections of the
entire property during the time period stated in the Contract. The Buyer should
accompany the inspector during the inspection. The Buyer should not rely on a
friend or themselves to make these inspections. The Contract language makes
reference to a person the Buyer deems qualied—the Buyer should be aware
that no one can receive compensation for performing an inspection unless they
have obtained the appropriate license from the Construction Industries Board or
other applicable State licensing board, commission or department. Accordingly,
a person deemed qualied by the buyer to perform an inspection must perform
the inspection without compensation unless they are appropriately licensed or
regulated under Oklahoma law. The Oklahoma Home Inspection Licensing Act
provides that a Home Inspection of an existing home can only be performed
for compensation by a licensed home inspector or an architect as part of their
practice. Certain other specialized inspections, which are not considered “Home
Inspections” as dened in the Oklahoma Home Inspection Licensing Act, may be
performed by individuals holding certain occupational licenses, licensed termite
inspectors, individuals inspecting new homes, certain government employees,
engineers, professional craftsmen performing limited inspections within the
expertise of a specic area or persons qualied by education or training to
conduct limited inspections. (For more information see Title 59, Oklahoma
Statutes, Section 858-623.) To ensure you are hiring a licensed home inspector,
please contact the Construction Industries Board at 1-877-484-4424 or verify a
home inspector’s license yourself at www.ok.gov/cib.
A real estate licensee may provide the Buyer with a list of professionals from
which to choose; however, the Buyer is responsible for choosing a qualied
professional that accommodates the Buyer’s needs.
In addition to the items listed, the Buyer can write in additional item(s) that
are of concern to the buyer at the time of making the Offer and have these
items investigated, inspected or reviewed. Further, if the Buyer plans to
obtain a federally-insured loan (FHA), the Department of Housing and Urban
Development requires the Buyer to be given a form that encourages obtaining
a home inspection. The form can be obtained from the Commission’s website
under “Contract Forms and Related Addenda.”
If the Property is not connected to a public sewer system (property that is on a
septic tank, aerobic or lagoon system), Buyer should have the system inspected
by a qualied expert. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
performs inspections on existing septic systems for approximately $255.00. You
can order this online at www.deq.state.ok.us, under environmental complaints &
local service, online payments. If you need further information, please contact
a local DEQ representative or call 1-800-869-1400.