If you’re buying a house, I need you to hear this one.

Do not rely on the seller’s home inspection.

If you’d rather watch or listen to the full breakdown, here’s the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB812k6hftA 

Let me walk you through exactly what happened to me—because this one cost me over a quarter of a million dollars.

I Should Have Known Better

I’ve been in this industry for nearly two decades.

At the time, I was already a successful mortgage lender. I understood real estate. I wasn’t new to this.

And I still made this mistake.

This was a home I bought in California. Everything about it looked right:

• The listing agent had a strong reputation
• The seller literally did home repairs for a living
• The house was spotless
• The sellers were meticulous (kept every manual, every record)
• And… there were already inspections done

Home inspection ✔️
Termite report ✔️
Repairs completed ✔️

So I thought:
“This is solid. This is safe.”

I trusted it.

That was the mistake.

Move-In Day… And the First Problem

Day one.

It’s summer in California. Over 100 degrees.

We turn on the AC… and the downstairs won’t cool. At all.

Upstairs? Perfect.
Downstairs? Miserable.

So I text the seller and ask what’s going on.

Their response?

“There isn’t AC downstairs.”

Wait… What?

Let me be clear:

• The house had vents everywhere
• Heating worked throughout the house
• It looked like a fully functioning HVAC system

But only ONE floor had air conditioning.

And no—this was not disclosed.
Not in the inspection.
Not in the listing.
Not in the disclosures.

Their “solution”?

Wake up at 4:00 AM and open the windows to cool the house.

I’m sorry… what?

It Gets Worse: The Windows

Okay, fine. We’ll open the windows.

Except…

Half the windows didn’t work.

Wouldn’t open.
Wouldn’t stay open.
Completely unusable.

And again—nothing in the inspection.

Now we’re looking at:

• No AC downstairs
• Windows that don’t function

We got a quote to fix the windows.

Over $100,000.

Then Came the Pool

I wanted a pool for my son.

That was part of the dream.

Instead, I got:

• Sky-high water bills
• A pool that constantly drained
• Multiple contractors with different answers

The pool had a leak.

And it wasn’t a one-time fix.

It became a recurring, expensive problem.

The Real Cost: The Domino Effect

Here’s where things really escalated.

When you start replacing major things—like windows—you uncover everything behind them:

• Dry rot
• Structural issues
• Black mold
• Connected systems that need updating

What started as “just windows” turned into a massive renovation.

Because windows don’t exist in isolation—they touch:

• Walls
• Kitchens
• Bathrooms
• Structure

And once you open that up… you’re committed.

The Hard Truth

All in?

This cost me over $250,000.

Not because I bought a bad property.

But because I trusted the seller’s inspections instead of getting my own.

Would I Still Buy the House?

Honestly?

Probably yes.

The location was strong.
The lot size mattered to me.
Long-term, it made sense.

But I would have done one thing differently:

I would have negotiated the price down significantly.

The Lesson You Need to Take Seriously

Even if:

• The seller seems honest
• The agent has a great reputation
• The house looks perfect

You still get your own inspection.

Every. Single. Time.

Because inspections are not just about checking a box—they’re about:

• Protecting your money
• Understanding risk
• Giving you leverage to negotiate

What You Should Do Instead

Here’s the real play:

• Hire your own inspector
• Ask questions (a lot of them)
• Test everything (yes, even windows)
• Get specialized inspections if needed (pool, HVAC, roof)
• Assume nothing

Because once you close?

It’s your problem. Not theirs.

Final Thought

I share this because I don’t want you learning the hard way like I did.

Even when you know what you’re doing… things can slip through.

Protect yourself.