In many states, sellers of homes are obliged to disclose potential problems to a prospective buyer that could affect the value of the property. In addition, it is considered illegal in most states to deliberately conceal major defects on your property. Several states have begun requiring property owners to put their real estate disclosures in writing.

While it is not the intention of this author to attempt to interpret real estate law, it is not inappropriate to discuss the value of the reports generated by DSi in light of the property owner’s potential desire to sell their home sometime in the future.

When a prospective buyer is considering and inspecting a home for purchase, it is not uncommon for the subject of the home’s history to be discussed. “In 2015, we replaced the water heater due to a failure that released water everywhere,” says the seller. The potential buyer winces…

Was the structure restored responsibly? Was the contractor on the project conflicted through a relationship with the insurance carrier or third party administrator? Is there hidden damage that nobody has yet discovered?

When DSi is used as an expert, independent third party to evaluate the structure’s restoration quality, a signed, formal report is provided along with the comprehensive qualifications carried by the author of the report. This can be of enormous value to the potential buyer in resolving their concerns inspiring them to hesitate to make an offer on the property.

If the potential buyer hesitates to purchase the property because of the history of the home – is that a tangible financial cost to the policyholder? We should leave that for the courts to decide.

In the meantime, the Policyholder / property owner can enjoy the security and peace of mind knowing their property was evaluated by someone who does not carry conflicted interests. They hold in their hands an authentic IDSO DryStandard™ Report outlining the results of the testing conducted in their home. They even have a Certificate of DryStandard™ signed by the expert Registered Third Party Evaluator™ (RTPE).

This is of far greater value that simply the seller’s verbal assurance: “I never noticed any problems… but… do you want to buy my house?”