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| - I was referred to Swift and Taft Holbrook by my realtor, which was the first mistake I made. As a first-time buyer in Arizona, I have learned that people here will smile and tell you they're representing you, the buyer, but in all reality, it's about making the sale go through so the realtor will continue to refer them. If I had to do it again, I definitely would not have hired Swift for a home inspection. Taft only observes things and for the things that he observed, I could have done the same thing for free. If there's anything in his way like a box or a piece of furniture, he doesn't touch it and will observe around it. That is absolutely useless, of course. I would have been better off hiring experts to do inspections on the roof, the plumbing (Taft doesn't do water softener systems and could only tell me that the watering system does not work but not where the problem is because he couldn't find it as well as not really being able to tell me anything about the water heater because there was stuff around it), the a/c, and whatever else you want looked at. If you suspect a problem with the structure itself, call someone who knows something about it. It may cost more upfront but you'll know exactly what you're in for and you'll have real quotes to work with to possibly help you negotiate with the seller. And don't use anyone your realtor recommends - the realtor's goal is to make the sale go through no matter who he claims to represent. A knowledgeable contractor will point out things that may not be observable by the home inspector (the garage door was not fine, there's a leak in the bathtub, and the cracked skylight was completely missed). The recall check Swift offers on appliances is also laughable as anyone can look up an appliance online with the model and serial number. You can also find out the age of the appliance, something Swift and Taft do not do, which is sometimes more important. Yes, a 20-year old stove may work today but for how much longer? Don't waste your money on a home inspection but if you do, don't call Swift.
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