The Inspector's Eye: Avoiding Money Pits and Insurance Nightmares

Why Is It So Important To Hire An Unbiased, Experienced Home Inspector? 

Ever wondered what lurks behind that fresh coat of paint in your dream home? In this eye-opening conversation with Michael Donahue of A&M Home Inspections, we peel back the layers of Florida's unique housing market to reveal critical insights every property owner needs to know.

Michael brings over 30 years of building science expertise to our discussion, drawing from thousands of inspections across the Treasure Coast. He explains why hiring an unbiased inspector who works exclusively for you—not your realtor—is the single most important decision you can make when purchasing or insuring a property. "We're there working for you, our client," Michael emphasizes, highlighting how this independence allows qualified inspectors to provide honest assessments without pressure to downplay potentially expensive issues.

The conversation takes a particularly relevant turn when addressing Florida's current roofing crisis. Those replacement roofs installed after the hurricanes of the early 2000s are now approaching or exceeding 20 years of age, creating perfect storm conditions for both insurance challenges and unexpected expenses. Michael shares remarkable stories of clients who either walked away from money pits or successfully negotiated major repairs after receiving detailed inspection reports. As he aptly puts it, "great work isn't cheap and cheap work isn't great"—a philosophy that has saved countless homebuyers from making six-figure mistakes.

Whether you're a first-time homebuyer, a seasoned investor, or simply trying to maintain appropriate insurance coverage on your existing property, this episode delivers actionable wisdom that could save you thousands. Discover why establishing a relationship with a qualified inspector isn't just about one transaction, but about creating a resource for the entire lifecycle of your home. Ready to see beyond the staging and protect your investment? This conversation is your essential first step.

To learn more about Hazard Clean Restoration visit:
https://hazardclean.net/
Hazard Clean Restoration
772-259-5018

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Restoration Revolution podcast,
where we help restore hope andput your family on the road to
recovery, one episode at a time.
Here's your host and owner ofHazard Clean Restoration, chad
Melody.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
So welcome back to another episode of the
Restoration Revolution, where wedive into essential
conversations that homeownersand business owners need to hear
.
I'm your host, chad Maloney,with Hazard Clean Restoration.
Today's guest is someone whoseknowledge of Florida homes is
second to none.
Please welcome Mike Donahue ofA&M Home Inspections.
Based out of Port St Lucie,florida.

(00:47):
Michael is a state-licensed homeand mold inspector who's been
serving the Treasure Coast forover 30 years.
His experience spans threedecades of building science,
property evaluation and helpinghomeowners make informed
decisions.
Whether you're buying, selling,renewing your insurance or just
want peace of mind, michael'sinsights into property
inspection are vital.
Michael, thanks for joining ustoday.

(01:09):
Hello, chad, thanks for havingme on Great to be here.
I'm definitely excited to haveyou on today and when we were
trying to prepare for thispodcast, I just kept coming back
to you know, when it comes toyou know someone buying a home
or getting approved forinsurance.
Why is it important to hire anunbiased or an experienced home

(01:32):
inspector?
Because I always see thingsabout home inspectors out there
in the community and I think theaverage homeowner they could
gain a lot of insight from yourknowledge.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
Sure, sure, that's a great question.
Um, you know we get a lot ofinsight and feedback from
clientele after our inspectionsthat how they didn't see the big
picture before even enteringinto the process of buying a
home, for example.
You would get in there notknowing what we really do and
what we dig and dive deep into.

(02:04):
And hiring someone unbiased,you avoid a conflict of interest
.
We're there working for you,our client, whether it be for
the home purchase or for aninsurance renewal or something
like that, it doesn't matter.
Unbiased inspectors need to beworking for you and your
potential of spending or costlyhazards that could come down the

(02:25):
road from not taking care ofyour home or buying something
that is a money pit.
So when someone's working foryou, they're not working for the
realtor.
You know, sometimes we want youmight hear, oh, we just got to
get this deal through, you know,we just got to make it happen,
and that's not really what youwant to have an inspector doing
for you, Walking around biasedor with one eye open, maybe

(02:46):
turning a blind eye to somethingthat may or may not be as big
an issue up on the surface, butthen down the road you're paying
for a new roof, for example,and things like that.
So common issues like roof age,big, big problems.
That hinders things on thepurchasing side and the
insurance side both.
So there's a lot that goes onbehind the scenes and is.

(03:09):
Hiring the right inspectorreally helps you get through the
process because they do itright the first time you know
getting it right, right for theinsurance.
That's what they want to see.
They don't want to come backand say, oh well, this was wrong
on the report or that, and soyeah, hiring someone with
experience and really has yourback, it's vital.
You can't go wrong.
Sometimes you'll hear oh, I cando it cheaper or I find that

(03:32):
cheapest inspector I can find.
That's really really a bad, badway to go.
You're paying for someone'sprofessional experience and
should always keep that in mind.
So hiring the best inspectorfor you, the one that you can
connect with and have gooddialogue with before and after
the inspections.
It's vital and we're here forthat.
That's part of our service.
Just because we helped youclose on the home and we found

(03:54):
you a nice home, we're here foryou.
Service and support're alwayshere.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Give us a call, email , whatever it takes you know
we're here, send smoke signals,exactly lots of ways to get in
touch with you.
Yes, you know, and yeah, youtalked about what is the the
line?
That great work isn't cheap andcheap work isn't great.
So uh, just falls into thatcategory.

Speaker 3 (04:15):
you know inspectors and you'll hear it sometimes too
and unfortunately it comessometimes from realtors as well
as say oh, I've got a cheaperinspector for you, or something
like that.
Maybe not always the best bet,you know.
Or just do your due diligenceand check, check on things, do
some research and make sure thatthe company vibes with you and
your interests.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
Yeah, yeah, and make sure that the company vibes with
you and your interests.
Make sure the person you'rehiring you vibe with and you
trust them and have a goodrelationship with them.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Absolutely, absolutely.
We build a bond with all ourclients.
Part of what we like to do hereis in our team and making new
friends and people that we'llalways be in contact with or in
the life of their home,sometimes Exactly.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yeah, have you seen cases where a proper inspection
actually helped a homeownereither renegotiate or walk away
from maybe it was a badinvestment?

Speaker 3 (05:05):
Oh, absolutely, it happens quite often, not that
we're going in to ruin a dealfor any realtor or anything like
that.
But when a home has a seriousdeficiency, that is a high
dollar type item.
That's our big topics aresafety and high dollar items to
prevent you from buying a moneypit.
So, yes, I just recently had aclient who it was not the best
option for that home and so theydecided to, you know, walk away

(05:28):
from that one and move on andfind a better home for them.
You know every every buyer, forexample, is a little different.
Some have intention of comingin and working on the home, some
of them want to do a little fixup, some of them want to turn
key.
Each one is different.
So knowing your limits and yourboundaries there is important,
and our detailed reports reallyhelp you get an idea of the big

(05:50):
picture of the home.
Is it really going to hold upin the long run?
Has it been maintained properly?
And so, yeah, those telltalesigns.
I'll find things where you knowfresh coat of paint.
Why was this painted all of asudden?
You know things you want tohope everyone's got the best
integrity when they're trying tosell their home but at the same
time they're polishing it up tosell, you know.

(06:11):
So sometimes you've got to bekeen on some of the hidden
tricks here and there.
They go on behind the sceneswhen people are selling a home.
But overall it happens prettyregular when we find big topics
like if roofs are the big thingthese days because of the age of
the homes, and here in theTreasure Coast, when the
hurricanes passed through in theearly 2000s, all those roofs

(06:31):
now are over 20 years old andit's time for another new roof
for many of them.

Speaker 2 (06:35):
so, and that comes up in insurance and these
purchases that are taking placeout there in the market right
now and it is a big topic forroofing, you know as a
deficiency I mean, it soundslike you know when you're hiring
a home inspector, you reallyneed to hire someone that tells
you you know what you need tohear, not necessarily what you
want to hear correct yes, it canturn out that way sometimes,

(06:59):
okay.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
Okay, you always have to have the good and the bad,
no matter what.
So, as long as you're preparedand you get real facts and real,
real information on theproperty that you're looking at,
you know you want to have allthe details and it helps your
negotiating.
That's our big key too is yournegotiating factor where, if I
found that the roof is only hasa couple of years life left it,
okay, now you've got some morewiggle room to make that deal

(07:21):
happen a little bit more in yourfavor.
It is very common for us tohave that scenario go on.
Our reports give all ourclients a great information to
work with and negotiate, andwe've seen it.
I've seen new roofs come out ofthe deal.
You know I've seen a lot ofstuff take place just because of
having a proper home inspectorand the proper inspection done.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
Well, thanks, michael , and to our listeners.
If you're in the Treasure Coastarea and you want to get ahead
of costly repairs or to makesure your insurance inspection
is rock solid, don't hesitate toreach out to Michael and team
at A&M Home Inspections.
You can find them atwwwanmhomeinspectionscom and, as
always, if you found today'sconversations valuable, make

(08:03):
sure to subscribe, leave us areview and share this episode
with someone who could benefit.
I'm Chad Maloney with HazardClean Restoration, and you've
been listening to theRestoration Revolution, where we
turn chaos into clarity, oneepisode at a time.
Until next time, stay informed,stay prepared and stay safe.
Bye, everyone.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
Thanks, Chad.
Thanks for listening to theRestoration Revolution podcast,
where recovery starts here.
Let us help put your family onthe road to recovery.
Go to hazardcleannet or call772-259-5018.
That's 772-259-5018.