Dancing Ants LLC

Dancing Ants LLC Home inspections and residential construction management services for contractors, owner builders, and DIY renovators.

For inspections, we provide high quality in depth reports for sellers pre-list, buyers, insurance, and new construction draws. The reports are delivered within 24 hours of completing our inspection. All sellers pre-list and buyers inspections include a repair estimate for major deficiencies found. Clients also receive a complimentary lifetime subscription to HomeBinder which serves as an central h

ub for all information related to your home. For construction management we provide complete turn-key advisory services which span from pre-construction work all the way through project completion. We can even help clients who need major repairs or replacements and will work on the behalf of the owner to oversee and inspect the work performed.

09/19/2024

It is property assessment time and from what I’ve heard and personally experienced; values are up (in many cases) over 20%.

The valuation is based on fair market value, meaning what amount a buyer and seller would reasonably agree upon. Talk to most realtors and that’s probably not an easy thing to derive.

If your house is like mine, many repairs are required and some systems are very expensive to replace. This could have a significant impact on fair market value and your assessed value.

Usually the buyer brings in a home inspector that will develop a deficiency list, some minor items and some major items. Either those items are repaired or in case of major items, a potential cost concession lowering the sale price (fair market value) is made.

Sorry to bring this up so late but if you have major repairs or old systems (HVAC or roof for example), this has most likely not been taken into account by the assessor as they wouldn’t know. It’s your responsibility to bring that to their attention to have the property re-assessed.

Being a licensed home inspector (LHI #11279 - sorry the law states I most provide my number or possibly face sanctions) and licensed residential contractor, I was able to report the issues and costs to the assessors office to have my valuation properly set to reflect these deficiencies.

If you have issues and still have time to apply for a review I suggest you call a licensed home inspector to bring these issues to light.

Good luck to all.

Real Estate Disclosures: The Good, the Bad, and the Not KnownBy James Harrell CPI, Louisiana Licensed Home InspectorReal...
05/05/2022

Real Estate Disclosures: The Good, the Bad, and the Not Known
By James Harrell CPI, Louisiana Licensed Home Inspector

Real estate disclosure laws became standard practice for most states over the last thirty years. These laws are designed to protect unsuspecting home buyers from unseen past or current issues that may reduce the value of the home. For example, sellers that are aware of termite or water damage must disclose that information to give the buyer an accurate account of the major items that, despite repair, may affect the value of the home.

While real estate disclosure laws are great in practice, not all disclosures are created equal: here's what every home buyer (and seller!) should know about real estate disclosures.

The "Good" about real estate disclosures is that, when done correctly, they give a seller the chance to document any issues before selling to protect against potential future lawsuits. If problems in a home are disclosed and handled properly, it will assist them, or the buyers determine the cost to replace or repair them.

The "Bad" in real estate disclosure refers to severe, costly, and material issues for a buyer to win a lawsuit. There are two categories these issues can fall into: A "patent" defect is clearly visible during the inspection, one that is "well-known" or seen by the untrained eye. A "latent" defect, on the other hand, is hidden or concealed; these may be defects the buyer or seller would not reasonably discover. Latent defects are not visible and are excluded from the errors and omissions insurance provided by home inspection companies.

The "Not Known" on real estate disclosures is the most concerning. Many honest sellers do not know about issues regarding their homes, don't know of the defects found by inspectors, and aren't familiar with proper construction and repair techniques. I found a common theme in my research: real estate disclosure lawsuits are time-consuming, stressful, and expensive processes. As the plaintiff, you must prove that the seller knew of the issue and intentionally failed to disclose it. And even if you win the lawsuit, the defendant may be unable to pay the judgment.

Hiring a qualified, licensed, and certified home inspector to inspect a home before the final sale is the best way for a buyer to protect themselves. Home inspectors are trained to spot known patent defects and conditions that may lead to latent defects. Possible hazards like improperly installed or missing roof flashings that allow moisture in, causing wood rot, decay, or a wood-destroying insect infestation could all be identified. This is just one of many ways that a good home inspector can give buyers a clear picture of the home's condition and help them make an informed and safer decision.

Why are home inspections important?By James Harrell CPI, Louisiana Licensed Home InspectorAccording to a 2021 survey rep...
04/01/2022

Why are home inspections important?
By James Harrell CPI, Louisiana Licensed Home Inspector

According to a 2021 survey reported by HomeAdvisor, an average home inspection costs just $340, which I consider to be money well spent for the most important purchase for your family, both in regard to safety and asset protection.

Although home inspections are a normal step in the home buying process, most home buyers are not completely clear on why home inspectors are hired in the first place. From the buyer’s perspective, an inspection provides an unbiased overview of the existing condition of the home and can catch dangerous hazards, major deficiencies and any other items that could result in hidden costs or decreased value of the home after the sale. Without an inspection, the buyer can only rely on their own tour of the home and the accuracy of the real estate disclosure, a lengthy document provided by the seller, who may not have knowledge of any underlying issues. A common response on disclosures is “not known” or “NK” but this can be problematic for obvious reasons. Oftentimes, sellers are hesitant to list defects in their home or highlight any prior issues for fear of losing a deal or settling for a lower price. Outside of potentially costly repairs, the primary responsibility of the home inspector is to find hazards that could harm or injure occupants of the home.

Additionally, a home inspection supplies a written record of the patent defects in the house. Simply put, a patent defect is something that a skilled third party like an architect, engineer, or home inspector would find upon close inspection of the property. If the buyer is unaware of deficiencies, after closing they assume responsibility for the condition of the home as is regardless of needed repairs, so the inspection provides a chance to negotiate value based on the report. If a home inspection is waived, any major material defects could lead to massive repair bills for the new home buyer to correct. If the inspector makes a mistake and misses any major deficiencies, the buyer is usually covered through the inspector’s errors and omissions insurance policy. Without this safety net, the new home buyer must either pay out of pocket or sue the seller, resulting in a potentially lengthy lawsuit to prove that the real estate disclosure was deliberately misleading or fraudulent.

Overall, a home inspection can be a lifesaver, both literally and financially, so do not skip it to save a few dollars!

03/14/2022

Owner Builder Construction Loans: The Definitive Guide By Henry Parker © Romolo Tavani / Fotolia Building your dream home is never a simple or cheap endeavor. Most land owners pay a large amount of money to have a general contractor come in and build the house for them. However, there is an alterna...

03/14/2022

How much does a home inspection cost? According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a typical home inspection costs $300 to $500.

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208 Kensington Drive
Madisonville, LA
70447

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Monday 6am - 8pm
Tuesday 6am - 8pm
Wednesday 6am - 8pm
Thursday 6am - 8pm
Friday 6am - 8pm
Saturday 6am - 3pm

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