The Virginia Association of Real Estate Inspectors (VAREI) appreciates the Board of Asbestos, Lead and Home Inspectors addressing the issue of “walk and talk inspections” through a guidance document. Competitive real estate markets sometime lead home buyers to waive inspections to make their offers as competitive as possible. While VAREI believes that it is always in a home buyer’s best interest to obtain a full home inspection with a written report as part of the home purchase contract, there are times when market conditions make that difficult.

We understand that “walk and talk inspections”, sometimes referred to as “pre-offer inspections” or “walk-through consultations”, do not meet the statutory definition of a home inspection, because they do not include a written report. However, having the option of a “walk and talk inspection” available to buyers in competitive real estate markets ensures that they have the ability to acquire additional knowledge and peace of mind about the property they desire to purchase. We appreciate the work of the Board to account for this practice. We agree that these “walk and talk inspections” should not be represented as home inspections.