Q
: My wife and I have made an offer on a house that the sellers have owned for just seven months, but they've been transferred out of state. They're offering us their home inspection report from when they bought it, and we're considering skipping our own inspection to save $450. What do you think?

    A: Absolutely not! You might be thinking about saving money on the inspection and putting it towards something else, like a new snowblower. But what if their inspector missed something? Or what if the seller or a contractor did something wrong in the last seven months? The possibilities for costly repairs are endless. If you accept the seller's old report without doing your own inspection, you might be waiving your right to sue them later if problems arise. You could end up paying $15,000 to $25,000 or more in repairs down the line. It's just not worth it.

    Market update: In Macomb and Oakland counties, home prices are rising. Macomb County saw a 5% increase in average sales price, while Oakland County saw a 13% jump. However, inventory levels remain low, with Macomb County seeing a 3% increase and Oakland County experiencing a 7% decrease. This means demand remains high, but buyers have fewer options. By the National Association of Realtors' definition, this is still a seller's market.

    Steve Meyers is a real estate agent/Realtor at RE/MAX First in Shelby Twp. and can be contacted with questions at 586-997-5480 or [email protected]. Visit his website: AnswersToRealEstateQuestions.com.