Tommy Harr Warns $500 Inspections Can Avert Nightmare Homes From Rushed Flips

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 29

Tommy Harr said desperate buyers are ending up with cosmetically renovated homes hiding structural damage they cannot afford to repair, as elevated prices and mortgage rates push families to rush purchases.
A $500 professional inspection can prevent far larger losses, Harr said, warning that buyers who waive that step risk missing serious defects beneath quick flip makeovers.
Columbus properties his family has inspected included fire-damaged houses with missing floors, 1800s basement steps that collapsed, sewer backups and severe pest infestations.
Harr also described safety threats inside abandoned homes, including a squatter startling him from a closet during a walkthrough of a boarded-up property.
The warning comes as A&E launches "Zombie House Flipping: Family Business" on May 30, with the premiere centered on restoring a fire-ravaged home.

As 'nightmare' flips flood the market, are standard home inspections enough to protect desperate buyers?

Are homeowners with low-rate mortgages unintentionally trapping the next generation of buyers out of the market?

With high costs and slow sales, is the golden age of social media house flipping officially over?