When you are buying a home in the Triangle, there is one step that can protect your investment, your budget, and your peace of mind: the home inspection.

On this episode of The Best of Raleigh, Gretchen sits down with Jay McCabe, Marketing Director for Focused Property Inspections, to unpack what really happens during an inspection, why it matters even in an “as is” contract, and how his team serves as the “voice of the house” for buyers and sellers across North Carolina.

Who Is Focused Property Inspections

Focused Property Inspections has roots going back nearly 30 years, beginning in Maine, then expanding into North Carolina as the team looked for both better weather and a growing real estate market.

Today, they cover a wide area across the state, with a strong presence in the Triangle. Their inspectors are:

• Licensed and regulated by the North Carolina Home Inspection Board
• Certified through international inspection organizations
• Trained on roughly 1,600 separate points of inspection in every home

This is not a quick walk through with a flashlight. It is an in depth, highly technical process that looks at the home as a complete system.

Jay describes his team as honest brokers between buyers and sellers, and even more importantly, as advocates for the house itself. If the walls could talk, the inspector would be the one translating.

Why Home Inspections Matter in North Carolina

If you have never bought a home in North Carolina, here is a key detail about our standard contract:

     It is written “as is.”

That means a seller is not automatically obligated to make repairs. However, that does not mean you should skip the inspection. In fact, it makes the inspection even more critical.

The inspection:

• Reveals what you are actually buying under the fresh paint and pretty staging
• Helps you understand the true condition of the home
• Gives you leverage to negotiate repairs or price adjustments
• Helps you decide if this home is right for you at all

Jay describes it simply:

• The inspector looks
• The inspector observes
• The inspector reports

From there, the client and agent decide how to act on that information.

How Inspectors Look “Behind the Walls”

One of the most common questions buyers ask is, “How do you know what is going on behind the walls if you cannot see it”

That is where technology comes in. Jay brought one of their favorite tools into the studio: a thermal camera.

This camera shows hot and cold patterns in walls, ceilings, and floors. For example:

• A cold spot in the middle of a warm wall might suggest a hidden water leak
• Temperature differences around a window can reveal poor sealing or air leakage
• Heat patterns at plumbing lines can show where water is flowing or has been

As water evaporates, it pulls heat from surrounding materials. That temperature change appears on the camera and gives inspectors clues about possible leaks, even if you cannot see moisture on the surface.

This tool is used throughout the home:

• Every room that can be accessed
• Attic and crawl space
• Around plumbing, windows, and HVAC areas

Importantly, this is included in every inspection, not an extra up charge.

Inspections Are Not Just For Buyers

Even if you are not planning to move, a home inspection can be a powerful tool.

Jay suggests thinking about your home the way the military teaches service members to think about themselves: know your current situation and your assets.

Some smart times to schedule an inspection even if you are staying put:

• Before a major renovation, to make sure money is going to the right place
• Before turning a home into a rental or investment property
• Before a deployment or long time away, so there are fewer surprises
• If you have been in your home five or more years, as a “health check”

Instead of waiting until you are under contract and scrambling to fix years of deferred maintenance, a periodic inspection can give you:

• A clear list of repairs and priorities
• A chance to budget gradually
• Better protection of your home’s value

As Gretchen points out, well maintained homes consistently sell for more. Maintenance is not just pride of ownership, it is real money and real equity.

New Construction: Do You Really Need an Inspection

Short answer: yes.

It can be tempting to think a brand new home is perfect; after all, it has gone through county inspections and multiple trades have been involved. However, homes are built by humans and inspected by humans, and things get missed.

Focused Property Inspections often performs:

• Pre drywall inspections to catch framing, bracing, and structural issues early
• Final inspections right before closing, representing the buyer’s interests

Some of the issues they have found in new construction include:

• Roof trusses that were cut out to make room for an attic HVAC unit, leaving the roof structure unsupported
• Lights installed off center in a room
• Small but important code related details that need to be corrected before move in
• Windows that do not operate or lock properly
• Outlets or GFCIs that do not function

A home can be new and still have problems that affect safety, comfort, or long term performance. An independent inspector gives you a clean bill of “home health” or a clear punch list to hand back to the builder.

Do Inspectors Really “Kill Deals”

Many buyers hesitate to order an inspection because they fear it might blow up the deal on a home they love. There is a common nickname for inspectors: “deal killers.”

Jay is very clear about this:

• Inspectors are not there to kill deals, they are there to tell the truth
• Most of what they find is not catastrophic, but it must be documented
• Communication with the agent and buyer is key

A few examples of things that often sound worse on paper than they actually are:

• A water heater that works fine but does not have a newer style expansion tank
• An outlet located slightly closer to a sink than current code would prefer
• A minor deck railing height discrepancy

These items have to be noted in the report for compliance with standards, but they are not necessarily deal breaking issues.

When bigger issues arise, such as:

• Significant foundation movement
• Roof failures
• Major HVAC problems
• Wastewater or root intrusion issues

The inspector still does not “kill” the deal. They simply give the buyer honest information so they can make a clear decision. You can still buy the home, you just go in with eyes wide open.

What Focused Property Inspections Covers

One of the biggest advantages of working with Focused is that they are truly a one stop shop. They handle almost all related inspections in house, which saves time and money and keeps accountability under one roof.

Services include:

• General home inspections
• Detached structures and secondary buildings
• Septic system inspections
• Well inspections and water testing
• Termite and wood destroying insect reports
• HVAC evaluations
• Pools and related systems

Because the same company handles everything, you pay fewer separate “trip fees” and only manage one appointment, one report, one main point of contact.

Training, Licensing, and Guarantees

Each inspector on the Focused team is:

• Individually licensed and certified
• Personally responsible for the quality of their work
• Trained beyond the minimum requirements with additional ride alongs and an extended onboarding process

They are not operating under a single shared license. Their own professional names and reputations are on the line with every inspection.

Focused also offers:

• Free re inspections of items they inspected if repairs are made
• Strong internal quality checks
• Fast turnaround, with most inspection reports delivered the same day

For transaction coordinators, agents, and clients, that speed and clarity keeps the deal moving and reduces stress.

How To Connect With Focused Property Inspections

If you are buying a home, selling a home, or simply want to understand the true condition of the one you live in, Focused Property Inspections is a trusted resource in the Triangle.

You can learn more and schedule an inspection through their website:

Focused Property Inspections
Website: FPI-web.com (select the North Carolina branch)

They have a full administrative team who answers calls, fields questions, and gets you on the schedule quickly. You might hear a Maine accent when you call, but you will be talking with the right people.

Whether you are a first time buyer, a seasoned investor, or a longtime homeowner, a thorough inspection is one of the smartest investments you can make in your largest asset.

Raleigh is a special place to own property. With partners like Focused Property Inspections watching out for what is behind the walls, under the floors, and above the ceiling, you can move forward with far more confidence.