• Disclosures Real Estate Agents TC Tips

The AVID is an Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure and can be used by a buyer to negotiate for necessary repairs among other useful things. In California, real estate agents who represent buyers and sellers on residential real estate transactions have to carry out a visual inspection of the property in question.

What Was Used Before AVID?

AVID is an alternative to the comments made on the Transfer Disclosure Statement. The reason for this is that the AVID is more comprehensive in nature and allows a more detailed account for the benefit of the parties involved in the real estate agreement.

The AVID is primarily carried out to examine the property and report any red flags to different parties involved the contract. Real estate licensees conventionally used the third page of the Transfer Disclosure Statement to record any red flags about the property being sold.

AVID Items

The AVID generally looks at these kinds of issues:

• Any broken windows
• Visible structural problems like cracks in the foundation, leaning walls, separation or cracks in said walls
• Cosmetic problems: peeling paint, chipped tiles, discolored wood floors
• Missing equipment like stoves, toilets, hardware, water heaters, smoke and CO detectors
• Proof of Water Penetration on ceilings, doors and windows, or in the kitchen or basement corners
• Safety issues like wobbling and unstable stairs, missing guardrails, and naked wiring

AVID vs. Home Inspections: Are They Interchangeable?

The straightforward answer: No.

The Focus of a Home Inspection

Home Inspections are more in-depth and are usually focused on the different systems in the house and their conditions. These systems usually include heating and air, plumbing, gas, and electrical. Home inspections also concern the structural integrity of the property and are more than just a “walk-through” inspection of the house.

Moreover, a licensed and professional home inspector carries out a home inspection.

The AVID, on the other hand, is performed by the licensees and real estate agents. It concerns a range of issues that are potential red flags and affect the value of the house and how attractive/desirable it is for the buyer.

The knowledge of a licensed professional home inspector is more than that of any real estate agent when it comes to the structural integrity and health of home systems. That being said, the AVID is, by no means, a replacement for the home inspection by a qualified, professional home inspector.

However, agents do have a greater scope of issues that they cover in the AVID, which can be important in a cursory, first-time inspection of the house.