Pre-Inspections - Is it a waste of money?

[Anonymous]

You can do an inspection "for informational purposes only." Our house was a bidding war and had been a rental for 16+ and we just wanted some peace of mind our money wasn't going down the drain.

While the inspection was fine, it was the sewer pipe that failed 6 months after we moved in that nearly sunk us. In our case, I'd say the better question to ask your realtor is what are typical issues that arise in homes of the age we're looking to buy. New roof? New HVAC? Mold? Appliance Age? Those are the expenses that no inspection will likely show, but might really put you in a pinch if you're faced with them so close to your home purchase.