If you’re buying a home in Nevada, you will likely seek a home loan. There are several types of home loans available, and each type has different rules related to the building inspection that lenders require before issuing the loan.
Nevada is one of the states that require a termite inspection for VA and FHA loans. This article will help you understand these requirements and how they will affect buyers seeking these types of loans.
Termites and VA or FHA Loans
You may be wondering why termites are such a big deal. For a tiny insect, termites cause big damage; the US EPA says they cause in excess of $2 billion worth of damage annually in the United States.
Termites are small winged insects that look a lot like ants with wings. They live on the wood in a home or commercial property, burrowing and nesting and actually eating the beams and rafters that make up the foundation of your property. These bugs don’t care if the home is new or old, they will invade and feast in the places where you can’t see them.
Termite nests can be found in walls or in the beams in your flooring. Termites weaken the structural integrity of a home, which can cause problems down the road. That’s exactly why termite inspections are so important; a trained professional can crawl around your home and determine if it is infested.
When the VA (Veteran’s Administration), the FHA (Farmers Home Administration), or a bank provides funding in the form of a loan for a home purchase, they are in effect investing in that property. As you pay back the loan, the ownership of the property transfers over to you. These organizations require a termite inspection to guarantee the worthiness of their investment.
If you think about it, you wouldn’t want to purchase a home that has been riddled with termite damage, either. That’s why our strong recommendation is that a termite inspection is done on any property you’re considering purchasing – whether the lender requires the inspection or not.
Las Vegas Termite Inspection
The termite pest control team at Preventive Pest provides termite inspections as part of the new home purchase process. Our process inspects the home from the tip of the gables to the lowest point in the home. We search for signs of active swarms, as well as looking for old wood damage. Sometimes we will find mud tubes that route through the ground around your home. Many times we’ll find these between floor joists or other places you don’t typically visit in your home or commercial property.
In Las Vegas, there are three types of termites that we typically find and then eradicate: Subterranean, dry wood, and damp wood insects. Catching these bugs before they damage a home is crucial to stopping the damage before it ever occurs. The eradication process can end up saving you thousands of dollars in carpentry and building repair.
If you see any signs of termites in your home, contact Preventive Pest immediately. The longer you wait the more damage will occur.
