Question:
“Last time I bought a home, it was normal and expected for the seller to provide a termite clearance. Now I hear that’s changed. Why did that change?”
Answer:
Great question!
We California Realtors used to have a contract addendum specifically to request a pest control / termite clearance.
Then a few years ago, the California Association of Realtors stepped back and said, “Why are we making termites etc. a special category of repair? Why does it have its own form when no other repair does?”
Logically, they had a point. I mean, why was that any more or less important than getting a “plumbing clearance” or an “electrical clearance”? BTW, there really isn’t such a thing as a plumbing or electrical clearance.
So they did away with the form and termite clearances went from being a given to a negotiable item, like any repair. Putting a number on it, I’d say 95% of home sales used to have termite clearances. And now it’s more like 70-75%. So it’s still pretty common.
