Before you sign the contract or purchase agreement, make your purchase obligation contingent upon findings of a professional home inspection. This clause should specify the terms to which both the buyer and seller are obligated. Contact a home inspector immediately after the contract or purchase agreement has been signed. Home inspectors are aware of the time constraints involved in purchase agreements and most are available to conduct the required inspection within a few days. With the ever-changing marketplace, sellers are finding it to their advantage to have a pre-listing inspection to try to head off potential problems by either repairing them or offering a credit for their repair.