Everything was looking great at a recent condo inspection in Mountlake Terrace, WA. Minor issues found inside and out. No big deal. As a last step I took out the thermal camera and moisture meter and checked several spots. Nothing unusual or amiss. There was one little spot on a bathroom ceiling. Hardly noticeable. No one probably saw it, especially if they didn't pull aside the shower curtain. It could easily be an area in need of a clean. But I checked it anyway and here is what I found:
100% moisture reading. I pushed on the surface and it was like wet tissue paper. Clearly a water leak. The lesson is clear. Never make assumptions. Never assume because a home looks fine you don't need a home inspection. In this market, it's almost a guarantee other buyers made offers and waived inspections. Too bad. Some good news is the area was very small, but it's hard to know how extensive the damage is until a contractor starts pulling down drywall to see.
All in a days work!