DEAR BARRY: We are in escrow to buy a home, and we hired the home inspector who was chosen by our real estate agent. When we asked if we could attend the inspection, our agent said this was not necessary and that most homebuyers don’t. Not knowing any better, we agreed and waited for the inspection report.

Since then, we’ve read articles that say an agent should give buyers a list of home inspectors from which to make their own choice.

Now we want to hire an inspector of our own to do a second inspection, but we don’t want to offend our agent. At the same time, we don’t want to buy a money pit because we didn’t get a good inspection. What do you advise? –Jenn

DEAR JENN: Choosing your inspector, rather than allowing you to choose for yourselves, may or may not have been a bad thing. Some agents choose inspectors who are competent and highly qualified, while others choose inspectors whose work is substandard. Likewise, there are agents who give their clients a list of competent home inspectors, while others provide lists of less qualified inspectors