How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Do I need a termite inspection for a VA loan?
Monday, August 26, 2019
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requires a termite inspection for existing properties if they are located in an area where the probability of termite infestation is "very heavy" or "moderate to heavy," based on the Termite Infestation Probability (TIP) Map. This means only the northermost part of the U.S. is exempt according to the zones on the TIP Map. See our blog post What is a TIP Zone Map? for more on this.
A termite inspection is officially called a WDO inspection, an acronym for Wood Destroying Organism, because the inspector also looks for signs of wood-decaying fungi (wood rot) and wood boring beetles.
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To learn more about termites, see these other blog posts:
• Do I need a termite inspection for an FHA loan?
• Do I need a termite inspection for a VA loan?
• What areas of the country are most likely to have drywood termite infestations occur?
• Do I need a termite inspection for a USDA loan?
• Should I be worried about termites if my neighbor's house is being tented?
• Is the WDO (termite) inspector allowed to poke holes in my wood siding and trim?
• Do carpenter ants cause structural damage to houses in Florida?
• How long before closing can you have a WDO (termite) inspection done?
• How long does Bora-Care® last?
• Why is it a mistake to store lumber in the crawl space under a house?
• Does the presence of carpenter ants in a house indicate that there are probably also termites?
• How do termites infest a house and remain hidden while doing major damage?
• Are homes in Florida required to have termite protection?
• If termite damage appears to be old, does that mean that termites may no longer be present?
• How do I know if my WDO/termite report is "clear"?
• When do termites swarm in Florida?
• Does a recent termite company inspection sticker mean there are no termites?
• Can a mobile/manufactured home get termites?
• Do I have to tent the house if I have termites?
• What is the difference between a subterranean termite and a drywood termite?
• What are the green plastic discs in the ground around the house?
• How do termites get into a concrete block house?
• How do I treat wood rot that's listed in my termite-WDO report?
• Do I really need a termite-WDO inspection?
• What's causing those holes in the fascia?
• Does wood chip mulch in the yard attract termites?
• I think I have termites. What does a termite look like?
• I'm buying a concrete block house. Do I still need a termite inspection?
• I saw a little termite damage on the baseboard. Should I be concerned?
• Why do termite inspectors tap the wood siding and baseboard wood in a home?
• What does a termite mud tube look like?
Visit our TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND PESTS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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