Henderson Real Estate Pro

During the frenzy years, waiving your inspection contingency felt like the price of admission to even compete for a home. That era is fading.

The most recent data shows only 17% of buyers waived their inspection contingency — down from 19% the month before, and down significantly from 25% a year ago.

Why the shift? More inventory means buyers don't have to take on as much risk to win. Sellers are facing more patient buyers, which means demanding a waived inspection is less realistic than it was at the peak of the frenzy.

What this means in practice:

For buyers: you have real room to protect yourself. An inspection isn't a sign of weakness in your offer anymore — it's simply smart.

For sellers: be prepared for inspection requests. The smart move is still getting a pre-listing inspection so nothing catches you off guard mid-negotiation.

Interestingly, appraisal contingency waivers are actually up to 24% — buyers seem more comfortable skipping that protection than skipping a home inspection. That tells you something about where people's real risk tolerance lies.

Questions about your specific offer or listing strategy? Let's talk.