Condo Not allowing us to do Early Inspection

you do the walk-through yourself. from what i understand it's highly common in NYC to not even get an inspection at all. there are many threads that cover this topic in detail, just search discussion for "inspection"

An inspection is when you hire someone to inspect the apartment (plumbing, electrical, appliances, and finishes) and mechanicals and roof and basement, etc. They then tell you if anything is wrong.

A walkthrough is just you and the sponsor going through the apartment to point out things that might need to be repaired, which usually turns out to be superficial things.

I suppose you can hire an inspector to go through the walkthrough with you if the condo won't allow an inspector before your scheduled walkthrough. And unless there is a serious condition 3 weeks might be enough to go through a punch list.

the walk through is when you go through the apt probably about 2 weeks before closing. you make a list of defects found-such as scratches on wood floor, a wall that needs repainting, missing/broken appliances/fixtures. i dont know if you get a deadline as to when these items must be fixed. but it would definitely help you to hire an inspector to bring with you-to make sure counter tops are really marble or whatever. i think the sponsor may take a little off the price at closing if something cant/wont be fixed.

freezer, i would recommend the walk thru very close to the closing date. I have done themon the morning of the close.

Be prepared to hold not close, Once you hand over the check your bargaining position with regards to punch list is extremely compromised. Check the offering plan for defects the sponsor won't cure and the time frame allowed for curing.

Cool question. I wrote a piece about the difference between the walk-through and the inspection here: http://bit.ly/DlPjc

ali r.