Home Inspection & Negotiations for Home Buyers


Home sellers typically become less stressed once the price and terms of their home sale are in place, and all the purchase contract signatures are in place. It’s a happy moment, and yes, it’s a moment. To follow is the Inspection Period, a time when many contracts fall apart. This is where having a Certified Negotiations Expert pays off for the second time.

Home owners often believe their home is nearly perfect. Sure, there may be a few minor things that could use a little touch up maybe minor repair needed here and there. But, they’re not selling a new home. As much as all that may be true, most buyers panic when they review their inspection report. There are typically a list of items that are not up to current code, plus aged mechanicals an inspector recommends replacement of, electrical grounding issues, grading concerns, non-functioning items and more. It can be even worse if the inspection is completed by someone we in business call an ‘alarmist’.

This is another area when a seasoned, well-experienced real estate professional can make all the difference. Buyers typically requests the seller to make repairs and often include almost every item on the inspection report. Having an agent on your side who is familiar with current building codes and who has the experience to differentiate between current building codes and those applicable when the structure was built can be a strong negotiating tool, and, a major costs savings for the seller. For a seller with a naïve agent, addressing mechanical improvements, code deficiencies, structural deficiencies and cosmetic deficiencies can become very costly. A seller wants to make sure his or her agent is well versed in inspection negotiations and can decipher what is typical and what is concerning. Strong communications and expert negotiating skill-sets are key.

What if you were prepared?

I believe part of my job for you is to help you avoid too many “surprises” related to your property’s condition, prior to any professional inspection being completed by a buyer. Before we list your home for sale I’ll do a complete ‘walk through’ of your home with you to note any items which appear concerning, based on my extensive history with and knowledge of property inspections. Having been a homeowner and completing too many remodeling projects to count, coupled with more than a decade of experience with home inspectors, I have a great eye in finding the concerns, big and small, that set off alarms for inspectors and buyers alike.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Inspection I’ll do our best to give you information about what I see inspectors may note as deficient. Correcting the little things can shorten the list of concerns the inspector hands the buyer that can take an inspection from ‘overwhelming and alarming’ to ‘within expectations’.

After the Home Inspection

Of course, there may be things the buyer wants repaired. We’ll prepare for this when negotiating the offer by maintain a little padding for items such as these.

Once a buyer completes their inspection, I’ll meet with you to go over the buyer’s objections/requirements and develop a counter strategy. If there are no objections or they’re minor in nature and cost, you may opt to agree to corrections. However, if they’re more extensive, my job will be to assist in validating the findings, applying a true value to the repairs and then seek common ground between the buyer and you, employing proven negotiating strategies and effective negotiation tactics. With homework, subject knowledge and total discipline, I'll work to keep the deal intact and keep us moving towards the closing table.

A Full List of Resources

Before listing or after the inspection, I can supply you with a full list of contractors, electricians, plumbers and other home repair technicians. Having these resources offers you an opportunity to evaluate costs and make repairs within budget.

What Others Are Saying...


“I just wanted to take a moment to let everyone know what a pleasure it was to work with Tomi Kuczynski. He is a true professional who is highly dedicated and committed. From the initial consultation to the final closing, he went above and beyond in every aspect of the process. Tomi's expertise and understanding of the local market was evident from the very beginning. He came in confident, with a plan and he executed it to perfection. Staging your home is crucial, and Tomi did a great job! He wanted people to come in and not like it, but love it! Mission accomplished! Communication is very important, and Tomi kept me informed at every step of the way. He was available, day or night, to answer any of my questions or concerns. I have bought & sold 13 properties. For anyone looking to buy or sell their property, I highly recommend Tomi Kuczynski. Tomi's professionalism, market knowledge, and exceptional customer service sets him apart from the others in this industry.”

Fort Lauderdale Home Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“The stress of selling went down the moment he came to do a market evaluation. I had previously worked with him when I bought the condo (7years ago) he was about to sell. He also worked with us finding another home for us. He is hard working, very sincere and pleasant to work with. Going from listed to under contract took 2 days!!! I could not believe it. All result from his finishing touches and dedication. I highly recommend him and will continue to use his services.”

Fort Lauderdale Home Buyer & Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“If you have been stuck in the South Florida real estate game with what seems like no end in sight, then call Tomi! We were desperate to get out of our rental but struggling to find something affordable that wasn't a disaster of a fixer upper. When Tomi first gauged our situation, he promised us he would be honest, available and persistent in our search...and he was! Tomi worked so incredibly hard to find us the perfect home. He reached out to us consistently when we were feeling frustrated and losing hope. He gave us sincere opinions based on his extremely accurate, first-hand knowledge of the market and the quality of homes we were looking at. He knew about local communities, infrastructure, repairs, rules and regulations. Tomi found us exactly what we had been hoping for all along- a single family home with lots of space, a beautiful yard and a pool! We can't express enough gratitude towards Tomi for his dedication to helping us start this new journey in our lives, but we CAN recommend him to you!”

Palm Aire Home Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“After ten sales and purchases over the past years, Tomi was the best realtor by far. On-time, prepared and fast responding and great negotiating. He found our dream home in fast market and did it with all actions and little words. Highly recommend Tomi!”

Fort Lauderdale Home Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“As Tomi's other reviews indicate, Tomi provides a level of service that you would expect if you had a close family member who was a realtor advising you through the process of a sale or purchase. He tells you things to think about you didn't know mattered. He's looking out for my long-term happiness with the transaction as well as my financial interests. This is by no means my first real estate transaction, and I wish I could back redo all of the previous ones with Tomi as my realtor. My highest recommendation.”

Fort Lauderdale Condo Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi helped us find a home at the peak of a brutally competitive seller's market and housing shortage fraught with 24-hr bidding wars, investment group and cash buyers, and more. Responsiveness was super-critical, and Tomi never missed a beat. With decades of experience evaluating properties, he points out details you may overlook. His real estate knowledge and skills are superb and comprehensive, including managing those strict deadlines under contract. He's proactive and straightforward and his methods to guide you through every process as easily as possible. We especially appreciate his clear, efficient, friendly communications, deep sense of fairness, and consistently positive outlook along our challenging journey. Awesome work - thank you Tomi!”

Oakland Park Home Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“When a dream career opportunity knocked, my husband and I had to answer - quickly and from two different states. While he was starting work in Florida and I was packing up our home in Missouri, we simultaneously needed to sell one house and hunt for another. This was where our realtor in Missouri, Tom Lime, was invaluable. He helped us sort through offers and make a final decision. Tom Lime then referred us to our realtor in Florida,Tomi Kuczynski. He was also excellent, scheduling viewings to meet our crazy schedules and providing my husband with virtual tours of houses. He took the time to get to know us and our preferences to provide us with numerous choices to look that made the best use of our time. As a result, we felt confident making an offer on our new home before I had a chance to see it in person. He also provided us with references for local companies, businesses and places to visit that were especially useful as we are new to the area. We're grateful to these two wonderful realtors!”

Coral Springs Home Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi and I worked together for almost a year, navigating the difficult South Florida housing market. Tomi truly got to know me, my needs, and where I would be most happy living. He was extremely thorough and thoughtful. He took great care to explain everything to me in detail. I always knew Tomi "had my back" and he went out of his way to make my buying experience as easy as possible. I will absolutely refer Tomi to everyone I know and I will most definitely use him for any future real estate needs. Tomi is my "go-to" person now and in the future. Thank you so much, Tomi for everything!!!!”

Fort Lauderdale Condo Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi is very professional and knows the business. He had some good suggestions as to how the condo would show in the best light and worked hard to relocate furniture and add accents such as artwork, table settings and pillows to make the place more inviting and comfortable. The virtual tour of the condo came out very well and attracted some potential buyers. I can't say what brought the buyer in, but they obviously liked something about the place, as they submitted an offer within 24 hours of it being on the market! From the acceptance of the offer (and canceling future tours), there was a flurry of activity that Tomi walked me through and advised me of along the way to closing. He stopped by as I was packing up the place to pick up the keys, and even gave me a shout a couple of days later to make sure I got back home (up north) safely (this all occurred as Hurricane Ian was making landfall on Florida's west coast). Thank you, Tomi. All the best, Jim”

Pompano Beach Home Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“We wondered into an open house. Three weeks later, we are living in that house and love it. Also, our lovely condo was sold in 2 weeks. It was a what could have been a very stressful period of time. All this, was happening during the holidays. Tomi was a calming force, voice of reason and completely knowledgeable throughout the process. He was fair, practical. He recommended knowledgeable associates to help guide the entire process. He was both our selling and buying agent. He is extremely detailed and at times I wondered if he would be able to keep up with all the details. He exceeded our expectations. A big Thanks and shout out to you, Tomi. All south Florida Realtors should have your “ ethics” and commitment to making their clients fully satisfied. If you need a “solid” Realtor… this is your guy.”

Oakland Park Home Buyer & Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi was recommended to me last year as I was moving from Dallas to Fort Lauderdale. He helped me find a great rental for a year so that I could be sure that this area was the right spot to buy. Tomi made the process really stress-free. He found me the perfect apartment and I've enjoyed my rental. As promised, he followed up with me occasionally and then more formally at about 7 months as I'd requested. It was time to start looking for a place to purchase. A few of my neighbors recommended other real estate professionals, but after the experienced I'd had with Tomi in 2022, there was no question I'd use him again. We started the process, and I reminded him that I hadn't purchased a new home in almost 3 decades - and never in the state of Florida. This was when I confirmed that I'd picked the perfect agent. Tomi's expertise is his masterful ability to educate and guide you through the entire process. He knew my parameters, set up his portal to alert me to opportunities that fit my needs, and responded to questions I had both quickly and effectively. In almost no time he'd found me the perfect unit. When I looked at the pictures and apartment size, I didn't think it was a fit. He convinced me to go take a look. Great professionals know their client better than even the client even knows himself. That was the case for me. He showed me what the unit could look like, gave me great suggestions, and within a matter of weeks we were under contract! It is now one week since closing and the condo is starting to look like a HOME. That's all thanks to Tomi's focused and caring service. I hope to stay in this home for many years. But if I don't, I do know that Tomi will find me something perfect for my needs. Look no further than Tomi Kuczynski for your renting, selling, or buying experience!!! Verified by RateMyAgent”

Fort Lauderdale Condo Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“We were coming from out of state and were introduced to Tomi through a mutual friend. Tomi reached out right away and jumped in with both feet. We had a very short time to work with and had no idea what we were looking for; we bombarded the poor man with possibilities. He looked through all of them for pluses and minuses on location, neighborhood, traffic patterns, permitted work and helped us weed through the pile. He then spent a weekend with us looking at the final candidates, walking through each one pointing out things to be wary of, reasons to consider or to cross it off our list. We had several options for offers when we left and two weeks later had an offer in process! I would recommend Tomi to anyone looking for a new home in South Florida!”

Pompano Beach Condo Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“I can not say enough good things about Tomi. He listened to my needs and understood my position from every standpoint. He did not waste any of my time, we started this journey together on July 9th and we were all moved in by August 10th. That is true service! I would recommend him to anyone in the market for a home. On another note I live in Texas and he did all of this remotely with my son looking at the homes. What a fabulous experience for my son and I to have gotten such a great guy with over the top service! Thanks Tomi we now have a beautiful home.”

Coconut Creek Home Buyer & Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi has a tremendous work ethic where he really works closely with the client. This was the first time I had a realtor where I felt that they actually worked for me. Tomi was super knowledgeable and helped minimize the stress of the entire process. Overall, great experience!”

Oakland Park Home Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Our experience working with Tomi to sell our home and find a newer home with all of the amenities we wanted couldn't of gone any smoother. From the moment he walked into our home he provided knowledge of the local market, professional advice around items that needed to be fixed prior to listing and beautiful staging with items he provided. Tomi was professional, personable, organized, persistent and calm while dealing with our type A personalities. Hands down the best we have met and will recommend him to family or friends looking to sell or purchase. Thank you again Tomi!”

Oakland Park Home Seller & Pompano Beach Home Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi has helped me both buy and sell a house, and I would highly recommend him! He is very knowledgeable about the area and all applicable aspects of buying or selling a home. I appreciated his willingness to further research any question or concern that I had that may have been out of the ordinary and quickly get back to me. He’s also a fun guy to work with!”

Oakland Park Home Buyer & Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi is an extremely honest, upfront, and patient real estate agent. He was able to find us a great condo that fit right in our price range! He was responsive and easy to reach to answer any of our questions at all times. Tomi made the nightmare that is selling and finding a new property a breeze. He had my property under contract a couple of weeks after listing it. His commitment is reflected in his attention to detail. He is very knowledgeable, accessible, and communicates clearly, making the process easy. An absolute joy to work with!”

Doral Condo Buyer & Fort Lauderdale Condo Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi was amazing in every way. I have now purchased and sold a home with Tomi, and he made both experiences enjoyable and made sure I was 100% satisfied. I only have wonderful things to say about Tomi. He is extremely transparent and honest, always has my best interest in mind, and is extremely proactive. He works tirelessly to make sure his client is satisfied and receives the best deal possible. I can't think of a better realtor than Tomi. He is a pro!”

Oakland Park Home Buyer & Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“I couldn't feel better about or speak more highly of my experience working with Tomi Kuczynski. From our first meeting until after closing, Tomi went above-and-beyond the call of duty to make this an almost effortless buying experience. He was intelligent, responsive, communicative, and understanding throughout the process, and used his expert negotiating skills to make both the seller and the buyer feel good about our agreements. I wouldn't hesitate to use Tomi again or to recommended him to anyone in search of an excellent realtor.”

Pompano Beach Condo Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi Kuczynski is one of the best Realtors in South Florida. He has the whole package of skills and attitude for supreme success as a Realtor. He's smart, tenacious, knowledgeable, experienced, and hard working. I can't remember a single instance when my wife and I needed Tomi for something and he wasn't available. We have used his services for many years to acquire and sell condos and multi-unit buildings, and we're always amazed at how fast and efficiently the transactions happen. If that isn't enough, he also finds us renters who always pay their rent on time and don't cause any problems. My wife and I enthusiastically recommend Tomi for all areas of the real estate business.”

South Florida Investor | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi was awesome. From the moment we met, I knew not only that we were going to get along, but he was going to find us the right house for us. Not only is he an excellent realtor, but he just knows his stuff, and even more than that, he's an incredible person. He was patient with my questions, my pickiness, and I felt like he really understood what my husband and I were looking for. When we did find the right house, he was right on top of everything we needed all the way through the process. Even now, two weeks after close, he's still answering my questions. I couldn't have asked for a better person to handle everything we needed. I highly recommend him.”

Oakland Park Home Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi Kuczynski is a consummate professional and is excellent at what he does. He knows the market inside and out. He also has an impeccable eye for detail and staging. Tomi employs the latest technologies and marketing strategies to get the job done. And while buying or selling real estate can sometimes be overwhelming and emotionally wrought, Tomi maintains the voice of reason, calm and integrity throughout. Place your trust and real estate needs in Tomi's hands. You'll be glad you did.”

Fort Lauderdale Beach Condo Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi's passion for being a realtor, his relentless desire to find the perfect home to suit his clients' needs is what separates him from all other realtors. These awesome character traits were apparent in all our interactions with him. Verified by RateMyAgent His attentiveness and timely responses during both the selling of our old home and throughout the purchase of our dream home was unexpected and a very pleasant surprise. His amazing knowledge of how to show a home for sale as well as his willingness to apply a little elbow grease when clients are five minutes out was so helpful and greatly appreciated. His expansive knowledge of home construction, plumbing, electrical, etc., was so much greater than any realtor we have used during on many home transactions. When he encounter issues where he wasn't sure, his vast network of experts and timely responses were so assuring and quite simply a blessing during the entire process. In all, we highly recommend Tomi to all our friends and family. We all know how stressful buying and selling a home can be. With Tomi's knowledge, passion, and love of his craft, rest assured it will be as seamless and pleasurable as possible. Thanks so much Tomi.”

Boca Raton Home Buyer & Fort Lauderdale Condo Seller | Verified by RateMyAgent

“I have worked with Tomi a few times over the past years. Why I work with Tomi is simple. His knowledge, skills, and ability far exceed any other agent in South Florida, both as a buyers agent and a sellers agent. You can always rest assured you will meet your goals with Tomi leading the process. That said, I would like to point out Tomi’s exceptional staging skills. I have bought and sold many properties over the years and understand the market. I had a good estimate of what price my condo could command. As a result of Tomi’s staging ability I was able to make 20% more than I had expected. When Tomi showed me the pictures and the Matterport presentation, it was hard to believe the condo was really my condo. I was amazed. Other units, which I were aware of over the last few weeks, had never commanded such a high price as he suggested as a listing price. I thought to myself, “that’s too much. It won’t sell.” Two weeks later I had a cash offer at the asking price. And, the highest price ever paid for a condominium in the complex. Thanks again, Tomi. Always making dreams come true!”

Deerfield Beach Investor | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tomi is an excellent Realtor and a true professional. I worked with him to list my home and find me a new one. My home sold in 4 days! Tomi started with incredible staging and beautiful photos and a video. He was able to negotiate a complex offer and got me the full price, and all terms, that I needed. Looking for a new home in this market proved to challenging and Tomi was more than up to the task. I had to attend a conference in the middle of the search, so Tomi provided brilliant, detailed live showing on FaceTime. He showed patience and empathy throughout the process until we identified a new property. His expertise, follow up, and attention to every detail was amazing. I highly recommend Tomi if you need to sell your home or buy a new one.”

Wilton Manors Home Seller & Coconut Creek Condo Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Tailored search and screen, no BS, professional and in the know After ten sales and purchases over the past years, Tomi was the best realtor by far. On-time, prepared and fast responding and great negotiating. He found our dream home in fast market and did it with all actions and little words. Highly recommend Tomi!”

Fort Lauderdale Home Buyer | Verified by RateMyAgent

“Knowledgeable Realtor with Excellent Service. Tomi always went above and beyond. It took us 2 years to find the right Florida home. Tomi was always there to make suggestions, answer questions and show us listings. With his knowledge of the market and processes, he made recommendations and comments on issues I could have overlooked. I would highly recommend his service to any of my family and friends.”

Wilton Manors Home Buyer & Investor | Verified by RateMyAgent