Dear Monty: You have written numerous articles over time about different problems with home inspections. We are near our savings goal and preparing to buy a home. What is your current opinion of home inspections? Monty’s Answer: Home inspection laws came into existence because home sellers were either unaware of or hid the defects of the home, or they made inadequate repairs to get the best home price. Homebuyers called for regulation to protect themselves from buying homes with such defects. My state of Wisconsin defines a “defect” as: “a condition of any component of an improvement that a home inspector determines, on the basis of the home inspector’s judgment on the day of an inspection, would significantly impair the health or safety of occupants of a property or that, if not repaired, removed, or replaced, would significantly shorten or adversely affect the expected normal life of the component of …