Last year, I listed a house and soon had a buyer for the property. Everything was fine, until the home inspection started. About a half hour into the inspection, the inspector came out and told me, "I'm going to stop now. There's no need to continue this inspection." When I asked what the problem was he said, "Well, this is only the third house I've ever found with this problem: I found termite damage from the basement all the way up to the roofline. My advice to the buyer is to run as fast as she can away from this house!"

What a dilemma-I was the listing agent for this house, and had to serve my sellers in the best way I knew how. But I knew how disastrous a termite problem could be. So, I did what I felt was the right thing to do-I called in the troops: a structural engineer, a general contractor and a professional exterminator.

The troops advised me that an 18-inch horizontal swath needed to be cut around the interior perimeter of the home in order to view each wall and determine the level of damage. The sellers agreed to this, and so the work began.

At first, it was simply heartbreaking to look at the walls. But then it was a delight to find out that the damage to the wall surface and structure was only minor! However, the repairs still cost my sellers more than they anticipated and there was just nothing I could do. I did know, though, that if the sellers had already had a termite contract in place, than the damage would have been caught before it became a significant problem.

What's the lesson to you? It's simple. When you are considering buying a house, make sure it gets a termite inspection (the seller usually schedules and pays for it). Even if the house is clear of termites, get it treated and set up a termite contract once you close.

And just remember- the damage termites can do is unfathomable. The money you spend to control the pesky little things from the beginning will be well worth it in the end!

Kimberly Davis is an affiliate broker at Village Real Estate Services, in Nashvile, TN. For questions or further information about home purchase and repair, or for help finding your perfect home in the Nashville area, you can e-mail Kim at kdavis@dishmag.com