Park Forest residents are being urged to pressure village leaders to change a policy that delays the results of municipal home inspections until after a closing in some cases.

Postcards have been distributed to Park Forest homeowners, encouraging them to contact village leaders and demand changes to the mandatory inspection process, also known as “change of occupancy inspections.”

The postcards explain that residential transactions can be delayed because Park Forest conducts home inspections after sales contracts are signed, says Illinois REALTORS® Government Affairs Director Tom Joseph. As a result, buyers and sellers do not receive inspection results until after closings. In some instances, home buyers may seek to avoid the delays altogether by choosing homes in communities without such a policy.

Founded in 1948, Park Forest is approximately 30 miles south of Chicago, in Will and Cook counties. Its population is 21,975.