Todays Real Estate Lesson for Buyers

BUYERS BE AWARE!

When you purchase a USED home, it is exactly that, a USED home. Not unlike a used car, it will most likely have normal wear & tear, scratches and dents. While this is considered normal, I feel it's worthy of a blog entry. Today alone I have encountered 2 buyers who have experienced issues post purchase...now what??? who is responsible???

As real estate agents, it is our job to put you in touch with inspectors of all types if you do not have connections yourself. We are experts when it comes to getting you a great deal in that perfect location for you, but we are not certified in HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc.. Therefore it is paramount that buyers exercise due diligence and obtain all inspections prior to purchasing.

ALWAYS get your agent to ask the sellers to purchase a home warranty for you, and not the basic policy, but the mac daddy, full coverage policy because what is working fine today, may not be tomorrow. 

What inspections can you do? Any that you want. Here are a few examples of the most common:

Septic

Roof

Foundation

Home

Electrical

HVAC

Termite

Well

Plumbing

As buyers, please understand that your agent is not clairvoyant  and inspectors do not have x-ray vision. Inspections are visual and these guys cannot see inside of walls, Yes, today one was told he should have cut holes in the sheet rock throughout the house to check for termites... I know it sounds weird, but the craziest things can happen after the purchase and a good agent will do all they can to lend a hand and rally together some help. But who is at fault?? In many cases, no one..its just the roll of the dice. 

There is no way that your agent can tell the future and predict future problems. All parties involved should exercise their best practices with regard to due diligence to avoid any surprises, but they can happen and when they do , it is what it is. No one set out to put the screws to you, it was just an unfortunate situation.