Property Red Flags For Homebuyers
By Mark Nash
Many home buyers judge a book by its cover, a sometimes costly mistake.
It's easy to be infatuated with a cutting-edge kitchen or drop-dead views
in home that you want to buy. Don't skip having a property inspection
on your dream home. Most home inspectors are licensed or certified today,
but they can only report what they see. Sometimes materials defects or
red flags are hidden behind walls, soil surrounding foundations or buried
in sewer lines. Know what the red flags are and what they mean in additional
costs or if they are not easily corrected. Mark Nash author of 1001 Tips
for Buying and Selling a Home offers homebuyers tips on real estate red
flags for homebuyers.
-In homes more than twenty years old have the sewer line inspected from
the house to the street. The latest in technology offers you the piece
of mind that you won't be digging up the front yard to replace the main
sewer line because of mature tree roots invading and clogging or breaking
it up. Sewer or plumbing companies can send a camera through the sewer
line and provide you with a video tape of what they discover. If it's
clean you can relax and if there is a problem, you can show the property
owner.
-Cracked heat exchangers on furnaces indicate that it's a health issue
and time for a new furnace. Home builders, owners and developers can
put in lower-quality and under-sized furnaces that can have prematurely
cracked or damaged heat exchangers. If your home inspector finds one,
you better plan on replacing the furnace. From a safety standpoint cracked
heat exchangers emit dangerous gases into a home.
-Under-sized or antiquated electrical systems. Many homebuyers need
to learn about home electrical systems and what composes an adequate
one. If a home you look at has knob and tube wiring, forget about getting
homeowners insurance, move on. Look for circuit beakers in electric panels
and if you see fuses in a home electrical box, plan on updating the panel.
Depending on the size of a home and power requirements the electrical
service should be at least 100 or 200 amps. If a property advertises
a new electric service verify that in addition to the main electrical
panel being updated that the electric service from the house to the transformer
has also been upgraded, a common oversight.
-Fogged or non-operative windows. I've seen many defective windows in
homes that have built in the last ten years. Many people skimp on windows
and these are easy to spot. Water condensation fogs the space between
double-layered windows. Newer inexpensive windows sometimes don't operate
properly after minimal use. Metal framed windows transfer more heat and
cold than wood frame windows. Many defective or obsolete windows can
be cumbersome and expensive to replace. Older homes might have single-paned
double hung windows that are painted shut, have warped closed or have
faulty counter-weight systems.
-Leaky or end-of-useful-life roofs. If a home you are interested in
has three layers of shingles and needs to be replaced, you will first
have to have all the existing shingles torn off before a new roof can
be installed. Leaky roofs are caused by faulty flashing around chimneys,
sky-lights and roof ridges or valleys. Many newer homes have roof issues
from inexpensive shingles have are only rated for fifteen years. Ask
the year life-time rating on existing shingles on any home your want
to buy. Slate, tile and wood shingle roofs are attractive but be forewarned
that repairs to them can be costly.
-Cracked and bulging foundations. If you see a bulging basement wall
from the inside, you have a costly problem. Hire a structural engineer
to inspect a bulging basement wall . These can be material defects and
should be disclosed by property sellers. Cracked foundation walls can
allow ground water into crawl spaces and basements. Cracks should be
professionally repaired and monitored. I've seen major cracks in homes
less than five years old.
-Basement water damage. Water stains on basement walls and popped floor
tiles can indicate prior flooding. If a home your looking at has a flood
control system it's a sure sign that the area floods. Check for sump
pumps and verify they they have battery back-up systems.
-Structural walls or floors removed. Open floor plans are the rage today
and many homeowners have created them in older properties. The problem
is unless the openings were framed properly and included appropriate
load-bearing trusses, these ex-load bearing walls could shift supporting
loads to other areas that can impact the structural integrity of the
entire house. Have a qualified structural engineer inspect any questionable
alterations that omitted original load bearing walls.
-Mold in attics, basements and living spaces. Depending where you live
in the country mold can be minor or can impact your families health.
Newer homes aren't immune to mold, in fact because they are so effectively
sealed for energy savings, this can contribute to mold, especially between
the walls where it is hard to spot. Hire a professional that specializes
in mold to inspect for problems, offer remedies and project associated
costs.
-Insects and pests. Carpenter ants, termites and other pests can rack
havoc on a home. Have a qualified pest inspector evaluate your potential
new home. I've seen my fair share of squirrel damage in attics over the
years, so have your pest inspector check for this too.
-Buried oil tanks. You would be surprised how many oil and gas tanks
are still buried and abandoned around the country, in urban, suburban
and rural areas. Most states and the federal government have strict laws
pertain to their removal and disclosure to buyers. If you have one on
a property you want to buy, gather estimates for removal costs before
you move forward.
Mark Nash's fourth real estate book, "1001 Tips for Buying and
Selling a Home" (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago
are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which
has been featured on ABC-TV, CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, CNN-TV,
Chicago Sun Times & Tribune, Fidelity Investor’s Weekly, Dow
Jones Market Watch, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal
Press Syndicate and USA Today.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Nash