Things to Check Out Before Buying A House
If you're thinking about buying a house, you'll have a number of
things that you'll want to specifically look into before you do.
This article will give you a number of suggestions about exactly
what factors to look into before you make the big plunge into
being a homeowner.
First, always ask around among the neighbors before you buy.
You'll be surprised about what might turn up. If there's been
bad blood, a neighbor might be willing to reveal every problem
they know about with the house. They'll also be able to clue you
in to things that may not be a problem with the house in
particular but may be with the neighborhood in general. This can
include a number of things. Remember to ask about: whether the
house or the neighborhood is in a flood zone, whether there are
any problem neighbors nearby, whether they know of any previous
damage, and whether there is a crime problem. You can probably
think of about a dozen other things to ask - talk with several
neighbors, and if you find the local gossip, you'll be in on
everything you need to know. Always make sure that you document
what representations the owner makes to you about the house - it
could come in handy later, especially if there are major
undisclosed problems with it. Do a little searching on the
internet - you can always do a search for the name of the
homeowner and see if anything interesting comes up. If there's
something shady or they're untrustworthy, you want to know about
it. By the same token, you can often easily see if they are
legitimate that way. Make sure that you've had a title search
done - your real estate agent will probably take care of it, but
it's a must-have. Hire a handyman to inspect the place if you
aren't good with that sort of thing - or just get someone you
trust to look around. It doesn't take much to make sure that
your house will be a good investment.