| |
| |
|
Nationalrealtyresource.com
|
| Home | Find a topic | Links | Guest Book |
| Welcome |
|
|
|
Checklist for Buying a Home
I had a client who called saying that his bath tub just fallen through the floor in his new home (new to him). Mold had eaten away the floor from the crawlspace up. The seller had placed a few 4x4s under the floor to hold everything up long enough to sell the house and get out of town. I asked if he had the house inspected before he bought it. He said, "no, was that important?" Even if you do get a home inspector, look for these things yourself. Some home inspectors don't look for these items. Some never go into the house. Mold test The number one problem faced by new homeowners is mold. You read about it in the news. Every week I get a call from an attorney gathering info for a lawsuit against a home seller and their real estate agent. The topic is always mold. You can get inexpensive mold test kits at http://www.tennesseemold.com Gutters The number one cause of mold in a home is improperly installed or damaged gutters. They allow water to pour into the walls. And water causes damaging mold to develop inside the walls. Make sure the gutters are level and aren't bent. Mud on walls This goes back to gutters. If the gutters are undersized, excess water pours over the edges of the gutters and onto the ground. This splashes mud against the outside walls. BUT the excess water also seeps into the foundation of the house. Plants too close The new owner, of course, can correct this, but did the previous owner allow the plants to trap moisture in the walls? The damage from this moisture may already be there waiting with costly repairs. There should be at least 18 inches between the plants and the outside walls. Foundation vents These vents are designed to let air flow through crawlspaces. This house may not have a crawlspace. But if it does, check the vents. Do they open and close? Some builders slop concrete on them and they are permanently open or closed. Potential mold and wood rot problems can result. Sump pump? A sump pump is there to remove water from your basement. If there is a sump pump, then there has been excess water in the past. To work, a sump pump needs some water in it anyway. This standing water can lead to mold and termites. Avoid houses with sump pumps. Yard drainage Does the yard allow water to flow into the house? Blown in insulation Most blown in insulation is cellulose or ground up mold food (wood). Yes that deadly chemical they put in it will stop mold for a few years but not forever. And even the cellulose free insulation sends particles into the air that we can breathe. This is a major problem according to lung surgeons. Do attic vents work? Is the attic hot? Just because the attic has vents doesn't mean they work. Motors rust or burn a fuse. Crusty stuff on basement walls If you see crusty white stuff on the block in the basement, it means long-term water problems. That white stuff is minerals deposited over time by drying moisture. RUN away FAST! Water spots on ceiling. These always hold mold. You only have 48 hours after a leak before mold begins to grow. After that drying won't help. By all means, hire a home inspector. Don't use a home inspector recommended by the seller or their agent. If an inspector says something bad about a house, they don't get future referrals from the agent. And make sure the inspector goes INSIDE the house. Sounds stupid but I have been in lawsuits where the inspector did all his work from the yard or even worse, from his car. For 30 years, Dr Graham has been helping people treat and prevent disease by showing them how to live in a clean environment. http://tennesseemold.com/ebooks.shtml
MORE RESOURCES:
Real-Estate - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Appraisal vs. Market Value: How to Avoid Pitfalls in the Sale of Your Home When you sell your home, appraisers use comps (comparable market sales) of local properties sold within the last six months to value your home. With today's rapidly rising seller's market, six-month-old information is ancient history. Staging Homes for Top-Dollar Sales Wouldn't it be nice to have Roger Hazard's design team from "Sell This House" come visit for a weekend?Many "redecorators" and designers offer "Staging Homes" services from $250 to $5,000. These services usually give good advice, some help with the actual work involved, and others even move in new furniture for you. Home Appraisal Values Are Critical To most, owning a home is a necessity, but sometimes it is a matter of pride or a business investment. Home appraisal values become relevant if one wishes to sell his house. Good Tenants - Learn Twelve Ways Landlords Keep Them Happy, Long-term Good Tenants Paying On Time How to Create a Win-Win Relationship for the Both of You!After you've found your tenants, how do you keep them? Establish a friendly, pleasant, business-like relationship with your tenants, so they'll want to renew again each year. By using one or a few ideas below, you will learn how to keep good tenants. Free Tips That Will Dramatically Increase the Selling Value Of Your House (Part 1) Did you know that it's a proven fact that a properly maintained home sells substantially higher then a home that is dirty, depressed looking and clearly not maintained very well? When it comes to selling your house the statement "first impressions are the selling impression" couldn't be any more accurate. This article will highlight some quick tips that will increase the amount of money you can ask for you home when you're ready to sell it. How Can the Average Person Build Wealth in Real Estate? Books on real estate are a dime a dozen-and most focus on taking advantage of someone else's misfortune. They frequently describe lofty methods for buying and selling properties no ordinary citizen can be successful using. Tax Assessment/Appraisal: How Do I Know What My Home is Worth? If you are in the home buying or selling market, it's important to understand the difference between tax assessment and appraisal value. Concentrate on the appraisal value because this determines your asking price. Do You Speak Real Estate? Anyone interested in real estate should be able to talk the talk. Here is a list of common phrases and words with a short explanation. Buying Beach Houses in New Zealand: Real Estate and Investment Opportunities Buying a beach house in New Zealand offers many possibilities.New Zealand is made up of two main islands, North Island and South Island, giving it miles of coastal lands and perfect beaches to live by. Maltas Market Battle With new destinations such as Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia offering two and three bedroom apartments for sale for £50,000, there was concern last year among some Malta estate agents that 2005 could see a drop in the number of UK and Irish buyers choosing to buy a holiday home on the island.With good all year round temperatures enticing many buyers for the winter months as well as the summer, driving on the left and a warm welcome from the local population who nearly all speak English, Malta has been popular for some years among overseas property buyers. Law & Logic of Homeowner Association Capital Reserves In October 1999, Oregon was one of the first states that enacted a significant improvement to its Condominium and Planned Community regarding capital reserve planning, a process by which homeowner associations plan and fund future repairs and replacements. For many associations, the process became mandatory although there was an "escape clause" for pre-October 99 Oregon communities. For Sale By Owner - Use This Tip To Sell Your Home Quicker and At a Better Price Your house is for sale by owner (fsbo), Along with columns of countless other FSBO's in the Sunday paper. This one little trick will enable you to have your Ad Noticed by more potential buyers. Various Aspects Of The Lease Purchase Business In a previous article, we wrote why we believe that Lease Purchasing is the perfect home-based business, here we want to briefly touch on some of the actual aspects of operating such a business, the pluses and minuses and why Lease Purchasing represents a win-win situation for the seller, the tenant/buyer and just as importantly, you, as the business owner. One of your goals in operating a Lease Purchase business is to contract for property that you then move to the tenant/buyer. Customer Service - The Real Estate Revolution Traditionally, real estate has been viewed as a sales industry. But perceptions are changing. Best Places to Retire Places to Retire: Popular Doesn't Always Mean "Best"Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix and Yuma, Arizona; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Ocala, Florida-just a few names that rank among America's most popular retirement destinations. Unfortunately, their popularity doesn't necessarily mean that they are especially appropriate choices for astute consumers. Find the Right Apartment Quickly and Easily Using an Apartment Locator Service You've probably seen the ads or heard about apartment locators. But what do they really do and why should you choose an apartment locator to help you find an apartment area?One of the biggest reasons to use an apartment locator is the fact that there are hundreds of apartments to choose from. Home Selling: How To Set The Right Asking Price Many homes remain unsold for a long time because they're over-priced. Pricing your home right is essential if you want to sell your home in quick time. The Echo Boomers - The Next Big Consumers The Echo Boomers or Generation Y currently make up about one third of the US Population. Many of the Echo Boomers are starting to reach an age where they want and need things like, Houses, Cars, Insurance. The Pros and Cons Of Hiring A Real Estate Lawyer You're travelling in a foreign country and you get arrested for something that you didn't even know was against the law. The potential fine is huge, more than you earn in 10 years. Be A Realtor With Curb Appeal Are you a realtor with curb appeal or are you more of a fixer-upper needful of updating?How you present yourself to colleagues, buyers and sellers, from the very first moment, will influence your sales records as well as the confidence and satisfaction your new clients feel. Even if you're a Realtor in demand, with more listings than hours in a week, you may well find areas that you can polish.
|
| |
| |
|
Home | Guest Book |Site Map | Recommended Resources | Search Powered By: TJTMEDIA |
| © 2006 |
