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re: Tips / Lessons learned when buying a house
Posted on 2/17/20 at 12:16 pm to CAT
Posted on 2/17/20 at 12:16 pm to CAT
You want to take a look at how the people take care of their shite. Is it tidy and well kept? Check the AC filter, is it clean?
Its one thing to clean and prep a house to sell, its another to do routine maintenance that takes work over time. Especially the things that nobody likes to do.
Age of AC is important. Over 7 or so years and really look it over hard. If its fairly new don't sweat it much.
Age of appliances? Age of anything mechanical that could break. Look at how well any remodels were done. Look for anything that was recently fixed to sell. Why was that done? Make sure nothing was attempted to be hidden.
Its one thing to clean and prep a house to sell, its another to do routine maintenance that takes work over time. Especially the things that nobody likes to do.
Age of AC is important. Over 7 or so years and really look it over hard. If its fairly new don't sweat it much.
Age of appliances? Age of anything mechanical that could break. Look at how well any remodels were done. Look for anything that was recently fixed to sell. Why was that done? Make sure nothing was attempted to be hidden.
0
Posted on 2/17/20 at 12:35 pm to Azazello
do not trust any inspector, not even your own. 
get dirty, crawl in the attic yourself and under any crawl spaces. make time to do this before the inspection or go with the inspector and inspect it together so you can point out and ask about anything you have concerns with.
bottom line is there is always a chance something doesnt show itself as a problem until after you move in so keep at least a 10% house value as a maint fund to handle the issues that may pop up
get dirty, crawl in the attic yourself and under any crawl spaces. make time to do this before the inspection or go with the inspector and inspect it together so you can point out and ask about anything you have concerns with.
bottom line is there is always a chance something doesnt show itself as a problem until after you move in so keep at least a 10% house value as a maint fund to handle the issues that may pop up
Posted on 2/17/20 at 12:59 pm to keakar
In the process of buying our first house now. This shite is stressful 
Posted on 2/17/20 at 6:29 pm to Azazello
Independent home inspectors don’t always check HVAC so put that on the list to inspect. We had a furnace out of code that cost a chunk to fix.
Also, will you have a basement? Basement waterproofing was a fricking surprise a few months after buying, too.
Also, will you have a basement? Basement waterproofing was a fricking surprise a few months after buying, too.
Posted on 2/17/20 at 7:06 pm to Azazello
I’m buying a house right now just north of Dallas near Denton. Currently contingently approved and closing next month.
I really agree with poster above sentiment about repairing yourself. Use the inspection as leverage obviously. Enjoy the area!
I really agree with poster above sentiment about repairing yourself. Use the inspection as leverage obviously. Enjoy the area!
Posted on 2/20/20 at 9:52 am to LSU1SLU
quote:
LSU1SLU
Any recommendations for a home inspector?
Posted on 2/20/20 at 2:59 pm to Azazello
I second all of the advice about the yard and maintenance DETAILS.
We closed in October on our first home. In our excitement (and desire to just. get. finished.) we overlooked the unkempt yard. In the 4 months since we’ve been here, I’ve learned about scale on sago palms and torpedograss. I’m learning how difficult (impossible?) eradication of torpedograss can be. The yard also has shitty drainage. It didn’t drive by in the rain but I wish we had.
Same on inside details. We had an ASHI inspector and I think he did a quite thorough job. I knew the home had some warts and basically wanted to be well informed about what we were getting into. But, in our master bedroom, not one of us opened the left side of hinged two panel closet doors. When I moved in and tried to open that side of the closet, I realized the jackarse seller had SCREWED the inside part of the door to the track. The track is hopelessly damaged and needless to say the doors had to be entirely removed. We now have an open air closet ... or whatever you call it when the damn thing doesn’t have doors.
To balance all this, I would say that the details might not be negotiation deal breakers or money savers, but at least you know what you’ve got on your hands.
We closed in October on our first home. In our excitement (and desire to just. get. finished.) we overlooked the unkempt yard. In the 4 months since we’ve been here, I’ve learned about scale on sago palms and torpedograss. I’m learning how difficult (impossible?) eradication of torpedograss can be. The yard also has shitty drainage. It didn’t drive by in the rain but I wish we had.
Same on inside details. We had an ASHI inspector and I think he did a quite thorough job. I knew the home had some warts and basically wanted to be well informed about what we were getting into. But, in our master bedroom, not one of us opened the left side of hinged two panel closet doors. When I moved in and tried to open that side of the closet, I realized the jackarse seller had SCREWED the inside part of the door to the track. The track is hopelessly damaged and needless to say the doors had to be entirely removed. We now have an open air closet ... or whatever you call it when the damn thing doesn’t have doors.
To balance all this, I would say that the details might not be negotiation deal breakers or money savers, but at least you know what you’ve got on your hands.
Posted on 2/21/20 at 8:57 pm to Azazello
Check the insulation, have the inspector focus on the insulation, then you check the insulation again.
Check the insulation.
Check the insulation.
Posted on 2/22/20 at 6:29 pm to LSU1SLU
quote:
I’m buying a house right now just north of Dallas near Denton.
The shad spawn in Ray Roberts is the first week of May - see you at the launch!!!
The foundation and HVAC will be big concerns in DFW. Check the AC drip pans in the attic for rust. They will be dry this time of year but rusty if they have been wet. If the garage is attached to the house, is the garage insulated? It will get very hot in the garage over the summer and that heat can radiate in through the shared wall.
Where are the water heaters and how old are they? If one fails, is there a pan to catch the water? Does the range fan vent anywhere? Will your refrigerator fit in the spot if there is a designated spot for it?
Look in cabinets under sinks for evidence of leaks.
Use Google Earth’s time change feature to look at the house over several years. Google the house’s address to see what pops up.
Posted on 2/22/20 at 8:13 pm to Azazello
1: Don't trust the bullshite school ratings on Zillow.
Go directly to SchoolDigger (don't trust their ratings either) but they do show you the actual standardized test scores once you drill in, and shows you how they compare to other schools in the district, and in the state.
Not looking to get banned, but here's what I uncovered- if a mostly minority school in a poor area has average test scores, they get rated "excellent". If a school of mostly non-minority students in affluent area has average test scores, they'll rate it "average" or even below average... my point being that the 1 through 10 number these services assign is total bullshite. And quite frankly, racism of low expectations.
2: Don't trust the property tax number on Zillow, and don't let your mortgage lender use the property tax amount from the previous owner as their escrow number. Senior Citizens, veterans, disabled people, etc etc, get huge property tax discounts that you aren't going to get. When tax time comes due and you think your mortgage company has it covered, you may be in for a big fricking surprise. I almost ran into this issue, but I had worked in mortgages before and knew to look out for it, and foresaw it, and saved extra for that inevitable day that it actually happened and my taxes were $3000 more than what was reported.
Go directly to SchoolDigger (don't trust their ratings either) but they do show you the actual standardized test scores once you drill in, and shows you how they compare to other schools in the district, and in the state.
Not looking to get banned, but here's what I uncovered- if a mostly minority school in a poor area has average test scores, they get rated "excellent". If a school of mostly non-minority students in affluent area has average test scores, they'll rate it "average" or even below average... my point being that the 1 through 10 number these services assign is total bullshite. And quite frankly, racism of low expectations.
2: Don't trust the property tax number on Zillow, and don't let your mortgage lender use the property tax amount from the previous owner as their escrow number. Senior Citizens, veterans, disabled people, etc etc, get huge property tax discounts that you aren't going to get. When tax time comes due and you think your mortgage company has it covered, you may be in for a big fricking surprise. I almost ran into this issue, but I had worked in mortgages before and knew to look out for it, and foresaw it, and saved extra for that inevitable day that it actually happened and my taxes were $3000 more than what was reported.
Posted on 2/22/20 at 10:31 pm to Azazello
Turn on the faucets and see how much pressure you have and how long it takes to get hot water. Also check underneath the sinks for no leaks while the faucets are on.
Posted on 2/23/20 at 2:24 pm to Azazello
Final inspection before closing make sure the homeowners do not pull a fast one and swap out light fixtures. In my case they were late for the closing and it was easy to see why when I went back to house after closing. I got everything fixed in the end but it was my first home I was young and had no idea people would do that.
Pay attention to every item and fee on your mortgage/loan. I will never do escrow again on any home I purchase, it’s a fee grab for the banks. I can pay my own homeowners and taxes on time.
Pay attention to the contracts you sign for earnest money and home inspections etc. they seem like just quick signatures here and there but look at everything you sign.
As others have said be prepared to walk away if it’s not “right”
Pay attention to every item and fee on your mortgage/loan. I will never do escrow again on any home I purchase, it’s a fee grab for the banks. I can pay my own homeowners and taxes on time.
Pay attention to the contracts you sign for earnest money and home inspections etc. they seem like just quick signatures here and there but look at everything you sign.
As others have said be prepared to walk away if it’s not “right”
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