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Resale
Homes: 'SOLD' or 'Is It'?
We
Inspect,
'You' Decide! Buyer Beware!
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Before you sign your contract; here are some safe guards you
need to take to properly protect yourself
and your family!
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Make sure your agent is a
buyer's agent. An agent who
protects you! Get it in
writing!
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Check with your insurance
agent to make sure the home
is insurable; and is not listed
in the CLUE database. Make
sure the home is not in a
flood zone.
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Roofs 12 years old or older,
may not be insurable.
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AC/Heating
units; water heaters; dishwashers; and
microwaves that are 8
years old or older are in
the last serviceable years
of their expected life. You
should financially plan for
their replacement.
These items
can fail at anytime,
even if they perform on the
day of the inspection!
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Make sure you
know what the amount of the property taxes
will be.
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Find out if
the seller has any previous
inspections and/or
contracts. If an
inspection has been
performed on the property, a
copy
should be attached to the
seller's disclosure form.
Insist that the seller
provide it!
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Find out
where the Sex Offenders (in
the neighborhood) live.
(click
here)
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Make sure you have an
updated disclosure form. Do
not sign your
contract until you do!
( In
an “As Is Transaction" where
the seller does not warrant
the condition of the
property; the seller is
required to disclose all
known material defects to a
buyer! A property being sold
“As Is” is really being sold
“As Is... As Disclosed”.
Merely inserting “As Is”
terminology into the listing
does not relieve the seller
of the burden of disclosing
defects. He/she is
still liable!!!)
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If the home is in a high
wind area; and was built after 1988
as defined by the (TDI)
Texas
Department of Insurance;
you will need a Windstorm
Certificate order to obtain
affordable insurance on the
home. Check with (TDI)
to see if there is a
Windstorm Certificate on the
home. This information can
be found on the
Texas Department of
Insurance
website;
if a certificate exists.
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Hire
a qualified home inspector
before you sign a contract! Do
not use an inspector from
the realtors list!
Remember this is your
money! Protect your investment.
Hire an independent home
inspector. An inspector who can
give you an un-biased and
professional inspection!
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Call us today! (281) 486-6887 |
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I am, State licensed, Code
Certified, Experienced,
Impartial and Independent
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If you decide to hire Mr. Cheap
Home Inspection Service from the
list your realtor gave you, you
may get just what you pay for!
After everything is said and
done and everyone is gone; you
will still be there making those
house payments!
Buying a home IS a 'BIG Deal'!
You have to get it right the
first time.
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The
Bitterness of Poor Quality
Lingers Long After the Sweet
Taste of a "
Low Price" is Forgotten! |
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you are using a Real Estate
Agent to help you in the
purchase of a home; make sure
that you have some type of written
provision and/or option
in your contract so that you may
be able to negotiate your
options and/or that you can
terminate your contract based on
the findings after
the home has been
inspected by a qualified home
inspector!
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- Realtors
like to sell and/or
provide home warranty
insurance on homes they
list or sell! Not for your
protection! But for theirs! That sounds
good! But buyer
beware! These
insurance policies do not
cover pre-existing
problems. Read the
fine print!
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- This
site is not about
the downside of home
purchasing. It is
about information!
We are telling you things
that you won't read in a
builder advertisement or
hear from a realtor!
We are not trying to scare
you. We are trying
to impress upon you the
pitfalls of buying a home.
There are good home
builders and good realtors
out there. You have
to look for them!
"How" you ask?
Talk to friends,
relatives, and co-workers!
Check with the Better
Business Bureau.
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If
you are buying talk to
the neighbors.
You maybe surprised at the amount
of information you can find out
about the home you are buying. If the information
you receive is bad news; then keep
looking!
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 Related
Information:
Resale Homes Photos |
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Don’t
make your most costly purchase your most
costly mistake. |
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This
is a gas forced
air-furnace in which the
heat exchanger has rusted
out. The unit was covered
by a home warranty plan
but did not pay "due
to pre-existing
conditions" even
though there was a
Home Warranty Policy on
the home. This unit is
nine years old! |
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This is a three (3)
year old home built by a
National (Recognized) Home
Builder. This home is in
the one hundred and sixty
thousand dollars ($160,000.00)
range; and which we recently
inspected! This
house has good
curb appeal. It was
inspected by a city inspector
and a windstorm engineer; and passed
all inspections!
Now, let us take a closer
look! |
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This
is a rafter that
should not
have been installed. |
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This
is roof decking
that is gapped at the
rafter. This was a common
problem throughout this
attic structure. This
house is located in a "Tier
1 County" [which
is a county that borders
the Gulf Coast]; and which
has to meet Texas
"Windstorm
Requirements"
in order for the owner to
obtain home insurance at a
reasonable cost. |
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This
is a gapped hip jack;
not much support here! |
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This
is deteriorated wood.
Keep in mind now; this
home is only three (3)
years old; and was built
by a national home
builder.
Additionally, the paint
has totally failed; and
the (exterior) wood has
deteriorated.
This
is only a small
representation of the
scope of problems that we
found in this home! Estimated
cost of repairs was
approximately $15,000.00
to $20,000.00. And
almost all the problems
found were "Builder
Related". In
other words, Buyer
Beware! |
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This
home was inspected
recently (by us). Less
than two (2) years ago.
The seller, who was the
buyer at that time, had it
inspected! None of
the problems we are going
to show you were on the
Seller Disclosure Form; or
the seller's inspection
report! Fraud? Maybe
not. Maybe the
seller didn't know about
the problems! Maybe
the seller now, who was
the buyer then, had a Realtor
Inspector! You
decide! Remember,
a quality home inspection
requires a "Qualified
Home Inspector"! |
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This
is a cracked
rafter. We assume
the rafter was cracked
eight (8) to ten (10)
years ago; when the home
was re-roofed.
Roofers like to throw
bundles of shingles on the
roof. This can be the result.
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Photo
# 2 is roof rafters
that were installed one
and one-half inches (1˝")
below the ridge
board; leaving the (roof)
decking not supported! |
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This
is a section of the
roof that appears to be
sagging due to a
hot water heater solar
panel sitting on
the roof! The solar panel
is causing the rafters to pull
off the ridge board!
The roof decking is
three-eighth (3/8")
inches thick on two by six
(2"X6") inch
rafters on twenty-four
(24") inch centers.
It was not
designed to support this
type of load! |
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This
is a water heater that is
installed too close to
combustible material in an
attic! The
label on the front of the water
heater clearly states the
manufacturer's approved
clearances; which supersedes
local Building Codes!
This is a fire hazard! This
water heater had been
inspected twice; and had
not been reported or
identified as "in
need of repair". |
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This
is a radius turn on
winding stairs. The
minimum the tread width
can be is six (6")
inches. This is a
safety hazard! This
stairs had been inspected twice;
and had not
been reported or
identified as "in
need of repair. |
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One
of the other problems you
might encounter on a older
home is aluminum
wire and Federal
Pacific Electric
"Stab-Lok"
service panels and
breakers which can be a
fire hazard! |
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Don't forget to check out 'Our
Services'! |
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Related
Information: |
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(The
Bitterness of Poor Quality
Lingers Long After the Sweet
Taste of a
" Low Price" is
Forgotten)
"Your
Best Protection is a
Professional Home
Inspection!"
Call us today! (281) 486-6887
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