|
Author: W. Troy Swezey Article source: http://www.livingnow.info/. Used with author's permission.
Human nature being what it is, none of us can get serious about the idea of buying a house without experiencing at least a few small twinges of worry. What we fear, of course, is making a mistake. And the mistake we tend to fear most is buying a "lemon" - a house that doesn't simply fail to satisfy our hopes but turns out to have so many flaws that it's a disastrously bad investment.
The good news is that the danger of getting stuck with a lemon of a house is one of the most easily avoided dangers in the whole universe of personal finance. Prospective homebuyers are protected in many ways, and they can further strengthen their defenses by taking a few simple, commonsensical precautionary steps.
The first of your protections is the fact that in many places sellers are required by law to make problems known to potential buyers - and are liable under the law if they fail to make adequate disclosure.
For obvious reasons, however, most of us prefer to steer clear of legal entanglements even when the law is on our side. In the housing market we do this by identifying problems before closing the deal. And identifying problems isn't necessarily all that difficult. Even a person who's not an electrician or plumber or construction expert often can identify areas of potential concern simply by being alert when visiting a house that's on the market.
It's a simple matter, for example, to turn on faucets and showers to test water pressure. In a bathroom it's a simple matter to turn on the hot water both at the sink and in the shower at the same time and then flush the toilet and watch for drastic drops in pressure or temperature. This is highly likely to produce evidence of whatever problems are lurking in the plumbing system.
Most homes should provides at least 200 amps of electrical power, and it's usually possible to confirm this simply by checking the numbers on the circuit-breaker panel. Check, too, for extra-heavy 220 -volt outlets where they're needed for a washer, dryer and other heavy appliances - and for the grounded three-prong outlets needed for computers and power tools.
A house that's been standing for years but still has straight walls and ceilings and remains free of cracks and the stains that indicate leaks is likely to be structurally sound.
Are the basement walls damp - or even wet? Have termites left their calling cards - tubes or tunnels where the walls touch the ground, or wood debris around baseboards?
Wherever you see such things, things that you wonder about because you don't understand them or wouldn't expect to find them in a completely sound structure, you can be confident that it's time for further examination. Keep an open mind about what that further examination might lead to, however. Things that can look like big trouble to the amateur eye sometimes turn out to be quite trivial when an expert checks them out.
The word "expert" is a crucially important one to remember. Ultimately, before closing on the house of your choice, you should have it inspected by a professional - one who has solid credentials and a solid reputation and whose work is guaranteed. Your purchase should be contingent on the results of the inspection. Your realtor can help you make all this happen, thereby reducing your risk to the vanishing point. About The Author
W. Troy Swezey is the author of "AVOIDING A BAD INVESTMENT IS EASIER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK." As a Realtor at Century 21 Paul & Associates, he has helped many individuals with their real estate needs. Visit his web site to download his free e-book, "REAL ESTATE SECRETS EXPOSED." http://www.TroyIsMyRealtor.com or mail to: TroyC21@usa.net
Built Camera Cell in Phone
The built camera in cell phone was not long ago the newest technology advance in the cellular phones field. But nowadays the built camera in cell phone is offer...
Do you like to write? Blog To Generate A Child School Fund!
For those of you who are blessed with a new child, your writing skills could ultimately pay for their schooling later on. That's right, if share you knowledge, ...
Five Dirt Cheap Ways to Increase Sales in Your Cleaning Business
No matter if you are just starting your cleaning business or if you are trying to grow your business, there are certain questions that come up. There are inexp...
Are You Homeless? Does Your Soul Have a Home?
How do you feel when you see homeless people on the street? Many of us feel disgusted when we look at them and others do not even acknowledge their existence as...
The Options For Regime Change In Iran
If recent speeches by US officials on Iran's plans to become a nuclear power can be seen as part of a build-up to a possible US-evoked regime change in Iran, th...
Do Your Words Betray You?
What do the words that you use say about you? What is your basic message? Do your words support that basic message?
Pregnant Mothers and Starbucks
Many mothers are addicted to caffeine and cannot handle going without during the nine months of pregnancy. The damage done to the fetus is a very critical issue...
Image Treadmills - The Cheapest Treadmills in the Icon Range
Image treadmills are a popular range from the Icon line of fitness equipment. This article reviews the image treadmills including their advantages, disadvantag...
First Birthday Party: Game and Activities for Little Guests
Do you want your baby to be thrilled by his or her first Birthday Party? Then you need to come up with interesting ideas for party games and activities. It's no...
Self-esteem Boosters: 5 Action Points
Get your self-esteem soaring higher. Read these tips!
Critical Illness Insurance and Life Insurance Cover for Better and for Worse
Making sense of critical illness insurance...
Internet Consultants for Online Sales
Beware of Internet Consultants, as many of them have never been able to promote anything of their own, yet are in a haste to charge you for their experience and...
Copy Editing: 10 Powerful, Mind Blowing Secrets For Writing A High-Impact Ad
No matter what product or service you're promoting,
unless you are able to write and use a highly
persuasive Ad, you may not generate a lot of traffics
and sale...
Using Divergences to Keep Out of Bad Trades
Learn how adding a divergence filter to your trading system can improve your results by keeping you out of bad trades.
Bathroom Designs Idea - Can I Design My Own Bathroom?
Here's a bathroom designs idea -- can I really design my own bathroom? Why not! Today, the bathroom is much more than just a room for grooming and a place to ...
The Dark Side Of Blogs
Despite popularity, blogs have a dark side that most people never consider... the fact that bloggers can easily spread disinformation and misinformation to unsu...
Preventing Death in a Bio Threat
Grid Response Research.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Google -- But Were Afraid To Search For!
How well do you know your Google? We use it every day but do you really know Google? How it started? Its history? More importantly, do you know where Google is ...
Super Secret Tip For Using PPC Search Engine Advertising Successfully
It's not about traffic; it's about generating leads.
That's right. It only took me eight words to give you the secret super tip on using pay-per-click (PPC) sea...
To Gain Weight - Fast!
Frustrated because you just can't seem to gain weight? Chances are your weight gain routine is missing one or more of these crucial elements. Go through my chec...
Tips for Building a Successful Career
15 Things You Can Do to Boost Your Career
You CAN Be a Great Salesperson!
When you are in sales, you have the choice to be successful or unsuccessful. The only one to set limits on your income and success is you! A career in sales is ...
How to Get Your Traffic to Take Off in a Hurry without Paying a Dime
The desire of every webmaster and in fact anybody with some sort of web presence, it to increase their traffic in a hurry. Higher traffic automatically means mo...
Builders and tradesmen - Avoiding problem tradesmen for your home project
Choosing a builder or tradesman who is not qualified, insured or comes customer recommended can result in project delays, cost overruns and an altogether forge...
|
Print this page