Tips

Do You Know What An Home Inspector Looks For?

Home inspections are a must-have when buying a home, and understanding what the inspector will be looking for can be helpful. That way, problems can be identified early, and you can decide if they need to be addressed before closing.

But what, exactly, are inspectors looking for during a home inspection?

recent video from realtor.com outlined some of the potential issues home inspectors are looking for during the inspection process, including:

  • The foundation. One of the first things many inspectors will look for are potential issues with the home’s foundation. For example, can they see any visible cracks in the concrete? Are all the windows, walls, and doors straight—or are they off-kilter?
  • The roof. The inspector will also climb onto the roof and look for evidence of wear or past leaks. They may even crawl into the attic to see if there’s any leak-related water damage.
  • The appliances. The inspector will also go through the home and check the functionality of all the appliances. For example, is the kitchen sink draining? Does the garbage disposal work? Do all the sinks, toilets, and faucets in the bathroom work—and are there any leaks?

 FUN FACT: In my earlier days, I used to be a home inspector. Today, my clients find it a HUGE benefit when working with me. Give me a call at 317-625-0655 if you have something you want me to look at.

If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, Trust Your Real Estate Agent, Not an iBuyer

When you’re selling your house, MY GOAL is for you to make as much money as you can, as quickly as possible, and with the least amount of interruption to your life. Your goal, too, right??

So when you come across an “iBuyer” company that offers to buy your house for fair market value without putting it on the market and not paying real estate commissions, it can sound super appealing.

The problem is that going that route doesn’t necessarily make you as much money as possible!

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has confirmed all of that and more when they took action and imposed a $62 million fine against the online home buying firm Opendoor Labs, Inc., for misleading sellers and “tricking them into thinking that they could make more money selling their home to Opendoor than on the open market using the traditional sales process.”

If you are considering this, let me give you my two cents. It can save you a lot of headaches.

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Does the Cooling Market Mean You Can’t Still Get a Historically High Price for Your House?

If you’ve been thinking about selling your house, you’ve probably heard that the market’s cooling off, or “resetting” (as Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, recently put it.) So you might be wondering if that means you won’t be able to get as much money for your house as your neighbors did a few weeks back.

On the other hand, there are still reports that house prices are still rising, like in this realtor.com article, which makes you wonder if you could actually get more money than they did!

So, what’s the truth?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. Real estate functions on a very local level, and much of what you read is referring to the broader, national market.  Indiana is not Phoenix or Las Vegas (where the major price reductions are occurring.) Not only does the general area you live in matter, but the specific price range or neighborhood your house is in can affect whether or not you get more or less for your house. Know that I am here to help you with this!

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