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Watch for Red Flags When Shopping for a New Home in Wilmette

By
Real Estate Agent with The Marla Schneider Team

Red FlagsThere are several red flags that should make you look and think twice when purchasing your new nest in Glenview or Wilmette. Today, let's take a look at five of them so when you're out there in the wilds of Glenview househunting, you can be sure to check for these problems in the homes you're viewing. 

1. New paint on just one wall. Now let's stop to consider this. Painting a home you're planning to sell is always a great way to spruce it up. But why would a homeowner only paint one wall? Did they run out of paint? Probably not, since it comes by the gallon. Is it an accent wall? This might be a viable reason to paint one wall. However, what if the reason is that they're trying to hide something! Could there be mold underneath that new coat of paint. Or perhaps, water stains from a recent leak? 

2. Bad smells or too many air fresheners. This could be another clue that there might be mold or mildew lurking under the new paint. If you don't smell anything bad, but there seems to be a lot of potpourri, candles or air fresheners on the premises, look deeper to see what they may be trying to cover up. 

3. Yikes! Bugs or rodent droppings are sited. If you look into the cabinets and see "droppings" from little visitors, or the little visitors themselves are looking back at you or running for cover, you may want to hit the road. Even if you don't see anything, it's always a good idea to get a termite inspection for any house you're planning to buy. 

4. Haphazard or non-existent maintenance. Are you seeing weeds growing in the gutters, mold on the windowsills or dirty fan blades? This could be a sign that the homeowners aren't really into doing a lot of upkeep on their home. There may be other maintenance that hasn't been done, which can lead to problems with heating and air conditioning, water heaters and the like. 

5. Lots of homes for sale in the neighborhood. While you're outside, look around and take note if there are a lot of other homes in the neighborhood that are for sale, or if homes look like they've been abandoned. If there are stores, are they thriving or boarded up? An exodus of the neighbors could mean that there are plans in the works for a new highway nearby, perhaps crime is on the upswing, or the water may be making people sick. 

All prospective home buyers should have an inspector look at the home they're considering. Be sure to point out the newly painted wall and other red flags you've noticed to your inspector so he can investigate thoroughly. Money spent on hiring a qualified inspector can make the difference between winding up with a home you'll cherish for years or getting yourself into a quagmire of problems that can take years and dollars to escape from. 

For all your home buying needs, contact The Marla Schneider Team to help you figure out what's a good buy and what's not. Find out why other sellers love Marla. She can even suggest a good inspector to take a thorough look at the Wilmette house you want to call home. If you're a new home buyer, Marla and her team can also tell you if you qualify for the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit that's now available.

Comments (2)

Jill Schmidt
Aurora, CO

Marla,

Good advice, and I like how you make it local!

Jan 19, 2010 11:11 AM
Marla Schneider
The Marla Schneider Team - Glenview, IL
Move with Marla

Thanks, Jill. Even thought it great to be local in these blogs, there is a lot a lot of general information we need to put out there.is

Feb 04, 2010 07:42 AM