Dewinterizing a foreclosure property is not as simple as turning on the water, so please do NOT schedule your inspector to visit the property right after your offer is accepted. A few things need to happen before the water will actually be on in the house.
- You (or your client) must actually be under contract. That means the contract must be signed by all parties. That is not the same as having an accepted offer in hand or even having submitted a buyer-signed contract and addenda. Until we are actually under contract, either party can withdraw the offer.
- Winterization must be ordered, usually through a national property preservation vendor.
- The national vendor contacts the local vendor, who then makes arrangements to send someone to the property.
- Property preservation has a specified amount of time to complete the dewinterization, usually 72 hours.
So, why can't someone just turn on the water?
- Even when the water is on at the meter, it has been turned off inside the house for months. All sorts of small leaks may appear around joints and fittings when the water is back on. The rubber seals inside commodes may be dried out and useless.
- Pipes have been pressurized and left full of air. It takes quite a bit of time for the air to bleed off and all of those pipes to fill up again. Someone has to wait for that and then verify that water is flowing everywhere. If only air comes through, your inspector and/or buyer may mistakenly believe there is an obstruction.
- Faucets inside the house are usually left in the "open" position. If you or your buyer were to turn on the water, chances are you would have water all over the house before you could get to all of the faucets.
- The hot water heater's clean-out and pop-off valves are both open.
- Most of the time, the washing machine hook-ups are open.
- The water line to the missing refrigerator is open (it may even be cut).
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If you are looking for a foreclosure in Cape Girardeau, Perry, N. Scott, or Bollinger counties, I am the region's most experienced REO agent. As the area's ONLY Fannie Mae direct listing agent, I list more foreclosure properties than any other agent in this MLS. I am the only local agent registered to both list and sell HUD properties
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www.homepath.com for Fannie Mae properties
www.homesteps.com for Freddie Mac properties
www.HUDhomestore.com for HUD properties (foreclosures that were FHA financed)
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