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Sometimes You don't have to be a home inspector to find the problems...

By Greg Nino

Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Compass 0524642

March 28, 2012 04:31 AM

oops!

On the side of this home the owner recently added a "cement deck." That black thing you see is the at&t phone line, embedded right into the cement. On all sides of the home it's ideal that you have an opportunity to water the foundation either from roof run-off or from a sprinkler. Your foundation needs it. These pipes go up to the utility meter. Obviously at some point this concrete will have to be busted up.

I know what you're thinking. "Hey.. that roof needs replacing!" Take a closer look at the hanging shingles on the covered patio.

People love to save money, and I don't blame them. But if you don't know what you're doing then pay someone who does. Someone at sometime is going to be forced to pay the price. It's better to not wait until your home is being inspected!

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Doug Rogers

RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL

Your Real Estate Resource!

But they still have the receipts from Home Depot? And they worked all weekend on it. That has to count for something!

Mar 28, 2012 04:37 AM

Greg Nino

RE/MAX Compass - Houston, TX

Houston, Texas

Doug,

I'm sure they'll expect dollar for dollar return on the labor they found at the corner of X and Y street. <-- smart ass comment entered.

Mar 28, 2012 04:39 AM

Bryan Robertson

Los Altos, CA

Stuff like this I can call it all day long. I even told a buyer what the cost on a foundation repair would be (caveat that I wasn't a contractor) based on my experience and sure enough, the quote came in exactly where I said it would. Nothing against home inspectors but I've been around long enough to call most of the plays in this game.

Mar 28, 2012 04:55 AM

Tony & Darcy Cannon

Aubrey and Associates Realty - Layton, UT

The C Team

Greg, Those are pretty amazing! I agree, it is cheaper in the long term to hire someone who knows what they're doing! Have a great afternoon!

Mar 28, 2012 05:43 AM

Marte Cliff

Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID

Your real estate writer

Yes, some problems we can all spot. But then you need the inspector to come in and find the ones that aren't so obvious, because if these show, there are probably many more that are hidden.

You just reminded me of a Fannie Mae listing I once had. The phone line was going out the window, so I followed it from the house out to the County Road - maybe 500'. There it was patched in to a telephone junction box.

Hey! No sense paying for a telephone line if you know how to steal the service. I often wondered how they got a phone number and whether they were able to make long distance calls.

We also rescued an abandoned dog from that house...

Mar 28, 2012 04:44 PM

Sometimes You don't have to be a home inspector to find the problems...

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