The tax assessor's office maintains a record of what they think is built on the property. If the assessor's records, and the reality of what is standing on the land is not in synch, ask the seller about the discrepancy. Back on the city's site, look for the city building or code enforcement office. See if building permits are available online, and whether or not they city maintains a LIST OF PROPERTIES with known code violations. If the seller says everything is fine, but you see that there is a room addition in back that never had a building permit, you could be walking into an expensive problem - one that you might have to solve after you close the sale. Demand that the seller get the property inspected by the city. If the seller balks - walk.
A sale of the property will more than likely trigger a visit from the assessor, at least for an exterior inspection - and revaluation which could cause the real estate taxes to go from manageable to unbearable. This almost probably indicates that the seller, or their predecessor, did major work on the property without getting the proper building permits from the city.
Protect your interests before, and after, placing an offer on a house. The seller and their agent may not know what they are in - or the seller could be hiding the reality of the situation, thinking there is no way you can find out. THIS IS SO INPORTANT TO FIND THAT AGENT THAT GOES THE EXTRA MILE CALL ME LETS TALK , PATT
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