Home Buying Red Flags

Hi Karen, 

Having an experienced agent who can help a buyer anticipated some potential inspection issues and point out some red flags can save a buyer thousands of dollars and headaches.  While we are not inspectors, we've been on many and a good agent will pay attention and learn a few things to be mindful of. Great post!

Karen good list of red flags, and most of them are fairly easy to spot.  But having good Realtor representation to help point them out as well as a Home Inspection is a must.

Hi Karen- these are good items that any buyer can check when they are viewing a home.  They're also items that signal that a lot of maintenance has been deferred. 

A trained eye is very important.  A whole house inspection should always be performed, in my opinion, even with new construction.

Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner This is a great post for buyers anywhere.  It is so easy to get caught up in the upgrades and not see the real problems.  Thank you for posting and congrats on the feature!

Well advised tips during review of homes. I may add garage conversion, in law quarter etc can be problematic if not paying  20% downpayment.

Thanks for a great article!!!

Home listings are designed to showcase the best the property has to offer. Both the pictures online and the staging in the home itself are presented to draw the potential buyer away from the negatives and enhance the positives.

Yes, there are things that can be visible if you know what to look for! And having a home inspection is critical to identifying potential issues.

Congratulations on the featured post. I hope home buyers will read it.

In our part of the world...foundation issues are huge ...and need to be evaluated by reliable professionals if there is any doubt as to the reliability of the construction.

All good reasons to make sure you get a home inspection! Thanks for sharing Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner 

We see it all the time. The other side is also true. How many times have we heard from buyers who smell mildew in a closed listing that it has mold? Mildew is common in the south. Mold not so much.

Seems the 2 issues in Florida that always come up are dirty AC coils and roof issues.  So I always ask sellers to have those looked at prior to listing, in addition to my own eyes looking it over.  Thanks for sharing. 

It's important to be on the lookout early on for things that might signal larger issues and not be too taken in by the glossy stuff you like. This is a very useful list to keep in mind, and of course a good agent can help.And a home inspection is a must, no matter how great the home looks

Thanks much Karen for bringing up this important topic.

I've been involved with homes from the design, building, renovating,  inspection, investment and sales perspectives for a very long time. I have never seen a house, new or a resale, without red flags. There is no such thing as a house in perfect condition and absolutely safe, although some come close!

The important thing is to discover the red flags, fully understand them and get the issues resolved so that escrow closes in a timely manner.    

Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner - and sometimes, the seller hide some of these 'symptoms' - good news is, home inspection reveals it anyways...

(Fortunately, I warn my buyers should I see any of these 'red flags'.)

All good points. Thank you for sharing. So many buyers buy emotionally without looking at what is important. Fortunately, the best agents in each area can effectively guide buyers through a comprehensive due diligence process.

Karen, There are so many things that buyers do not see, know to look for, or think about. I cannot help but laugh when buyers say they don't need a real estate agent.  Yes. Yes, they do.  

I have an investor buyer that can spot these things at twenty paces. She knows exactly what to look for and stay away from.