Red Flag Warning…..
If you live in Southern California, you know what a ‘red flag’ warning is – it means high temperatures, Santa Ana winds, low humidity. Close the windows, stay inside and secure the lawn furniture. Get ready for Mother Nature to do her house cleaning……
If you are like us and sell real estate in Ventura County, a red flag means a horse of a different color. We have learned over the years to look carefully for ‘red flags.’ Call us crazy but as soon as we enter a property both of us start checking. What are we checking for you ask?? We are looking for issues, potential problems, challenges – or whatever term suits your fancy. These are the matters that eventually affect how we structure a Purchase Offer and later affect the negotiation for a Request for Repairs.
We are checking for items that could pop up on a physical inspection. Both of us have attended hundreds of inspections; make no mistake – neither of us are physical inspectors. Yet we have seen countless inspection reports with nearly the same items called out to be repaired. Many of the items are things that the homeowner ‘just lives with’ where they know it is a problem but they have lived with it so long that it does not bother them. Examples are: leaky faucets, cracked windows, broken locks. Sound familiar?
When we show you homes, we will be looking for some of these ‘red flags’–
- Wood roof
- Cracks around windows and doors
- Ceiling stains
- Tile discoloration
- Cracked shower pans
- Water heater strapping
- Fogged dual-paned windows
- Extension cords used in garages
- Empty swimming pools
- Uneven floors
- To name a few.
When we are successful in securing your home, we will highly recommend that you have a physical inspection and any other inspection you desire. Bottomline: we are looking out for you, our client. Our goal is happy clients!
In future posts, we will be covering in more depth issues involving physcial inspections. Stay tuned.
We welcome your comments.
Posted: October 18th, 2008 under Home Buyer Info.
Tags: Camarillo homes, physical inspections, physical inspectors, real estate, red flags, Request for Repairs, Santa Ana winds, Thousand Oaks homes, Ventura County, Ventura County homes
About the Author: Joyce Zangmeister
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1. Comment from Joe Nernberg
Time October 18, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I often wonder why I am called a “physical” inspector. Is that different than a building inspector? Is this the opposite of a lazy inspector? LOL.
Joyce makes a good point about conditions people live with. I inspected an 80 year old home in Montrose last week. Large rocks/boulders were supporting part of the house. I showed my clients the photos and he gasped. More amazing – the foundation was in perfect condition, the floors are level and doors are still square. Rocks are not the recommended seismic upgrade, but it just shows that the building code is merely a guide for prudent building. Time will tell us how well our homes are built.