Hi everybody!

WOW--talk about HEAT! In all the years I have lived here, it's never been over 100 degrees...until this week! With an even higher heat index! And just looking at the weather channel, it looks like record highs in MANY areas. Drink lots of water!

Anyway, this week I'm going to talk about Home Inspections, what they entail, and whether or not they are worth the cost. I always recommend to my buyers to spend the money to get a home inspection--in this area, on an average 1500 square foot house, the cost is approximately $300. Cost is usually based on the square footage of the home.

So what does a home inspection cover? A thorough home inspector will check a lot of things in the home. They will climb on the roof, and check for obvious leaks, and identify if flashing is loose or broken, as well as soffitts that are damaged or in need of repair. They will also check the electrical system, the plumbing system, turning on all lights and ceiling fans, as well as faucets and showers, and appliances going with the home. This will include the dishwasher, stove, microwave, refridgerator, hot water heater and air conditioning and heating system.

If there are other systems, like a swimming pool, hot tub, etc., those will be checked to be in working order as well.

Regardless of the terms of the sale, (whether a regular sale or an "as-is" sale), getting a home inspection is a good idea for the buyer. This identifies issues that might snow-ball if not known. My husband and I bought a house a few years ago and had a home inspection. It was an "as-is" sale, and the inspector identified a number of electrical issues. This helped us to identify the costs needed for this prior to the purchase. In some contracts, if written accordingly, you can back away if updates or repairs will be over a specified amount. We still bought the home, but got the electrical fixed right away--it was a potential fire hazard.

So what about a seller getting an inspection when they are getting ready to list the home? If it is not an "as-is" sale, and you plan on fixing any issues anyway, it could help your closing go quicker than it otherwise would. I've seen sellers get the home inspection, make all the repairs, and provide all that information to those interested in the home. The buyers could have gotten their own home inspection, but chose not to. It's a personal choice.

SO, is a home inspection worth the cost? As a Realtor® and a home owner, I definitely think it is worth the cost to help eliminate surprises. It doesn't guarantee that things will continue to be perfect and work indefinitely after closing, but it sure helps give peace of mind!

What are your thoughts? Would you get a home inspection when buying? How about when selling your home, before putting it on the market? Let me know!

Until next time!

Valerie Sullivan
Broker/Owner, GRI, e-Pro
Sullivan Enterprises, LLC
www.ValerieSullivan.com
Valerie@ValerieSullivan.net

Hi all!  It's been HOT HOT with the temperatures in the mid-90's and heat index at 105 around here--GREAT weather for going to the beach, or water park, or just staying inside in the air conditioning.  Me, I'm having a yard sale this weekend.  It's amazing how you can finish a yard sale and keep finding even more stuff you could have/should have put in it to sell!

I find being a realtor very enjoyable in many ways, but as with any job a person has, there are always the bumps and bruises that go with it.  I have shown buyers houses, and when driving up to the home never even make it inside the home.  This is through no fault of the seller, as they've landscaped nicely, the house is in great shape, well cared for, BUT, the neighbor either next door, or across the street has so much "stuff" in their yard, that it looks like a permanent yard sale...except there's never a "sale" sign put up.

I had one listing at one point that showed VERY well--a paradise yet close to everything.  The feedback I got from every realtor that showed it had to do with the neighbor across the street.  Just one house made the entire neighborhood look run down and decrepit.  The owner didn't know what to do.  She didn't know her neighbor, they had strange hours, and she didn't want to cause waves (can't blame her!).

SO, how can you handle something like this?  Well, I'm sure there are MANY ways, and I would be interested to hear any ideas, but I will explain how I handled this one.  We had scheduled a weekend open house for this listing, and of course, the question was "how do we deal with the "yard sale look neighbor"?   Well, a couple of weeks prior to the open house, I went over to the neighbor's house, gave him my business card, and explained as nicely as I could (you never know what the situation is in someone else's life) that we were having an open house in a couple of weeks, and the realtors that have shown it have given feedback regarding "your" house saying that it would show better if these things (showing and naming specific things) were moved out of the yard.  I asked him if he could possibly move the things to the back yard until the house sold to help his neighbor out.

The gentleman was very nice, and said that yes, he would get it cleaned up.  It was all of his mother's stuff, and he never knew what to do with it.  Before the open house, not only did he move all the junk (I don't know where any of it went), he set up a little table and chair set on the front porch with flowers on the table!

My seller was SO tickled that this guy was so willing to do this without any issues.  When the open house was over, I took over a large plate of cookies to him and thanked him profusely, not only for me, but for my seller.  He was tickled over getting all the cookies!  Win-win for everyone.

SO--any ideas on other ways to handle a situation like this?  I'm glad this turned out well, but am always open for suggestions and improvements!

Until next time!

Valerie Sullivan
Broker/Owner, GRI, e-Pro
Sullivan Enterprises
www.ValerieSullivan.com
Valerie@ValerieSullivan.net