Specific things to look for when buying a house? (for sale, real estate)

[robnorth]

There's all the standard stuff -- bedrooms, bathrooms, layout, size, age, condition, location, schools -- that anyone buying a house anywhere would consider. But what else should we be looking for when looking for a house to buy? For example, I see that many homes here are built with blocks, rather than wood frame. That's an issue I've never run across anywhere else. So what are the pros and cons with that? And what other issues that may be peculiar to this area should we look for?

On a related note, we'd never buy without getting a good home inspection. Are house inspectors here good? Regulated? What do you have to look for re: choosing an inspector?

[bluegrey]

A "For Sale" sign.

[borregokid]

A lot of people like block-masonry construction over frame-stucco. Most of the houses that are masonry are older. The downside is they arent as well insulated as newer frame homes. An older home though will typically have a bigger lot which might be attractive. Also the masonry homes are a lot more resistent to termites. The termites here in Arizona will bore though stucco but when they find only masonry they leave. If they hit wood they are a problem but not as much as in other areas of the country. Arizona termites have to leave the house on occaision to find water. The inspectors all run though a check list. A realtor can recommend a good inspector. if you found a masonry home that has been updated with a newer kitchen, newer windows, decent lighting, nice neighborhood, newer roof, AC, larger lot with some privacy and some mature vegetation and exposure that didnt leave the home exposed to the western sun that would be attractive.

[El_Waiboi]

Block framing is highly superior to wood framing. It is more insulating, both as far as heat/cooling and noise. Also block construction will deteriorate much less (if at all) over time. By the sound of your post, it seems like you know absolutely nothing about houses; in that case I would recommend you trying to find a newer home (maybe a year 1995 build or newer). I say this because if you don't know what to look for in a house, you will definitely not know how to make any repairs yourself, you will have to be paying big bucks to a contractor every time something breaks on you. A newer home is much less likely to be in need of expensive future repairs.

As far as the Home Inspectors, there are good ones, and yes they are licensed. My reccomendation is to not use an inspector referred to you by either your Realtor or the seller's Realtor. For all you know the house may have problems but if the inspector and realtor are buddies, they can be working together with you as the pawn. The Realtor sends referrals(money) to the Inspector, then the inspector tells the potential homebuyer that the house is "good to go" (although it may not be), that way the house gets sold quickly and the realtor makes their commission quickly. It's a scam you can easily avoid by personally picking and hiring your own Home Inspector. A home inspection is about $400.

And I wouldn't rule out a wood framed house (most homes you will see will probably be wood framed), I just wanted to truthfully answer your question as to what the difference was between wood vs block framing.

[robnorth]

Yeah, I can do small and some medium-ish home repairs myself, but anything of any substance, I'd need an expert to come in and do. I've installed dishwashers, cut and installed baseboard, and I'll be tempted to lay my own cork tile floors in whatever we buy (depending on what it's already got for flooring), but that's about it.

And I'm already strongly leaning towards newer houses, if our budget can handle it. (We'd like 4 br and 2000 sqft, but could live with 3 br and 1500 sqft ... but we'd like to keep it to definitely under $250k, and ideally under $200k.)

[AZJoeD]

Originally Posted by El_Waiboi

As far as the Home Inspectors, there are good ones, and yes they are licensed. My reccomendation is to not use an inspector referred to you by either your Realtor or the seller's Realtor. For all you know the house may have problems but if the inspector and realtor are buddies, they can be working together with you as the pawn. The Realtor sends referrals(money) to the Inspector, then the inspector tells the potential homebuyer that the house is "good to go" (although it may not be), that way the house gets sold quickly and the realtor makes their commission quickly. It's a scam you can easily avoid by personally picking and hiring your own Home Inspector. A home inspection is about $400.

Yes, I highly recommend opening the yellow pages, closing your eyes, spinning around 3 times and pointing to the first home inspector your finger lands on. Rather than trusting your RE Agent, who you just trusted to write your purchase contract, even though that agent may have worked with many home inspectors over the years and knows the good and bad ones.

But, then again Agents and their friends (mortgage brokers, home inspectors, handymen) are only trying to take your money and leave you high and dry. After all our business is only about kickbacks, bribes and under the table deals.

[El_Waiboi]

Originally Posted by AZJoeD

Yes, I highly recommend opening the yellow pages, closing your eyes, spinning around 3 times and pointing to the first home inspector your finger lands on. Rather than trusting your RE Agent, who you just trusted to write your purchase contract, even though that agent may have worked with many home inspectors over the years and knows the good and bad ones.

But, then again Agents and their friends (mortgage brokers, home inspectors, handymen) are only trying to take your money and leave you high and dry. After all our business is only about kickbacks, bribes and under the table deals.

LOL - I guess I struck a nerve, sorry Joe!

Let me clarify my prior statement by saying that the kind of scam I had previously mentioned is not something practiced by all Real Estate agents, in fact, it is not even practiced by the majority of RE Agents; okay, let me go on to say that that type of scam is actually only practiced by a very small fraction practicing agents. So, let me continue - It will probably not happen to you, and you could in fact probably trust your agent's Home Inspector recommendation.

I was not talking about all agents, or specifically you, Joe. As a matter of fact, you are probably a very ethical realtor, and for that reason exactly you were so offended by my post.

But however you phrase it, there does remain the potential that a Realtor and Home Inspector could work together unethically in the manner I described. As a matter of fact, I know that it has happened before and I am sure that you are also aware of this. But like I said, this is not common practice.

So I look at it the same way as locking my doors at night: There is a very small chance that my house will actually get broken into, however I protect myself from that possibility by doing something as simple as locking my door. Same thing with selecting a Home Inspector: My realtor is probably a great guy and very trustworthy, but to make sure my investment (home) is completely invulnerable to this type of scam, I will do something as simple as selecting my own Home Inspector.

And no, I probably won't pick one at random from the phone book, I will instead take someone's trusted advice/recommendation (friends or family members) from someone who will not financially profit from my transaction if a home is purchased after the home inspection.

Again, sorry if I offended you, I readily admit that the majority of realtors do not practice this. But even if for example only one 1 out of every 1000 realtors do this, I sure as heck don't want to be that one guy who gets the short end of the stick! And Joe - If your still mad after reading all this, then the only logical explanation is that you in fact are that one shady realtor out of a thousand and your upset because I'm putting your whole diabolical operation out on front street. Don't get mad, I'm just kidding Joe!!

[bluegrey]

I know someone who had an electrical fire, the first time she used her range. The inspector was recommended by the agent. She was taking him to court, last I heard. However, the house she bought went up in value so much from when she bought in early '11 that I think all was going to be forgotten (when she sold, of course).

I think it really pays to do a preliminary inspection, yourself. The folks next door to me let a deal fall through after an inspector found a very basic roof design problem, that should have been very evident. They lost 400, on that, but then dove right into the next one and paid about 35K too much....but it passed inspection.

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by bluegrey

I know someone who had an electrical fire, the first time she used her range. The inspector was recommended by the agent. She was taking him to court, last I heard. However, the house she bought went up in value so much from when she bought in early '11 that I think all was going to be forgotten (when she sold, of course).

I think it really pays to do a preliminary inspection, yourself. The folks next door to me let a deal fall through after an inspector found a very basic roof design problem, that should have been very evident. They lost 400, on that, but then dove right into the next one and paid about 35K too much....but it passed inspection.

Home inspectors dont look inside the walls, and most claim no specific expertise for things like hvac and electrical systems, so if the stove worked and didn't go "boom" the first time it was turned on, the inspector did their job right. The fine print for most home inspectors reports suggests you hire a roofer, plumber, electrician, hvac guy, structural engineer and pest guy, "if any of those items concern you".. the bottom line is that if hacked-up repairs are covered with drywall, no one is going to spot them.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Zippyman

Home inspectors dont look inside the walls, and most claim no specific expertise for things like hvac and electrical systems, so if the stove worked and didn't go "boom" the first time it was turned on, the inspector did their job right. The fine print for most home inspectors reports suggests you hire a roofer, plumber, electrician, hvac guy, structural engineer and pest guy, "if any of those items concern you".. the bottom line is that if hacked-up repairs are covered with drywall, no one is going to spot them.

Yes, the inspections are just superficial stuff for the most part. They turn things on and off and see if they work. Then, to make it sound like they earned your money, they always note a cracked tile on the roof and a slow draining drain. Waste of money, IMO, but they do provide yet another bargaining chip for a buyer.