Upcoming Free (& non-promotional) Home Buyer Classes:
…..Because we will be at the Fair again this year, August Classes will be after the fair…And yes, we will be at the Clark County Fair from 8/5-8/14 in the main exhibition hall, directly to the right from the main doors. Stop by and say, “hi” to me or Chris Berg with Pinnacle Mortgage at the Free Home Education Booth. We will be there every day. 🙂
Thursday night, August 18th, from 5pm-8pm (ish) Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)
Saturday August 20th, from 9am-12pm (ish) Marshall Community Center, conference room
1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver WA (kitty corner from Clark College)
If these class dates and/or times don’t work for you, please let us know. We understand that you have lives, and families, and work. We will work something out that works better with your schedule. Just let us know….
….we also have home seller classes available too…link on left on website
Remember…with reservation…we will throw in lunch, or dinner! 😀
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Happy Sunday (ok, Monday night now…)
What a beautiful day in the neighborhood! 🙂 I know you might get upset, but really, this summer has been pretty good weather-wise. Honestly, I can do without the humidity… curly hair and humidity are not friendly! It turns me into “fi-fi, the wonder poodle”. The other day when I left I ‘thought’ I was having a good hair day…and then humidity happened. By the time I got home in the evening, and looked in the mirror, I was frankly surprised no one told me to use my wrist hairband and tame that beast! 😀 Seriously…if my hair looks like that…it is ok to tell me to ponytail it! I’m not a fan of the weather when it is hot, I break out my floppy hat, and prepare to smell like sunscreen (super pasty-white proof).
Don’t forget that the Clark County Fair starts on Friday, August 5th. Chris Berg and I will be at the Free Home Education Booth in the Big Exhibition Hall…from the main doors, we are the 2nd booth on the right. I will be there until 4-5pm every day, and Chris Berg with Pinnacle Mortgage will be there from 4pm-5pm every day until Close. Have questions? Stop by and say, “hi”! 🙂
This week we’re going to talk about inspections a bit. Why? Because they are very important …whether you are buying a new home, or a ‘new to you’ home. When you are buying a new home you expect certain things…it’s new after all. However, you are doing the inspection NOT because of the builder, but because of the subcontractors they’ve hired. I mean…it’s Friday at beer-thirty, and something isn’t done…but hey! That’s ok, because they’ll do it Monday. Well, over the weekend they forget, or they get in on Monday, and some person/contractor has already done their job and now that person can’t get to that item. No big deal…no one will know. For example. I have a client who just a couple of months ago purchased a 2 year old home. The sellers are the first owners who did NOT have a home inspection done (because it was new ya know…and the county inspectors said it was ok). Well, during the course of OUR inspection it was noted that the crawlspace has a sump pump. No big deal.. this home is close to a swampy area and some of their neighbors have wet crawlspaces. This is a good thing from the builder as they were looking ahead. This home also had a completely dry crawlspace…but not because of the sump pump. You see the sump pump was put into the crawlspace but never had an electrical outlet installed for it! Somehow, that part got missed…because who needs electricity? Long story short… that sump pump, in case it would have been needed, was pointless because well, no electricity. The county inspectors do not inspect the home. When you are building a home, or buying a new home (or almost new), still get an inspection. You’re inspectors job is to look for any issue with the home (without being invasive). You, and your agent need to be at the inspection. You need to follow the inspector around, and ask questions. With a new home, you should expect a certain level of ‘completeness’ and lower upfront maintenance costs because it is new(er). It’s like a new car. You’re buying new so less upfront costs for maintenance…however, just like a car, your home will still need YOU to take care of it as it ages. Just like a car, the worst thing you can do to a home is to ignore it. Deferred maintenance is the killer of home values and cars. In our current market, it is more expensive to buy new than it is to purchase already built…wait, that is just like a car too, isn’t it?
If the home is an older home… don’t be afraid of it. You’re going to get a home inspection. The inspector is going to let you know everything (that they can see) that is going to need to be done. This is like buying an older vehicle and taking it to a automotive technician to check it out first. When buying an older car you know that there are some great cars that have been driven by little old ladies who only took it out for a sunday drive for groceries once a month and religiously maintained it….and that there are those cars that were driven hard…every week 400-600 miles with lots of stop & go traffic, left in parking lots, full of kids & people, and really ran through their paces…. oh…wait..that’s my car.. sorry!
Anyhow, some of these cars have been taken care of (I do take care of mine), and some of them haven’t. Sometimes you get a car that ‘looks’ like it has been taken care of, only to find out …later… that someone put lipstick on a pig. This is a lot like homes.. Some homes aren’t pretty to see, but so well maintained that the only costs you, as a buyer, will have to is to do some updating. Pretty flash is not as important as good bones…. Some homes look pretty as they have updating, but as the inspector goes through them…well, the lipstick starts getting rubbed off. Don’t be taken in by a pretty face! Look for a good soul & personality! Sorry…guess I’m giving dating advice now too! LOL 😀
With all homes (new or older) there are going to be items & things that need to be done. As a homeowner, yes, you have to consider the costs of maintaining your home…just like your car. A well maintained home is always going to take care of you…just like a well maintained car is always going to get you to where you need to be. When doing a home inspection we will be looking for things that could affect the health or safety of the home or occupants…anything that might require a licensed contractor to fix. Those are the items that we will be requesting repairs on. Remember to always ask questions of the inspector, and that your agent is also there to help answer questions. We have the right to request repairs, and the sellers have the right to negotiate those repairs. As a Realtor, I always am certain to write in the inspection response that “all repairs are subject to re-inspection”. Also, be sure to request that all agreed upon repairs are performed by licensed contractors, and that receipts are provided.
Just like with a car, whether new, or new-to-you…you never really know about a home (or car) until you are in it every day and living in it. Just like a mechanic can’t find everything wrong with a car, an inspector can’t find everything that could potentially be wrong with a home. Inspections are non-invasive, but I can tell you after attending hundreds of inspections….not all inspectors are the same. Some are definitely better than others. Just like your Realtor, even after living in your home, you should be able to contact your inspector with questions. Remember that our jobs are about relationships, and we should always be available to help you…now, and after you buy (or sell) your home.
Next week I will go into detail on what you can expect from a home inspector, and during an inspection.
Information is power, and I hope that I am able to help you. Good luck, and as always…May the odds be ever in your favor out there…. AND If you are looking for a real estate agent, I would love to be able to help you.
As always….this is just a quick overview…. please remember that your agent is NOT a salesperson, and should not be acting like one. Your agent, and your lender work for YOU. You drive the bus…we are merely GPS to help you get to your goals. Like the classes, this weekly blog email is to help you with your home adventure. The goal is to be informative and non-promotional. 🙂 We are, however, hoping you will call and want us to help with your adventure.
If you have any questions about this, or something you have heard…or if you would like me to help you with your home adventure, please call, email, text, or facebook me anytime. I am, as always, happy to help!
Thank you again for your business and your referrals!! …and thank you for referring these classes to your friends, family, and co-workers.
. ..disclaimer…if you have already purchased a home, or would no longer like to receive these emails, please let me know and I will be happy to remove you from any further mailings…
Upcoming Topics: Home inspections & you… or…. Escrow Accounts, and what they do
Last Week: 50 (ok, 5) shades of insurance.
Have a great day, and I will talk to you soon,
;-D
