The Lies Desperate Home Sellers Tell You
Once a buyer falls in love with a property, they actively collude in the whole fairy-tale process, swallowing whatever the seller says without thinking to question it. - “My neighbors are wonderful!” Really? Why not check it out for yourself? Knock on the wonderful neighbor’s door. Tell them you are thinking of buying the house next door and ask them what they think of the neighborhood.
- “The roof leaked once, but we fixed it.” The seller may not even think they are lying here, but if the repairs have been done in some half-baked way, you need to know. Get a professional home inspection.
- “I’ve only seen one termite on the deck.” If there’s any hint that there might be problems with pests, you should get an insect inspection. These creatures are not wandering hobos dropping in on a house for a look around then moving on their merry way. They come in groups.
- “There’s no radon — ever.” Nearly one out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. To find out about radon gas levels in your area, contact your local Environmental Protection Agency office.
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“I didn’t know I should have told you about the foreclosure.” Get title insurance. Judgments, tax and mechanical liens are covered by title insurance.
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“The planes from the airport don’t fly over this house.” You can find this out for sure by contacting the FAA.
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“There’s never been any flooding.” Most older homes do have some flooding in the basement when there is excessive rain, so it is quite possible a seller could lie to you about this.
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“Our schools are great!” For an objective view, get a free school report from HomeFair.com or GreatSchools.net.
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“They can’t build on that lot across the street.” Why can’t they? If the lot is too small, they might get a variance. Talk to the planning board to find out.
A List Of Important Things You Should Do:
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Get a professional home inspection. Qualified home inspectors routinely uncover problems with houses that you can’t see. The most common problems involve plumbing, cooling and heating systems, leaky roofs, kitchen appliances and cracked foundations.
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Spring for extra inspections. These include insects, radon, leaky underground tanks and bad well-water.
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Visit the property during rush hour and on Friday or Saturday night. It’s the only way to see what the next-door kids are like, how traffic is on the weekends, and how noisy it really gets around the neighbor’s pool.
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Get a signed disclosure form from the seller or the broker representing the seller. If they don’t disclose the defect, they’re subject to suit.
