| |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
|
New Home Construction - The American Dream or The American Nightmare?
Buying a new home is suppose to be the American Dream. Unfortunately, for many buyers of newly constructed homes it becomes the American Nightmare. Hiring a qualified third party home inspector can increase you chance of a hassle free home. One only has to visit sites like Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings (HADD)- http://www.hadd.com or Homeowners for Better Buildings (HOBB) - http://www.hobb.org to see how widespread shoddy construction is in the industry. No area of the country is free from shoddy construction. In my job as a Professional Home Inspector I talk to hundreds of people each year about new home construction. It still amazes me that many believe the city inspector will find every item wrong with a home. Nothing could be further from the truth! A city inspector inspects for code violations. The building codes are the MINIMUM standards that a home should be built to. City code inspectors only inspect for safety and health issues as they relate to building. City inspectors do not inspect for the quality of workmanship! City building inspectors also have no liability. If your home falls down and hurts you the day after you move in, you can not go back and sue the building inspector because he missed code violations. In Houston, the area I inspect in, the city building inspectors spend about 10 to 30 minutes in a home inspecting it. At the end of their "Inspection", they will then place a green or orange 3x5 sticker at the front of the home. The Green sticker says you passed, the orange or red sticker says the home failed. There is no way that a city building inspector can note all the discrepancies on a home on a 3x5 sticker! The new trend is for builders to advertise that their homes have been inspected by a "Third Party Inspection Company." This is like listening to a used car salesman say he had his mechanic check your used car out before you bought it. If the company the builder hires becomes a nuisance by continuing to find problems, then a new company will be found who can inspect the homes the way the builder likes. Wise and prudent home buyers will research their builder before deciding on one to go with. They will also start doing their research on finding their own third party home inspector to inspect the home as it is being built. What are some things you should look for in a home inspector? To start with, not all home inspectors are created equal. Look for a home inspector that is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) - http://www.ashi.org. ASHI is the nations oldest and largest home inspection organization. They have strict membership requirements in place and not any ole inspector will be accepted. Next, make sure the inspector you choose is Code Certified. Many areas of the country have now adopted the International Residential Code (IRC) as the model building code. Check with your local municipality to determine which model code they enforce and adjust your search likewise. You can find a Code Certified IRC Inspector by going to http://www.iccsafe.org. Ask the inspectors on your narrowed down list for sample inspection reports. You're looking for a home inspector who writes narrative type reports and who will include code numbers or the code itself when he finds them. I'd avoid inspectors who say they use an onsite "checklist" type of report. Call or meet the inspector. You're looking for someone who is knowledgeable and who can communicate well. If you talk to an inspector and have trouble understanding what he's saying, it's likely his report will be hard to understand as well. Ask for references. Have the inspector send you several references and follow through checking them out. Ask questions. Ask your inspector if he/she will come back out and re-inspect after the builder says all the repairs have been made. Some will, some won't. Expect to have to pay for a re-inspection. Ask the inspector if he will communicate with the builder after the inspection if the builder has questions. Good inspectors will take the time to go over the report via phone or in person with the builder to ensure that all needed repairs are made. As a home buying consumer, it's your responsibility to ensure your home is built correctly. Not the builder, not the State, County or City. Hiring a qualified and reputable home inspector will go a long ways in helping you obtain a problem free home. Full reprint and distribution rights are granted as long as the entire article, including the sig/resource box below, is kept intact. Donald Lawson is a Professional Real Estate Inspector who is licensed in Oklahoma (454) and Texas (5824). Donald is also Building and Plumbing Code Certified by the International Code Council. He currently owns and operates V.I.P. Home Inspections, a multi inspector firm in Houston Texas. You can find more articles on New Home Construction as well as a free New Home Buyers Guide at his website http://www.best2inspect.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Real-Estate - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Prequalify a Buyer When You Sell Your Home By Owner One questions many "for sale by owner" sellers ask is "how can I determine if a potential buyer can afford to buy my house?" In the real estate industry this is referred to as "pre-qualifying" a buyer. You might think this is a complex process but in reality it is actually quite simple and only involves a little math. Eight Out of Ten Millionaires Surveyed Made their Fortune in Real Estate - How? Consider the statistic in the title for a moment.8/10 millionaires surveyed found their wealth in Real Estate. Rapid City Real Estate Agents Take me Back to the Black HillsLocated in Western South Dakota, Rapid City is a thriving community with many amenities to offers its residents. This city is nestled among the beautiful Black Hills, offering endless recreational activities for the outdoor enthusiast in the Black Hills National Forest. Master Builders Ask, Do You Know What Design/Build or Design/Construct Means? You Should These real questions are answered by me and US Master Builders after receiving them from readers of my e-book, "Residential Development Made Easy."Question 1. How to Get Financing after Filing Bankruptcy If you're thinking about buying a home but have declared bankruptcy in the past, don't give up hope. There are still ways for you to be able to find a loan, even if your credit history is less than sterling. Preparing To Make A Zero Down Offer I'm going to focus on the Seller of a hypothetical property you have found and the offer that you are going to make. You want to write it so it has a reasonable chance of being accepted. Subdividing - But NOT Land! Many people are familiar with the concept of sub-dividing a large piece of property into smaller lots. The same concept can be very profitable in other areas. Dont Buy Ugly Houses! Ugly houses can be great investments, but we don't buy them. We understand that there are lots of valid ways to make money investing in real estate. An Estate Planning Primer An estate plan can be designed by clients and their professional advisors to achieve the client's personal and financial objectives. Or, it can be an arrangement imposed upon survivors by state intestate succession laws if someone dies without a valid, up-to-date will. Young Couple Buys Ranch with Government Money Kirk and Tina Sczepanik had a dream. They wanted a ranch of their own. Selling Your Home In The Winter In many parts of the country, selling a home during the winter months can be a challenge. Dreary, cold weather and the end-of-the-year holidays can keep buyers away and heighten fears of your home staying on the market longer than expected. Helpful Hints for First-Time Home Buyers Buying a house can be a daunting task, even for someone who has owned several homes. My husband and I recently purchased our first home together, and it was hard to find good advice that we truly found useful. Don't Just be a Real Estate Agent, be a Professional! Buyer Broker Agreement? What's that? Most agents don't ask their potential buyers to sign anything. It is too?well?you know?uncomfortable. How To Give Your Home A Face-Lift: The Sellers Guide To A Quick Sell One of the great challenges to selling a home can be showing all of its space, decor and natural light potential. For example, every home has crowded closets and dead space. Lease Purchasing Is The Perfect Home-Based Business Some call it the 30 second commute. We call it wonderful. Buying Property in Bulgaria : How to Avoid Making A Bad Investment Where is it possible to buy a property on your credit card? Bulgaria, of course! With thousands of potential property buyers seduced by Bulgaria's bargain property prices, the temptation is to think that making a solid return is a no-brainer! Searching the Internet, dozens of articles and property websites boast about the 100% capital growth that can be achieved on Bulgarian property investments in the space of 12 months.For first time investors with small budgets looking for a step onto the property ladder, this seems like an opportunity almost too good to be true! The result is that thousands of novice speculators and second homebuyers are flocking to Bulgaria to cash in on the investment opportunities it offers. Will The Real Home Buying Guide... Please Stand Up? Use Google right now and do a search on, "Home Buying Guide". Take a few minutes to click some of the links to see what's out there and then come right back. Apartment Loan 101 So you're interested in going into business as a property manager? Have you given any thought yet to you'll enter this potentially profitable market? Reality check-unless you've just inherited a large sum of money from a relative or are otherwise independently wealthy you're going to find someone to borrow from. This is where an apartment loan comes in. Real Estate Investors Kick Away $1,000 Those new to real estate investing often fail to take action because they don't have much cash. The truth is that the very best investors got their start when they had little or no money. Selling Houses: Psychological Effects of Landscaping Buyers think they care more about the inside of the house than the landscaping, but in reality, most buyers won't even get out of their car if the front landscaping lacks the promise of great details inside. Therefore, your landscaping needs to arouse buyers' expectations and entice them into viewing the inside of your home.
|
 Home  Contact
|
| Real Estate Information © 2006 |
