islandprincessmj you say not picking because of colors is "The most absurd thing you've ever heard?" - So, you're saying if someone's opinion is not like yours, it's absurd. Ah. Well, speaking of absurd things.............

I think what islandprincessmj was trying to say is- when looking for a house, have a list of "things that can't be changed or would be too expensive to change" as well as condition. (ie You can't change lot size, and it would be too expensive to turn a split level into an English Tudor). Turning down buying a house because of wall color that is, basically, a $20 can of paint and a weekend of time just makes no sense. I can't imagine finding a house that has good electrical/ plumbing/ structure/ roof/ style/ size/ layout.... and then not buying it only because the living room walls are blue and I like eggshell... Yeah, I kind of agree. I watch the home shows and see people walking through potential homes to buy, and more often than not I'm yelling at the tv about "Stop looking at the decor.. you can paint the walls!" It's not a car, fraction of the purchase cost, where color matters upon purchase due to the expense of repainting.... $20 can of paint and a weekend should not be a deal breaker. (Carpet color, too!)

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is:

MAKE SURE YOUR CAR CAN FIT INTO YOUR GARAGE (caragehouse)

I purchase my dreamhome and when i took possesion and wanted to park my car into the "garage" I found out that it is way too narrow to safely drive in and out, so I never ever used it to park my car - it stayed in a driveway since 2003.

What happened when we looked at the house was that the previous owner had that little thing, sports car, that could fit in a pocket let alone carragehouse and we were mislead (vissual misconception that ANY car can fit) that fits perfectly with "BUYER BE WARE".

Lillian Herceg... OMG! I NEVER thought of that! THANK YOU for the great tip!

Thank yoou triciajoelle - happy to help.

Yes, good warning! And when purchasing an SUV or truck, be sure to measure. Most don't fit in garages since the older garages are too low...and you can't unload groceries in your garage since the car doors swing up and hit the garage door, so you have to unload outside your garage.

Another great tip: Have an idea of the range of remodeling costs for certain projects in your area as you look for houses, that way--you can be looking at the house with the eyes of what after close remodel costs would be as you decide on which house best fits you, your budget, and your style.

If the place you buy needs messy repairs, such as scraping popcorn ceilings, laying new floors, etc., try to do it before you move yourself and all of your furniture in. I didn't feel I could afford it when I bought my condo and now, 23 years later, am looking to have it done and will probably end up paying movers to take most of my stuff to storage and bring it back after the remodel. When I moved here I had a rocking chair a table and a bed. Now I have four rooms of furniture and wish I'd taken a loan, used credit cards or whatever to do all of that then. I managed to pay off my 30 year mortgage in 22 years so I wasn't as poor as I thought I was.

dianamm1 AMEN with a capital Amen. Trying to repair, change or clean/tidy anything when it's empty, and you don't have your own things in there is, really, a piece of cake (COMPARATIVELY)

In Colorado, don't buy a house with a north facing driveway, that will be an icy nightmare all winter, especially an uphill north facing driveway. And buy a house where the sewer pipe from the house drops down to the main sewer line.

@Jane McPeters: I had no idea about Colorado driveways. Does that mean that driveways facing east, west and south never ice over? Wow - that's awesome!

Jane PcPeters, that is true up here in MA and NH too.

Being a southerner - like SE Texas, I find it amazing that you can have a house facing a certain direction up north and it won't ice over. I remember visiting some friends in Boston years ago - there was a blizzard the night before I was to leave. The airport was shut down. I remember it was in the late 70s. We had to dig out of the house! I was stuck there for a week until things opened up again. Now, that was an adventure.

I have no idea which direction the house was facing but it probably didn't matter - all directions were under snow and ice! :) Guess y'all luckier in Colorado, Maine and New Hampshire.

I learned that if you want a home in a quiet location, don't buy a house on a dead end or court.

Even though in PA we don't get nearly as much snow as other parts of the country.... the back of my house and parking area by detached garage gets sun all day. This means... night snowfall gets shoveled, sun melts residue AND (hopefully) dries before nightfall when any moisture left freezes to a sheet of ice. I didn't plan this when looking for a house... just lucked out! Next door neighbor has huge back yard trees which shades drive in front. By the time the low winter sun circles around to hit it? It's late afternoon with little winter daylight left. Always icing.

I had a most unfortunate neighbor situation not once but twice. Both were severely psychotic- believing I was planting magnets and weird theories of how I was out to get them with my kids as trained assassins or my horse fence as a weapon towards them . Magical magnet rays. I even endured threats shouted out the door and had to call police, then they shouted at the police. If I ever buy near people again, I will park and sit there for 24 hours to watch the goings on. Otherwise i will continue to live out on a big piece of empty land. Yes. I will pay extra to live on empty land.

I always think it is good to ask details about neighbors and to try to meet them. Most people who are psychotic are not into such weird theories. So sorry for you (and them of course, as they have to live in terror).

Location, truly, is everything!

❤️ SAVE this article and the comments for future reference. Experience is the best teacher, and if you haven’t bought a home before, others’ experiences are a valuable resource.

Very interesting comments, now let me add mine--at least some of them: if natural light is important to you, go to the house several times before buying, each time at a different time of day. pay attention to which direction the house is facing. If you like to garden, pay attention to how much sun the yard gets. hire a GOOD inspector and do not let him cozy up to the realtor while inspecting--my last house, the inspector exchanged notes with the seller's agent and did not inform me of many problems, such as jalousie windows that had broken mechanisms and a crack in the patio that indicated erosion problems. Three years later, I still have not been able to open windows--can't afford to get them replaced or repaired, and my patio, which is on sloped land, has cracked fully across and half of it dropped several inches And so far I haven't found a contractor willing to fix it (at my expense, of course). There are so many things the inspector could/should have pointed out which I could have used in negotiating the price down on to pay later for repairing them, it still makes me annoyed I wasn't more proactive. Find the most extensive list you can of what to check for before buying a home and then don't worry about looking foolish if you do turn on all the faucets at one time, do it anyway, you will be glad you did later. Plumbing is a nightmare, thanks to former owner who was a DIYer. Roof leaked first year causing major damage. If it is a condo assciation, don't even think of buying unless there is a very hefty reserve in place. One condo I had had no reserves, every year I was assessed thousands of dollars extra to pay for significant repairs to the common area. i finally sold it and moved to a condo that had over a million dollars in reserve!

Celestina 89--Would love to know where you live to get electric panel so cheap--here in Florida a replacement installed by electrician was quoted at "special low" price of $1,000 In our condo association if several owners did it at the same time.Possibly the components don't add up to that much, but labor is very expensive! And yes, owners have to pay for those things out of their own pockets, along with all other repairs to the condo, including plumbing, windows and ROOF!

Diannamm1--beware of storage facilities--i know people whose sofas and mattresses were infested by mice while in storage, and another lady whose boxes of kitchenware were infested with roaches when she took them out of storage and brought them to her newly renovated kitchen!

@Jean Fairchild: Electric panels and installation costs depend on the amount of amps as well as type of panel and how many breakers. So there is a wide range. If you get a commercial set up for over 220 amps and 36-40 breakers, yeah, you'll be well over the $1,000 mark. Add more dollars if you connect solar. If you use a residential panel box with 10-16 breakers, it's a lot cheaper. Installation fees will vary per your area.

You can google "residential electrical power boxes and breakers" for your area then compare with commercial variety. Don't forget to add in costs of breakers and transfer switches.

Here in SE Texas you can go to Home Depot and pick up a Square D home 200 for $109.00. Electrician and extra breakers, etc. are additional charges.

Be sure to confirm property lines.

Purdy much all real estate closings, particularly those with a mortgage or third party title insurance require surveys. It's usually so stipulated in any real estate contract.

A licensed surveyor will confirm and/or set all boundaries and lines according to the legal description history that has been filed of record.

If a sale and buy is without title insurance, mortgage or other state or country or provence, one can pass property without a survey or title insurance. This occurs sometimes when a person deeds their property over to a close relative for personal reasons such as illness, age, etc. Usually no money changes hands. Generally that person has lived or owned that property for quite a while and has title insurance and survey already done.

If there are any stipulations such as how the property is to be managed or requirement of the relative to pay upkeep while the former owner is still living etc., it is suggested to draw up a legal agreement. If the owner wishes to put a price on the deed, and the recipient needs to borrow the money to pay for it, then generally survey and title insurance as well as anything attached to that property needs to be legally done.

In my county in PA a property survey is not required. What a surprise when I put up my fence (not in the initial budget or even a consideration at time of purchase 2 years prior) that the neighbors fence was 3' on my property. Neighbor= reason for paneled fence, not her post n rail.

This neighbor just sold, private auction, I think. no survey, no home inspection. Now, in NJ- they're tough! Land survey required. Shoot, if a shed is 3" off center from the back property line they say "move it!"

As for my county... I bought a short sale... horrible condition. Mold central, busted pipes, etc. No county inspection by code needed. The next county over, a certificate of occupancy is required. Again, in NJ, they're really picky! (I'm in PA).

I had an engineer inspect the property, not a home inspector, prior to purchase, for my own piece of mind. With 2 year vacancy and water issues from frozen/ burst pipes and age of house... needed to know if structurally sound. Really didn't care about plumbing/ heating.. House was a gut pretty much. New circuit breaker box. I paid for termite inspection.. waste of money. Exterminator said "can't get into any place to see evidence". Plaster/ lathe walls of 1933 home. Cinder block foundation/ basement that rose 2' above ground level.. Detached 2 car garage in back of 3/4 acres. Wood joists with tight grain that isn't even available today. As for title insurance? Nope. Didn't get any. Former owner passed away two years prior. Good guy. No worries.

There was a form filled out by estates realtor with disclosures, as required by law. Never saw it. They had no idea the history of this house. After purchasing, I contacted former owners daughter who visited summers, and then the owner prior to that. Now, THEY were helpful! They came over and told me everything they knew, what they did/ upgrades.

Each state, even county in a state, is different and it's amazing how I could buy a house in this condition and live here immediately with no care from the township/ county/ state. (I didn't. I moved in 6 months after purchase, using those 6 months to "de-mold", finish 2nd floor to live, and remove 120' of overgrown landscaping around the house).

Encroachment on other people's property is not uncommon nor rare regardless if you have a physical survey or not. However, your deed spells out the property description you purchased. If you do not have a copy or the original, then go to the public records division of your county and request one. All deeds contain legal descriptions whether by metes and bounds or lots/blocks or percentage of ownership interests such as in a condominium.

On property, with or without a residential single dwelling, generally somewhere down the line a survey was done. Once it is recorded of record on a deed, unless an historic owner changed the property by dividing or selling a section to a neighbor, etc. the legal description remains the same.

Generally any owner that obtains a mortgage through FHA/VA - there is a survey requirement. Most cases, it's paid by the seller, but not in every instance. If an owner, current or previous were required to have title insurance, in most cases, the Insurance Company will require a survey.

Yes, you can buy or sell real estate property without a survey. In fact, it's not uncommon or real estate agents to ignore surveys because of the type of real estate contract that was signed by buyer and seller. Why? Because if a survey shows any problems such as an undeclared easement or mineral rights or boundary dispute between a prior survey and current deed legal descriptions, then the real estate agent/broker would have no plausible deniability regarding the contract. So, without a survey, agents can deny any knowledge of the problem. This doesn't have to be a boundary dispute over a fence, but it could be an easement setback for a building that was not met. The easement owner could then require the property owner to move that building off that particular easement.

And yes, courts can sell/auction off "signed off" property without any warranties, guarantees - nothing in writing - nor even if the building is built in the correct location from property lines, easements, roads, driveways (according to locale codes). So a person who buys without knowing anything - well..... to me, that can open a kettle of rank fish.

If there is a survey problem, generally it can be resolved reasonably without going to court. If the person who encroached on a boundary line is going to be nasty, they can force hiring attorneys, jumping through hoops and the like. This then turns into a settlement in which the encroacher is paid by the land owner to move off the land because it's cheaper to settle than pay attorneys for months as well as court costs even if the owner "wins".

Anyone can pay for the survey, seller or buyer. It depends on what you agree to in a real estate contract and/or requirements of a mortgage lender, state and federal laws, etc.

IMO, everyone should get a survey. It only makes sense to protect your investment.

I saw the property lines, measurements of property on the county website. I live on a corner, so I didn't have to depend on if a neighbor on the opposite side was correct. There was a large issue with the neighbors fence.

In 2015 when I first spoke with the neighbor, as she was leaning on her fence, she immediately said, "this is my fence". (Well, assumed that since it goes all the way around her property.) Assumed it was surveyed (my fault.) Because her german shepherds charged the fence, and eventually her adult drug addict son moved in and smoked his meth behind her detatched garage, a mere 10 ft from the property line... a decision to put a fence up was made. I mentioned to her that I was going to put a paneled fence up, and was going to get a survey. She said, "oh no, don't have to do that.. just put the posts in the holes my fence is in" (AKA remove my fence). For the rest of the summer, when she saw me outside, be it painting the house or landscaping, she would ask "do you think your fence guys could take my fence down?" I said I don't know. The following Spring I got a survey, the stakes went up. I ordered the fence. They wanted $200 to remove and dispose of her fence. A month past.. then two... Fall is coming. Fence is chosen, deposit is made. I can't take hers down because I can't trust her that she might sue me for taking it down. I sent a lawyer letter saying "you have ten days to remove your fence or I will remove it. She responded that it is not her fence.... and if I take it down, make sure I am up to code. OHHHH!!! So she was playing "you can't put your fence up unless you take mine down" game. She has two large sons in their early/ late thirties. ME... UP TO CODE! The one who paid $750 for a survey. Excuse me while I go get ice for that slap! The next day she left at 2 pm. Me, at 58 years old, hauled butt and took it down myself.... I then called my fence company and postponed the installation for four weeks. Did I mention she has two German Shepherds? Oh, wait, it gets better! She came home, saw her fence down. Ran into the side of the house, then out the back door... stood in the back yard on the phone yelling THEY TOOK MY FENCE! (REALLY? just... REALLY?) Oh, she backed into it twice. 2 wks ago she moved out, made a run for it since son was in jail. Go figure! This was the tip of the iceberg with these people!

Neglected to mention... Summer of 2015 she stapled garden fencing up against her post n rail. Now, if she is sticking to "Nope, not my fence", I think she owes me for damages to that post n rail. I guess she never thought of that! (I let it go. But a good point!) Anyway, her fence was 3' over the property line. (NOW reread the part where her lawyer admonished me that my fence "Better be up to code".) THIS is why I had the energy of Midas to single handedly take that fence down.... at 58 yrs old, 5'7" and 140 pounds. Hmph!

I have had two times in two different states where the listing stated property lines that were not actually what was on record. Not every state requires the land survey prior to closing.

The point is not if the state or mortgage company or county or title insurance requires a survey. Point is a survey compared to what is actually being transferred to another party is a protection of your purchase or sale.

If you don't care about protecting your investment as to actual property lines, easements, building codes as to placement, etc., then that's up to the individual if there are no survey requirements on the table.

It's simple: If the deed conveyance description doesn't match current survey - then the buyer and/or seller have a chance to correct that before it really becomes a problem.

Case in point: I purchased land in Texas 24 years ago. The deed conveyance description did not match a current survey in regard to a road easement. The deed granted me ownership of the easement along the property line, however, the road was actually owned by another party. Taxing authority began to charge me property taxes on the easement effective at closing. I caught the discrepancy due to the current survey I had done. And this particular transaction did not require a survey, however, both the seller and the buyer (me) agreed to one due to the split of the acreages.

At closing neither myself nor the seller refused to close until the title company corrected the situation. In this case, it was the liability of the title company to correct the legal description and change the pro-rated taxes for that year.

A few years down the road, a common fence between part of my property and the property next to me was under a lawsuit by the federal gov. I won't go into the details, but the survey the gov was using was out of date and the property under a easement order was not the same property line that affected my property. Again, it was quickly remedied thanks to an updated survey and the legal description as recorded in public records.

Once all that was completed - it took a few years, I finally was able to purchase that segment of acreage to attach to my property. In neither case was it malicious intent, but a problem did exist and both were clarified thanks to confirmation of which legal description was correct and which was in error. That is what a survey can do.

I'm confused. So, the property lines, length and width, are listed online by the county. Same with pic of house, size of house footprint, according to the county records. Why would there be an issue as to where the lines are? My surveyor came out and staked where the county said my property lines were. 103 by 210 ft Only issue is... a lot of people don't get surveys when installing fences, row of bushes on property line, and driveway.

My neighbor across the street is also on a corner and the property behind paved a driveway four foot on his back line. County said that since he had stone for so many years, it is now grandfathered in as the driveway being his property. Personally, I'd have the township rewrite the lines and adjust the taxes accordingly. These people don't want to make waves for 300 square feet.

People make mistakes. Legal descriptions are generally taken from deed to deed to deed to deed to deed and so on. A typo or as in my case, change in status to where part of the property became a private road easement granting the rights of two parties access to the county road. When I purchased the land, I purchased part of it, not including the private road easement as I was already granted right of ingress/egress legally. However, the county doesn't see it that was in their taxes and showed that part of the easement was my ownership. This was the fault of the title company who notified the taxing authorities of ownership of the entire acreage including the easement. It was then prorated between me and the former owner by mistake. The survey and the real estate contract that the prior owner and myself had done indicated the easement with ingress/egress granted as well as the additional easement for public utilities. This was all different from the prior owner's deeds (multiple due to it was part of a family trust.

Our country in Texas cannot rewrite anything - they only record legal documents as written by real estate attorneys and processed by Title Companies and Title insurance. Again, it was the survey that made the differences showing the different legal documents of the private road easement, ingress/egress, mineral rights as well as utility easements.

Generally issues occur through transaction (property changing owners) or through encroachment by a neighbor. Another common issue is typo, or a failure of action by a title company/owner/buyer to reconcile differences with a survey.

In Texas the fence is the property of the person who put up the fence. If they encroach on other's property, they are held liable. In many cases, the person didn't bother checking the underground surveyor markings which a good fence company locates when setting boundary posts. What you described about your neighbor across the street is called adverse possession. And yes it is legal to do. Generally it happens because the person controls the additional land including paying property taxes. That person established intent and publicly informs the public that it is his/her land. This must be done without objection of the true owner. The timeline varies per state. Some states it can be 10 years, others states it's 20 years. Putting up a 3' fence into your property amounts to public intent to claim the land as theirs under adverse possession.

To stop it, you can hire a lawyer and sue the neighbor for trespass or have a nice conversation of "understanding" to explore the costs or difficulty of moving the fence to the correct boundary between you and the neighbor. That is what most people do. However, if you don't care about the neighbor taking 3' of your property for the fence, they can establish legal claim of adverse possession if hostile to your interests. In that case, once the claim is made according to your state, you would loose that land. If you should sell, that 3' strip - well you no longer own it, so therefore could not sell it along with the rest of your property. Another way I've seen it resolved is to have a simple limited rental agreement of the land for x dollars per year until you sell your property. If they claim adverse possession, you have evidence to the contraire due to rental agreement/payments.

There's my confusion. Even with a typo with transfer of title/ property.. what is recorded in county offices is law, unless the county changes it by way of owner proposals at monthly board meetings, survey grafts, letters of approval from both property owners. Even with a simple 2 car detached garage built, when permit is applied for- architectural designs and land mapping.. AND written approval from all adjoining property owners, even if garage is to code in design and placement.

With a typo... that means I could buy a house and change the lot lines at closing because I want to, and then it gets filed, property records changed, and then the land is mine.

The way I understood it was... because my neighbor never got a survey or permits for her fence, and it was "Self installed", as most are, it was illegal and she can't claim my property, no matter how long it's been up. But, as you said, even though it's on my land, it's still her fence. (They weren't taking it down, knew I had to in order to put mine up. So I sent the letter "10 days to come down or I will". They said "not my fence" since now it involves labor or 2 - 30 something lazy sons). As soon as she said "not my fence", I got great pleasure taking it down, deeming her dogs unable to be contained without the effort of leash lines, leashes, tangled leashes, and using the yard close to her house to do their business. (3 dogs, 2ce /day, never cleans yard- and trained them to "go" close to the property lines, where the odor does not effect her.). These people are allergic to effort. And there is no way she would've got a permit approved for where SHE wanted her fence many years ago because that needs a surveyor who marks the lines and files the paperwork with the township that he marked the county/ township property lines with intent for fence. The corner markers are steel pegs so deep they can't be moved... in the event that the neighbor wanted to out in the middle of the night and change them. People just can't decide where property lines are.

As for my neighbor across the street- no survey for the driveway. but the nice owner who lost 4' of his back property said it was loose stone, so when the nice neighbor died and it was sold, the new owners would reclaim. He was shocked to come home to it being newly paved. No permit meaning no survey. He told me that he checked into it and it's grandfathered. Personally, I thinnk that is what he tells himself to avoid conflict with neighbor. The township has no clue that his happened, it has not been re-surveyed by township with newly designated property lines. I am encouraging my nice neighbor to have that done because.. well, I'd be damned if I was paying taxes on land that my neighbor claimed.

I wonder what the law would say about a retaining wall. Former neighbor finished his house about 6 months before ours. He sited his driveway on the edge of his lot and in the process added a ton of pit run that extended onto out property burying our trees which would eventually kill them. We dug them out and had landscape boulders installed. We started out working with him about putting in a shared retaining wall on the upper part that would have curved around to be 100% on our property (our cost) but he soon went ahead and put in a less decorative wall because it was eroding and would have undercut his driveway. The wall is perhaps 6 -12 inches on our property. We did not appreciate his lack of cooperation. Since then wonderful people moved into that house. I am curious if the wall would be considered same as fence in terms of property lines.

@missybee13: You will have to check the codes, ordinances and laws of your state, county and local government. A stone wall can be considered to be like a fence. A retaining wall is a sort of barrier in that it prevents erosion and soil from moving from one property to another.

In my area and the state of Texas, if there is one fence or barrier put up by one of the homeowners, that fence/barrier is the responsibility of the person who put it up. If two homeowners next to each other built a fence/barrier together, then both homeowners (and future homeowners) are responsible for the maintenance. If property owners next door to each other each put up a fence/barrier, then each is responsible for their individual fence. Codes in my local government county state that the fences/barriers can be up to 8" apart. Some jurisdictions allow barriers/fences up to but not on the property line, others will state on the property line. Some state fences/barriers are set back from property line 2, 4, 5, 6, 10" or what ever. Others have no restrictions. And if you live in a subdivision, you'll also have your subdivision restrictions.

In the state of Texas, a restraining wall or any wall/barrierl cannot restrict the natural flow of water. As an example, a railroad has to allow water to naturally pass through either by use of bridges, trestle bridges or underground pipes.

So, I suggest you research your local government codes as well as state requirements and/or subdivision requirements (if applicable).

Ditto on the 'find your own inspector', know they will not catch everything and are liable for nothing.

I would also advise those looking to take the strongest flashlight they can find.

Check things like caulking; use the electrical outlet 'checker' to see if things were done correctly (many of the outlets in my home were not grounded so had to check all and redo most); ask to see the circuit box and whether there is a record of which goes to what; if appliances are included invest in a home warranty that will cover repair/replacement of same; don't assume yard watering systems are good; check the facia and gutters; if possible, learn about what's in the yard re plants and whether it's a low or high-maintenance yard.

Be aware how much can be masked by paint (indoors and out) and revealed by a good flashlight.

I bought a home that seems to have had a lot of DIY work done or sub-standard work by pros that I get to fix.

Thankfully, the bones are good and I don't mind painting.

Wow! I agree, a great thread! Lots of information. Unless you live on a private island, you’ll have to tolerate neighbors. The noise is just different in the country vs. the suburbs, too. Suburbs may have all day landscapers leafblowing like mad, out in the country we get guns/target practice at odd hours, etc.

We love our house, but had the seller from hell.

Our realtor was amazing with the seller, whom we befriended on common ground (she was happy that we also like moss. Whatever works. We continue to recommend our realtor, and she‘s been a great resource for plumbers, etc. We give her our recommendations, too, for other home buyers new to the area.

We later realized that the reason that many of our visits to the house, and a home inspection appointment, etc. were all rescheduled because of rain. The roof leaked in 20 places. The inspector was thorough and said the roof would need replacing in a year or so,but since the ceilings are all cedar decking, there was no indication of water damage. We have a nice new roof.

There was no sign of the ‘above ground’ oil tank and naturally it was in the ground. We took a chance and, while the seller still owned the home, we payed to have it removed, inspected and replaced with a temporary, smaller above ground tank. It cost $2500. If there had been any issue with oil leaks, we would have walked away from the deal. It was fine. It was worth the risk, and we later worked out a trade with some furniture so everyone was happy.

The design of this mid century house, the beautiful wood, the setting on the property, all made this worth the trouble. It felt like home to me the second we saw it. My husband was not as convinced when we saw dark green walls, fake ivy throughout, wall to wall carpet in the dining room that was kind of grayish-liver colored, etc.

Paint is cheap!!! If you can’t see beyond the paint color, it will be difficult to see the bones of a house, and you might miss other details, good or bad; or problems that could be negotiable in sale price of the home.

Remember that newly constructed houses can have problems great or small, as well.

Don't buy from a flipper. And when having the house inspected get a roofer for the roof, electrician for elec, an a/c person for air and a plumber for the plumbing. This house was not my first, but as a single woman it was. I really like much about it but boy has the learning experience been painful. I looked too much at affordability ( it is close to the beach and in So FL, was least exp for a 3/2) without considering opportunity costs and the fact that I down sized so I wouldn't be a slave to my house. And did I mention I have a teenage daughter???YIKES...hindsight. This site helps A LOT for inspiration...thank you.

Here is a lesson I learned recently after building a new home - clean your own home instead of hiring a cleaning person for the first few months. We moved into our new home 4 months ago and due to being busy and procrastinating, I have not taken the time to look for a housecleaner to come in every two weeks. This has turned out to be an unexpected bonus. By cleaning every inch of the house myself, I have been through every crevice and corner of the house and discovered things things I probably would have missed. I now have a specific list of issues to fix for our contractor and he can't blame it on the cleaners.

We always rip them out... unless it's elderly with no pets. Then it's a room by room call as to clean/rip out. So sorry you went through that!

NEVER EVER buy a house on short sale. ESPECIALLY if the bank is Wells Fargo!

LOCATION, LOCATION, AND SCHOOLS. First house: not big enough but charming in great neighborhood with excellent schools. Second house: almost perfect in traditional neighborhood with excellent schools ensuring prices remain stable to high. Even if you don't use the schools, good public schools seem to ensure home values. I checked the standard testing scores for all 12 grades before I bought and it has paid off.

Before purchasing, budget ahead for any work you may want done to the house (appliance replacements, plumbing changes, floor refinishing, etc.)

Purchased a house three years ago after 16 years of renting we rented a 6 room apartment in Queens NYC so owning a home is not necessary, but after two kids and a cat my wife and I decided let's do it! I was look for a little to do move straight in home so it took a little time finding that ideal home so one day we saw our dream home in a quiet tree lined block in Queens ( those are rare) it was a super turn key condition BUT when I moved in the dishwasher went and then the fridge in the basement then the water heater went out and of course the pool filter and pump followed. So just my advice is have some savings because things get expensive quick like (WTF) quick. Owning a home and renting for so long was an eye opener for me everything triples in cost, at least in NYC.

Choose your Realtor carefully. We used an old family friend who had been in the area & business for decades. We really hit it off. She was excellent at follow-thru on the contract. However everything else we expected her to take care of, she didn’t. At the closing table, the attorney announced he was representing both the buyer & seller. They passed off the development plot plan as a survey. The inspector didn’t check the attic, had the facts wrong on our heating system, totally inadequate. As out of state buyers, we depended on our relationship and her professionalism and she didn’t warrant our trust.

We once found the best “fortune” in a fortune cookie:
“Real estate is your best investment.”
I framed that little paper fortune. Our best investments HAVE been real estate!
For houses, we have bought homes in good areas and improved them. We have purchased commercial property for our business and used them until we outgrew them. When sold years and years later, they proved that little cookie fortune was right.

Get a home inspection, even if "newly renovated"! The house next door foreclosed. A professional "flipper" bought it. I watched in amazement and disgust. The guy who power washed the 1/2" moss off the roof (taking what little grit it had left), also put the windows in (no caulk), and did the electrical/ plumbing. Horrible work. Vinyl coated "hardwood" floating floor seams don't line up, huge square hole under bath vanity (instead of circle cuts for pipes), and on and on.... Then, he staged it. It looks gorgeous. Knowing that the basement has water issues, and there's only a liv rm/din rm converted to one long liv rm... the realtor kept pushing "can finish basement for more space" (family room). First buyer had home inspection- pages and pages of things wrong. They walked. Flipper spent 2 days fixing/ covering/ damage control. Next open house- realtor came 2 hrs early to sweep basement water into drains. I feel sorry for the "victims", as we call them. They are either young couples or empty nesters. I literally stand on my porch and shake my head "no" as they're leaving. Another open house this weekend. Thank God it will rain! One less thing that can be hidden. The neighborhood calls it "the rehab that needs to be rehabbed".

triciajoelle Thank you for much needed advice to all. I wish everyone who is in the market to buy would be able to watch their potential home constructed - or remodeled, in it's entirety - as a qualifier for the sale.

magical eaves Second option is TALK TO THE NEIGHBORS! They KNOW. Of course, I had a young single mom of 2 preteens come to look at the flip next door. I was in the yard. She asked me what I knew about the house. I knew that there was mold in the walls, I knew that the original hardwoods were urine soaked and covered with cheap plastic "hardwoods", I knew that this house would make her kids sick, dog "mark, and bankrupt her. I told her so. The next day the police showed up at my house and the flipper wanted to have me arrested for harassment. I told him that they are not AC Moore and I"m not MIchaels. Furthermore, any good realtor will encourage their client to talk to the neighbors prior to purchase. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

triciajoelle OMG the flipper is not only immoral in their business practices, but psychotic to boot! How horrible that they hit you with a threat/assault. And that's what it was, a threat and an assault.. I hope you reported them! But bravo for you in doing the right thing there! You are also right in that a reputable and decent realtor would encourage any potential buyer to do their due diligence in as many ways as suited them. You're the kind of neighbor I want, by the way! Cheers!