A recent Chicago Tribune article tells of a family who made an offer on a home before the home inspection. This is probably not too strange in most cases. In any case, as the article states, the couple made an offer of $225,000 on a home in Texas before the inspection proved that the home required between $20,000-$30,000 in repairs.
So, what does this story say? First of all, if you read the article, you’ll see that they mention how online realtors are are great at posting only photos which make the house look good. So, don’t get your hopes up too much based on photos alone.
Secondly, make sure to get a good home inspector! Whether the home is years old or brand new, you need to be sure that all of the money you’re about to fork out is going to something that’s worth it! Plus, you want to make sure that you won’t be spending even more money after purchasing the home.
Unlike cars, homes don’t have a blue book. But, similar to cars, not everyone is an expert at home engineering and architecture. Trust the experts and get a good opinion in order to ensure the best home purchase possible!