So you want to buy a house and you definitely want to have a home inspection, but how does that whole thing work? So for the last few years, I've been saying, we're in a weird market, and a lot of people have waived home inspections. We've seen different sorts of clauses for home inspections, but sometimes you just want to have a regular old full home inspection and you're able to do it with the contract that you have. So let's talk about that really basic, such is the home inspection process. What is a home inspection gonna do? Well, I always look at a home inspector as sort of like your general practitioner. Keep in mind that in most contracts, and in our basic boilerplate contract here in central Virginia, it's going to give you the ability as the buyer to have as many inspections as you want to pay for. But the default home inspection that most people think about is your general home inspection. So that means they're going to go in the crawlspace. They're going to check out the insulation. They're going to make sure the structure looks generally good. They're going to run your faucets, flush the toilets, look at the electrical panel, and test your outlets. All of those things that you're going to be using and living in the house all the time to make sure that they look generally good. So a couple of things to know. Make sure that if you have a question about something, the HVAC looks old, the roof looks old, or you're concerned about the crawlspace, point those things out to your inspector. I have never met an inspector who is not happy to take a closer look at something that you have a particular concern about and just give it an extra once over. I personally usually try to do the home inspections sooner in the timeframe so that if there is something that we need a specialist for, we can get them over there to take a look. So remember, just like you can go to the doctor on Monday and get a cold on Wednesday, the same thing can happen with your home inspection. Your home inspector's gonna have a contract that's gonna say don't hold them liable for things that happen later, because things will always happen later and there's no such thing as a perfect house. Even a house that was finished, new-build, yesterday. So obviously, always get a home inspection if you can. But make sure that you understand what that inspection entails. Make sure that you understand that that inspector is going to answer your questions, they're going to look out for you, they are working for you. Make sure you're comfortable with the inspector and get any specialized inspections that you need, if it's something that you're concerned with. So ideally, whenever you're buying a home, you're gonna get to have a home inspection. If you have questions about great home inspectors or buying a home in general and you want to find out more about that whole process. I'd love to talk to you. Give me a call or reach out to me here or an email and let's set up a time to chat.

So great, waving an inspection is a great way to get your contract at the top of the heap in a multiple-offer situation, but should YOU do it? I am going to tell you that if you don't have some sort of risk tolerance, don't do it. But if you do have a little bit of risk tolerance, there are ways to get around it. So you can pay an inspector a couple of hundred dollars to walk through the property with you and give you a general idea of how those systems, that you may not know how to assess, what kind of condition they're in. But at the end of the day, you are 100% going to have something happen, whether you have an inspection or not. I call these oh s**t moments, it might be six weeks, it might be six days, it might be a year. You can also buy a home warranty, the seller can buy a home warranty for you, or you can buy one yourself, but they're not going to cover everything. So you're still going to need a buffer. It is always a bit of a risk when you have a home that things might go wrong. So if you are on a razor-thin margin, a razor-thin budget, and you can only afford your mortgage payment, that may not be the house you want to buy anyway, inspection or not. But ultimately, your options are probably to pay way more than the asking price and ask for that inspection, giving the seller some sort of security, that they're going to have still a higher offer, even if they end up with items that they have to repair. Or you're gonna still probably pay more than you want in this market and waive the inspection. It's kind of up to you and where your risk tolerance is. But remember, at the end of the day, if everything is equal, that seller is always going to pick the offer that is the least risk for them. So the more risk you can take on the better price you are going to get on the house that you're purchasing. If you want to take a look at more ways to build an offer, write an offer, or buy a home in general, check out some of my other YouTube videos. Or better yet, give me a call. I'd love to talk to you and I'd love to help you find your dream home.

If you're on social media at all, you've probably seen someone do this trend, "Five Things I'd Never Do As A..." Well, I definitely have thoughts on this, and while there are probably more, these are either the top 5, or the first 5 that come to mind, I'm not sure which. (If I think too hard about it, I'd probably have 50.) Anyway, without further ado, here they are: 1- I would NEVER start looking at homes without talking to a lender first. Knowing your numbers- not only what you qualify for, but also what your downpayment options are, your closing costs, and your monthly payment will be is invaluable info. I cannot stress enough how often people guess incorrectly at this and fall in love with a house that's more than they can (or want to) swing, or start looking at homes and get exhausted because they can't find what they want, and they can actually afford me. (I mean, my clients don't, because I don't show anyone homes before they're preapproved.) 2- I would NEVER assume that Zestimate is accurately valuing my house. These automated estimates are based on an algorithm, so obviously they've not been in your home. Renovated kitchen? They have no idea. No updates at all? Still, they have no idea. It's simply based on the amount of similarly sized homes in the area that have sold recently. That's it. No homes like yours have sold? The more opportunity for it being incorrect. There is no replacement for having a real, live Realtor® walk through and do a thorough assessment and comparative market analysis. 3- I would NEVER buy the most improved house in the neighborhood. Yep. If it's between the $500,000 turn key, HGTV "big reveal" style home, or the "needs a little love" home down the block that is $400,000 (caveat- I'm assuming that the homes in the neighborhood trend closer to that $400k range) I'm picking the $400k home and putting in the work. It will be what I want, probably not cost me $100k, AND give me some instant equity. 4- I would never RELY on a home warranty to cover me for everything. I'm not bashing home warranties (although I could- that's another post entirely), and I do think in some circumstances, they provide a bit of a safety net. But, having had lots of experiences with these, in most cases, you can get the small things done for the same price (or a bit more) with SO MUCH less hassle by just calling someone who does that work. Will they replace your heat pump if it conks out? Yes, but with lots of hoops for you to jump through. 5- I would NEVER expect the inspector on my listing or home to find nothing. There is literally ALWAYS something, and they are paid to find it. I can almost guarantee, too, that if you have one inspector over today, and they give a list of things to fix (and you fix them all), you can have another over the next day, and they'll find a whole new list. Do the best to get your repairs done, but don't expect nothing. And if you're buying? Remember- everything can be fixed. It's just a matter of what needs to be done, how much it will cost, and who pays for it. Did any of these surprise you? I'd love to hear something you'd never do after buying or selling one (or 100) homes!

So you want to buy a home in the new year? Here are some great tips to help get you started so that your plan gets off on the right foot. Tips for Buying a Home in 2022 First of all, find an agent that's going to work with you, you're going to feel comfortable with sharing all your hopes and dreams and some of your financial information. Next, you really want to start getting your financial information together and talk with a lender. A local lender is best and one that your agent works with on a regular basis is crucial and tremendously helpful as you go through the process. I have some great tools to not only help get your financial information ready, but also help you narrow down what exactly you're looking for in a home. Reach out to me and let's get you started on the process of buying. I'm here to answer any questions you might have!

I've helped many first time home buyers successfully buy their dream home, and over the years, I've noticed something that I want to share with as many future first time home buyers as possible! It's this- some first time buyers aren’t aware that they have the ability to use a buyer’s agent to represent them in one of the biggest purchases they will ever make! (AND, that it doesn't cost them any more!!) I want to put this out there to help educate as many people as I can. You can and SHOULD have an agent who works for YOU when you are ready to buy a home. Because let’s be honest, buying a home involves a lot more steps than most people realize. So what does a buyer’s agent do? In a nutshell, we help you, the buyers; navigate the entire home buying process one step at a time. I'll dive in and break it down for you. (Make sure you read until the end because there is great news waiting for you there!) First things first, a buyer’s agent will meet with you to go over the entire home buying process. That way, you're fully equipped so you know exactly what to expect. (We can do this in person or via Zoom) They will help you identify your needs and wants in a home, including your top "must haves" and your deal breakers. I'm a huge fan of understanding your "why," so I always spend some time asking why you want what you want. That helps me help you more than you know. They will then set up a custom home search that will find listings matching your wants and needs, so that you don’t have to filter through hundreds of listings that don’t even fit what you’re looking for. When you start looking at homes, you’ll notice that they will be listed by a listing agent. What's great about a buyer’s agent, is that they work in your best interest, not that of the sellers. In addition to helping you find a house that meets your needs, they will also help you understand your options when it comes to writing an offer, advise you on the market, help you determine what price to offer the sellers and most importantly, negotiate on your behalf. If you find yourself in a multiple offer situation (pretty common in this 2021 market), they have strategies to help make your offer stand out, while matching the seller’s priorities to give you the best shot at getting that dream home. Once you have an accepted offer, they maintain strong communication with both you and the listing agent so you'll always be kept in the loop and never left wondering what’s next! A buyer’s agent will also remove as much doubt as possible. They'll provide you with all the tools necessary to make an informed decision before you take on the investment of owning a home. Think of them as your go-to resource throughout the entire transaction. Not only will they educate you through each step, they will refer you to their trusted vendors. From lenders to home inspectors, attorneys, and contractors, there can be so many moving parts in a transaction that you’ll be thankful to have the help of trusted professionals and save time trying to research them on your own. All of this will help you have peace of mind throughout the home buying process and prevent you from falling into the buyer’s remorse trap! It’s time to fill you in on the best part about hiring a buyer’s agent. Here it is.. it costs you absolutely NOTHING! You might be thinking this all sounds great and I would love to have someone work on my behalf but how much is someone like this going to cost? Having a buyer’s agent won’t cost you anything because the sellers are responsible for paying all commissions. So, if you’re already searching for homes online, googling questions you have about the process and you’re ready to dive in, what are you waiting for? It’s time to find yourself a buyer’s agent who will work for you and walk you through all of this – literally, one house at a time! Look for a buyer’s agent who you feel is a good fit for helping you through the process of buying a home. When you’re interviewing different agents, you’ll want to make sure you choose someone who not only seems knowledgeable but someone who will be available, willing to educate you, able to communicate the way that you want and most of all, someone you feel comfortable working with! Maybe that's me. And, maybe it's not. But do your legwork here, and I promise you that the home buying process will be much easier!!