gen3flygirl Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 My parents are looking at buying another house here in Columbus to rent out to my sister. She is kind of an idiot when it comes to common sense type things so my mom asked me to go with her when looking at the houses. We will definitely have a professional come out to give the place a once over but what are some things I should look for so I don't waste any ones time. Any tips and suggestions will be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmh_sprint Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 - age of furnace, water heater, roof, etc - signs of wood rot on any exposed wood (exterior) - signs of water damage or moisture in the basement - moisture (fog, water droplets) between the pains of glass in the windows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevysoldier Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Foundation intact, roof not leaking, pipes in good condition, windows tight and not drafty, furnace and water heater in good condition.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFM Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Body outlines traced on the floor. Splatter marks on the wall... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevysoldier Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) Body outlines traced on the floor. Splatter marks on the wall...lolCheck the land to make sure it doesn't look like the house is in a flood area. Tree roots getting too close to house. Signs of neglect on anything like sinks, tub, lights...can clue you in that other stuff could be wrong that you might not see. Edited February 20, 2011 by chevysoldier typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 ... get a man. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFM Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 lolCheck the land to make sure it doesn't look like the house is in a flood area. Tree roots getting too close to house. Signs of neglect on anything like sinks, tub, lights...can clue you in that other stuff could be wrong that you might not see.Or if it's built on an old graveyard, where the graves were supposedly moved? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevysoldier Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) Also the surrounding area. Check out the school system, check sex offender database, what businesses are nearby. Really anything inside the 270 loop you should probably stay away from... Edited February 20, 2011 by chevysoldier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrome Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Pm me if you want the house inspected. That's what I do for a living. Im certified and have a strong construction background. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschoolsdime92 Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Everythings already been covered. But I will say go through the place multiple times. You will notice different things everytime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWing'R Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 There are lots of homes for sale in my neighborhood. Single-family homes from Dominion that are actually condos.Lots of people got into loans that they didn't understand (thanks to fast-talking Dominion salesmen) and have their home up for sale or got foreclosed on. Most of the homes for sale by owner are much below market value cause they want out.The neighborhood is "The Village At Hilliard Green" off of Walcutt Rd between Roberts and Scioto Darby. Hilliard schools, Columbus taxes and a Columbus address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gen3flygirl Posted February 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 - age of furnace, water heater, roof, etc - signs of wood rot on any exposed wood (exterior) - signs of water damage or moisture in the basement - moisture (fog, water droplets) between the pains of glass in the windowsFoundation intact, roof not leaking, pipes in good condition, windows tight and not drafty, furnace and water heater in good condition....Thanks guys! Everythings already been covered. But I will say go through the place multiple times. You will notice different things everytime!This is a must. Also looking at the house on a map to see if there are any rail road tracks or airports in the area that might become annoying. Finding out the night time lighting situation is a good idea. A house with a street light directly shining in the master bedroom is a pain in the ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Also the surrounding area. Check out the school system, check sex offender database, what businesses are nearby. Really anything inside the 270 loop you should probably stay away from...That might ADD to the value for some people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gen3flygirl Posted February 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Pm me if you want the house inspected. That's what I do for a living. Im certified and have a strong construction background.PM sent There are lots of homes for sale in my neighborhood. Single-family homes from Dominion that are actually condos.Lots of people got into loans that they didn't understand (thanks to fast-talking Dominion salesmen) and have their home up for sale or got foreclosed on. Most of the homes for sale by owner are much below market value cause they want out.The neighborhood is "The Village At Hilliard Green" off of Walcutt Rd between Roberts and Scioto Darby. Hilliard schools' date=' Columbus taxes and a Columbus address.[/quote']Thanks I will look into to but I think they are looking at houses more towards the campus/ clintonville area. I am not a fan of the idea but they want to be able to rent it out if she ever moves out. I need to go scout the area for houses for sale by owner and foreclosure. Sadly Columbus is one of the few areas that the housing market hasn't dropped significantly. This experience will be a good learning lesson for me when I am ready to buy a place of my own so I hope to be involved in the process every step of the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevysoldier Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 You kind of hit on it about the night lighting, but visit at different parts of the day. If you go at noon it might be really quiet but then after school lets out it could be a different story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted February 20, 2011 Report Share Posted February 20, 2011 Finding out the night time lighting situation is a good idea. A house with a street light directly shining in the master bedroom is a pain in the ass. Pellet gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socaln8tv Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 check the property and school taxes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohdaho Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 forsalebyowner.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Check the county flood plan map website. Check the county auditors assessment website of the house and neighbors. Offer 2/3, or less, of what it's thought to be worth. (Or 2/3 of what the county auditor has it inflated at for tax purposes.) Many houses are still seriously over valued. There are actually decent houses around for 30k or less... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AOW Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 hire a buyer's advocate instead of a Realtor. A buyer's advocate is a licensed realtor, but are not bound by the same "don't ask don't tell" Ohio rules of selling a house. For instance, a realtor is legally not allowed to tell you it's a shitty neighborhood and the schools are full of crack heads. Breaker panel, if it's not labeled be concerned. If the main breaker box has pushmatic breakers, leave! Anything built prior to 1985 and not remodeled, has a 100% chance of containing asbestos in the joint compound and mastics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagr Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 You should just really worry about what condition the kitchen is. Once Todd meats her on Eharmony he'll take care of the rest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawi kid Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Lead paint tastes great. And living under power lines has no effect on you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 You should just really worry about what condition the kitchen is. Once Todd meats her on Eharmony he'll take care of the rest. Well played good sir, can I have pic of sister in question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagr Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 Well played good sir, can I have pic of sister in question.Here you go. Thats me of course standing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonzie Posted February 21, 2011 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 You should just really worry about what condition the kitchen is. Agreed... Make sure the kitchen is adequate for sandwich making Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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