Things Sellers May Neglect to Tell Buyers, pt. 1

Real estate professional John Day encourages honesty in all transactions, but we want you to know that sometimes a seller will hide things from a potential buyer. In these tough times, it is unfortunate that sometimes people are really desperate to seal a deal. In other cases, the seller does not intend to be dishonest-they may underestimate or forget an expense.

If you want to purchase a home, you need to do your own research. Here are some things you might want to check out for yourself--

Property dimensions
A listing agent who takes the seller at their word when they give property dimensions probably means you no harm. The listing agent should verify, but that does not mean that they all do. Some buyers have learned the true dimensions of the property they want to buy when they get the appraisal.

The Costs of Ownership
Some sellers do not remember to include all of the bills or may forget that an expense has increased. The same may happen with property taxes, so one way to avoid surprises is to ask the tax assessor for the latest tax info on the property.