Human vs. Wildlife Squatters

Why do a walk-thru inspection of a (very) vacant Minnetonka home that the Buyer intends to tear down after closing?

foxAfter all, the primary purpose(s) of a walk-thru — usually done within 48 hours of closing — is to make sure there have been no material changes in the home’s condition since the Buyer’s inspection, and to verify that the owner is moved out (or close).

Minnetonka Tear-Down

While those concerns didn’t apply in this case, my clients (and I) were concerned that the neglected, unsecured home had been cited by the local municipality for dereliction, including broken windows (in which case, there might be notices on the front door).

We also wanted to make sure there was no debris on the large and valuable lot, and that there were no squatters.

Answers to the above:  “no,” “no,” and “no” (unless you count a fox that my clients spotted on the property two weeks before closing).

P.S.:  Edina Title also checked with the city and county prior to closing to pick up any liens, fines, or citations.

See also, “Walk-Thru?  What’s a Walk-Thru??”; “Home Buyer’s Final Walk-Through Inspection“; “What if the Seller Isn’t Moved Out by Closing?“; “Springing a Leak ” or a Lake(?!?) ” Before Closing“; and “Waiting to Do the Walk-Thru Inspection — or Not Doing it at All.”

About the author

Ross Kaplan has 19+ years experience selling real estate all over the Twin Cities. He is also a 12-time consecutive "Super Real Estate Agent," as determined by Mpls. - St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business Magazine. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Ross was an attorney (corporate law), CPA, and entrepreneur. He holds an economics degree from Stanford.

Leave a Reply