Doubling Down on DIY (“Do It Yourself”), or, “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again” “First law of holes”: ‘if you find yourself in a hole . . . stop digging.'” –Adage. One of the more interesting inspections I’ve handled recently involved a Minnetonka home Seller (I represented the Buyer) who clearly was...Read More
Buyer’s Agent Practice Tips “Seller shall provide documentation from licensed HVAC contractor (not gas company) that forced air furnace and central a/c are in working order.” –Amendment to Purchase Agreement At least in my capacity as a Buyer’s agent, whenever my client’s inspection raises concerns about the home’s HVAC system, I’m careful to explicitly require...Read More
Nosy Neighbors, Take #14 Long before the Buyer’s home inspector lays eyes on it, or the Buyer’s title company checks for closed permits, wanna guess who (else) knows whether the Seller’s recent Kitchen Remodel is high-end? (or not, as the case may be). The neighbors. In the course of the months-long project, it’s a good...Read More
Other “Votes”: the Lender, Local Municipality, and Insurer Unbeknownst to the Seller, the Buyer’s inspection uncovered a material problem with their home that the parties agree should be fixed. When that happens, who takes care of it? The short answer: “whomever the parties agree” (at least if no one else has a say — see...Read More
When Ignorance Isn’t Bliss On the list of awkward first questions that Buyers’ Agents ask Listing Agents — “Are those abandoned oil tanks buried in the front yard?” — has to rank pretty high. And responding, “the Seller doesn’t have any idea, they were there when they bought the house” doesn’t exactly help matters. Even...Read More
“Work to be Done by a Licensed Contractor” Usually, inspection issues are all about “what”: what is in disrepair; what documentation the Buyer has to substantiate any issues; and what the Buyer wants the Seller to do about it (fix it, or lower the selling price). But “who” can also be relevant — as in, “who...Read More
