Inspection and due diligence- Generally 10 days to find out about anything good,bad or ugly with the home you are purchasing.
This can range from a very common concern like the roofing to something unusual like the homes being built on an old Indian burial ground sans Poltergeist!
During the buying process your agent can either email or hand deliver an Arizona buyer advisory. You will also need to accept it via email or sign a receipt in person. The 11 page buyer advisory may answer some questions a buyer may have, but the most useful info it provides, is a specific link for the buyer to get the information themselves. When in doubt, or if you as a buyer have multiple questions and concerns, tell your real estate agent to EMAIL the advisory to you. The email will actually have live links to the information. You won't need to type in large and complex web addresses.While composing this blog, I actually considered sharing a snippet of what it looks like and what is covered. I was able to just upload the whole thing with live links! Three cheers for technology!Here it is. Buyer-Advisory_April-2013A few items it covers.. How are property taxes computed? Is my home in a flood plain? Sexual predators in the area? Soil problems? Schools? HOA rules and regulations? You have 10 days from the contract acceptance to get all the info that you are concerned with!Next subject: Inspections-
You should always do an inspection. It is not the law, but it should be! Please do one. Prices around $300 for a 2000 sqft home. Bigger houses cost a few bucks more, but well worth it! The purchase contract itself states that Inspectors may not catch everything wrong with the home. Even in the Inspector's contract and the inspection itself, there is minimal liability.A normal home inspector will look at many things, from the roof to the basement. They will also check heating/plumbing and electrical. In the purchase contract it states that if you have specific concerns, hire a SPECIALIST. The inspector will look at the roof, but he isn't a roof inspector. The inspector will look at the plumbing, but if you want the plumbing lines scoped with a camera, hire a specialist. An inspector may see a small patch of water damage, you should hire a mold specialist.Please keep in mind that the inspection AND specialist inspection must both occur within the 10 day window. If you need extra time, tell your agent. It needs to be put in writing, and the seller needs to agree.Hope this helps. The sheer amount of information is overwhelming. 2 items that will be provided by the seller to help you along with your due diligence are the SPDS and the CLUE report, but those are subjects for another day!Cheers, Brian