Meet Neighbors Before Buying a Home

Even though I always tell my buyers to talk to neighbors before buying a home, few of them manage to find time to do it.

Just last week I showed a home to a young couple who were eager to buy. The home had a small sink in the guest bath that looked like the type you would see at a hair salon. On the opposite wall, whatever was once there was missing, except for a series of pipes protruding from the floor. We were baffled. I ventured a guess that maybe the former owners had removed a spa.

Since this was a bank-owned property, the seller had no knowledge of the property's history. That's a drawback when buying an REO -- you won't get any disclosures. So the buyers took my advice and talked to the neighbors. Turned out the former occupants had run a barber shop out of the home . . . read more about Talking to Neighbors Before Buying.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub:

• How Much Home Can You Afford?
  
• Buying Your First Home
  
• Buying From a Builder

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_{At the time of writing, Elizabeth Weintraub, DRE # 00697006, is a Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate in Sacramento, California.}