You’re Ready to buy a house RIGHT?? You’ve set a goal for yourself to become a homeowner by the year 20___ !! The adventure of homeownership starts with knowing what you’re getting yourself into and what to expect along the way. It’s better to have this information up front so you that you will be a well informed and smart purchaser.

Two actions that you are likely to come across are a HOME INSPECTION & a HOME APPRAISAL. Each are 2 important processes and serve a different purpose. A home inspection is a report on the overall condition of a home. The inspector, who should be licensed, will do a non-invasive (meaning they are not cutting holes in the wall, or pulling up the floors, etc.) inspection of the systems functioning in the home and give an assessment on the life expectancy, or efficiency, of this systems like HVAC, electrical, plumbing and more. Outlets will be tested, windows will be check, caulking will be noted, and the inspector will furnish the buyer with a copy of their findings and corresponding photos! Using a drone to capture an aerial view of the roof and property is also common.

The Home Appraisal process is an unbiased professional opinion of a homes market value at that time. If you are using a loan to purchase the home, the lender will send an appraiser out to the home and they will take into account the updates, the location, and square footage, among other features, to give the bank an appraisal value. Getting an appraisal helps protect the buyer and the lender on their investment to ensure they are not overpaying. If the home goes into foreclosure, the lender would have to sell the home to recoup their investment, because the home is the collateral for the loan. If you have any more questions about the home buying process feel free to contact me directly.