First Time Buyer Home Loans

When buying a new home, especially if it is your first home, it is good to do a through inspection before you purchase. 

 There are Home Inspection companies that one can pay to do the home inspection for you and they will return you a report of their findings.  These companies do charge a somewhat sizeable fee for their services. 

If you chose to do the home inspection yourself, then here is a list of things for you to check. 

• Run water in all the sinks and look for leaks under the sink
• Be sure that the drain lines are not clogged
• Flush all commodes and make sure that they shutoff properly
• Run the dishwasher through a cycle to see if it works
• Try both the heat and A/C to make sure it is working
• Ask the age of the Heating and A/C so you will know when you might need to replace it.
• Ask the age of the roof for the same reason
• Look for water stains in the room ceilings to see if there are, or have been, any roof leaks.
• Look for any foundation cracks
• If there is a basement, check for leaks or water seepage.  This can be very expensive to repair
• Check for cracked or broken windows.
• Check for any sagging floors

 Normally, if you are applying for a mortgage, a wood infestation report will be required by the mortgage company.  This report will tell you if there is any damage due to beetles, termites, etc.  

These are the basics.  If you are purchasing a home with extra amenities such as a swimming pool then you may have additional things that you would want to check.