Due Diligence

That's what it's called when someone finds out all they can about a home or business or something they are thinking of buying or becoming involved in. Well, that's what we have been doing as we sort through the glut of homes on the market to find that 'just-right' fit. We had some questions to ask on a house that we had decided to make an offer on, and we got some (big) surprises.

So, we did not make an offer on this house. We have decided that, with the new information, we are not willing to buy it. So, we will keep looking. Experts tell us that the real estate market in that area will hit an all time low in March-April. Until then, a friend in the business who flips distressed homes will send us updates on foreclosures.

The issues we discovered were: two sides of the place, including the mountain view side, are buildable 10 acre parcels (we were originally told they were BLM), three windows were cracked from possible over load from the roof on the view side (we had a builder friend with us), the sewer had backed up into the yard since our last visit to the house, indicating a problem with the drain field or tank, and, the biggest problem, this beautiful 3500 sf house had ONLY floor heat in the upstairs, and little Cadet wall units in each room downstairs! No ductwork for a heat pump, and retro fit ductwork is hellaciously expensive, and the place has no air conditioning! That is not only energy inefficiency, it's cheap cut corner construction...

Wow, I'm telling you, when you buy (anything!), take your time and ask questions, and then bring an expert. Doing all of these might seem like overkill, but, it saved us from a terrible mistake.