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dcl08
<3
Member since 4/07 3915 total posts
Name:
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what to ask real estate?
we are going tommorow to look at our first home!! im so excited and nervous. there was no open house so DH and I are meeting with a real estate agent...what questions should i ask? there was a post a while ago about what to ask but i cant find it and i didnt save it ..can someone bump it if they have it TIA!
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Posted 3/13/09 6:04 PM  |
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Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate
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MrsGmomof3
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Member since 6/08 3290 total posts
Name:
Irrelevant
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Re: what to ask real estate?
1. find out how old the appliances are and if they come with the house
2. ask what the average utility bills are!!! This is HUGE!
3. find out about the roof, how old it is, if there is any waranty on it
4. ask what the taxes are! Are there village taxes on top of the regular county and town taxes?
Most importantly, buying a house is emotional. Go with your gut!
Good luck!!!
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| Posted 3/13/09 7:59 PM |
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Cheeks24
Living a dream
Member since 1/08 8589 total posts
Name:
Cheeks
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Good luck! House hunting is nerve racking and very emotional. You will love things and hate things. Don't just settle. We saw so many houses before we found ours.
Find out about the flooring. Our house has oak wood floors beneath all the carpeting and linoleum, so ask about things like that if it's carpeted. Look in all the closets. Open cabinets. Check the water pressure (turn on 2 faucets and flush the toilet at the same time!)
Questions to ask:
How the neighbors are and neighborhood?
Why they are selling?
What type of heat?
How many thermostats?
How long have they lived there?
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| Posted 3/13/09 10:18 PM |
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by MrsGmomof3
4. ask what the taxes are! Are there village taxes on top of the regular county and town taxes?
along with this question, ask if the taxes they're giving you include your STAR discount already. if not, ask what the STAR discount is for that town.
also...
1) why are the current people selling?
2) how old are the windows?
3) how long has the house been on the market? (will help you if you decide to make an offer)
4) if theres w/w carpeting, ask whats under them
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| Posted 3/13/09 10:22 PM |
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ThreeCats
Train Ride
Member since 5/05 3127 total posts
Name:
A
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by MrsGmomof3
4. ask what the taxes are! Are there village taxes on top of the regular county and town taxes?
along with this question, ask if the taxes they're giving you include your STAR discount already. if not, ask what the STAR discount is for that town.
also...
1) why are the current people selling?
2) how old are the windows?
3) how long has the house been on the market? (will help you if you decide to make an offer)
4) if theres w/w carpeting, ask whats under them
1) why are the current people selling?
What does that matter????? As a seller we are told not to answer that question
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| Posted 3/14/09 10:41 PM |
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by ThreeCats
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by MrsGmomof3
4. ask what the taxes are! Are there village taxes on top of the regular county and town taxes?
along with this question, ask if the taxes they're giving you include your STAR discount already. if not, ask what the STAR discount is for that town.
also...
1) why are the current people selling?
2) how old are the windows?
3) how long has the house been on the market? (will help you if you decide to make an offer)
4) if theres w/w carpeting, ask whats under them
1) why are the current people selling?
What does that matter????? As a seller we are told not to answer that question
legally the agent cant just divulge that information. but they can answer it if asked. as a buyer i would want to know if it was for a reason like all of a sudden there are alot of break ins on the block or if someone died in the house, etc.
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| Posted 3/14/09 10:45 PM |
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ImHisMrs
LIF Infant
Member since 11/08 252 total posts
Name:
Mrs. C
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by ThreeCats
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by MrsGmomof3
4. ask what the taxes are! Are there village taxes on top of the regular county and town taxes?
along with this question, ask if the taxes they're giving you include your STAR discount already. if not, ask what the STAR discount is for that town.
also...
1) why are the current people selling?
2) how old are the windows?
3) how long has the house been on the market? (will help you if you decide to make an offer)
4) if theres w/w carpeting, ask whats under them
1) why are the current people selling?
What does that matter????? As a seller we are told not to answer that question
legally the agent cant just divulge that information. but they can answer it if asked. as a buyer i would want to know if it was for a reason like all of a sudden there are alot of break ins on the block or if someone died in the house, etc.
we asked this question - bc we thought it may give us an upper hand with negotiation - such as if they just lost a job, were close to foreclosure, already bought another house, to see if there was any urgency on the sellers part. I think it can give the buyer an absolute upper hand 
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| Posted 3/15/09 4:00 PM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by AlmostHisMrs
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by ThreeCats
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by MrsGmomof3
4. ask what the taxes are! Are there village taxes on top of the regular county and town taxes?
along with this question, ask if the taxes they're giving you include your STAR discount already. if not, ask what the STAR discount is for that town.
also...
1) why are the current people selling?
2) how old are the windows?
3) how long has the house been on the market? (will help you if you decide to make an offer)
4) if theres w/w carpeting, ask whats under them
1) why are the current people selling?
What does that matter????? As a seller we are told not to answer that question
legally the agent cant just divulge that information. but they can answer it if asked. as a buyer i would want to know if it was for a reason like all of a sudden there are alot of break ins on the block or if someone died in the house, etc.
we asked this question - bc we thought it may give us an upper hand with negotiation - such as if they just lost a job, were close to foreclosure, already bought another house, to see if there was any urgency on the sellers part. I think it can give the buyer an absolute upper hand
Honestly, do you think any seller would say if it was due to break ins or someone dying in the house? I would never say if it was due to an increase in violence or horrible neighbors. And we had already bought another house, and had some low ball offers because of that, but since we didn't need to sell and could float both properties we just said no to any low offer.
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| Posted 3/15/09 6:10 PM |
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by nov04libride
Posted by AlmostHisMrs
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by ThreeCats
Posted by waiting4ablessing
Posted by MrsGmomof3
4. ask what the taxes are! Are there village taxes on top of the regular county and town taxes?
along with this question, ask if the taxes they're giving you include your STAR discount already. if not, ask what the STAR discount is for that town.
also...
1) why are the current people selling?
2) how old are the windows?
3) how long has the house been on the market? (will help you if you decide to make an offer)
4) if theres w/w carpeting, ask whats under them
1) why are the current people selling?
What does that matter????? As a seller we are told not to answer that question
legally the agent cant just divulge that information. but they can answer it if asked. as a buyer i would want to know if it was for a reason like all of a sudden there are alot of break ins on the block or if someone died in the house, etc.
we asked this question - bc we thought it may give us an upper hand with negotiation - such as if they just lost a job, were close to foreclosure, already bought another house, to see if there was any urgency on the sellers part. I think it can give the buyer an absolute upper hand
Honestly, do you think any seller would say if it was due to break ins or someone dying in the house? I would never say if it was due to an increase in violence or horrible neighbors. And we had already bought another house, and had some low ball offers because of that, but since we didn't need to sell and could float both properties we just said no to any low offer.
as the seller, no. but as a REA, if they know that information they cant lie. they'll be held liable for it later.
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| Posted 3/15/09 6:14 PM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by waiting4ablessing
as the seller, no. but as a REA, if they know that information they cant lie. they'll be held liable for it later.
Yeah, but we didn't even tell the REA all of our reasons for selling. Like our loud neighbor who wakes us up having LOUD sex at 5AM each morning...But if asked if you could hear the neighbors, we said nooooooo....
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| Posted 3/15/09 6:16 PM |
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Re: what to ask real estate?
All great questions, only thing i can add is ask if the house is up to code and has all permits!!!!!!! This held up our closing for almost 4 months, but we refused to close without it, and im happy that we did wait. Oh, and check to see what school district your in. GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!
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| Posted 3/15/09 6:37 PM |
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NASP09
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Member since 6/05 6030 total posts
Name:
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Re:
Message edited 3/4/2010 9:15:24 PM.
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| Posted 3/15/09 9:23 PM |
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micknjohn
LIF Infant
Member since 7/08 333 total posts
Name:
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by nov04libride
Posted by waiting4ablessing
as the seller, no. but as a REA, if they know that information they cant lie. they'll be held liable for it later.
Yeah, but we didn't even tell the REA all of our reasons for selling. Like our loud neighbor who wakes us up having LOUD sex at 5AM each morning...But if asked if you could hear the neighbors, we said nooooooo....
OMG!!!! THAT"S HYSTERICAL 
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| Posted 3/15/09 9:29 PM |
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nov04libride
big brother <3
Member since 5/05 14672 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: what to ask real estate?
The first few mornings when we laughed wondering about her career in porn it was funny but now it's just ANNOYING! Lucky for us (and not for her), it's always very fast!
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| Posted 3/15/09 9:31 PM |
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ThreeCats
Train Ride
Member since 5/05 3127 total posts
Name:
A
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Re: what to ask real estate?
I don't see how seeing an electric bill, gas bill or water bill will help anyone.
I leave my house at 63-64 in the winter (gas). If you buy my house and keep the temp at 68-70 that bill is going to be higher than mine.
I also try not the use the dryer, I have an old-fashion clothes line outside. keeping my bills lower.
but you as the buyer don't know thats what i do or how often i do than - so seeing my bills or getting an average will only help you so much
jmo
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| Posted 3/15/09 9:32 PM |
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NASP09
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Member since 6/05 6030 total posts
Name:
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Re:
Message edited 3/4/2010 9:14:57 PM.
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| Posted 3/15/09 9:41 PM |
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Re: what to ask real estate?
Posted by nov04libride
Posted by waiting4ablessing
as the seller, no. but as a REA, if they know that information they cant lie. they'll be held liable for it later.
Yeah, but we didn't even tell the REA all of our reasons for selling. Like our loud neighbor who wakes us up having LOUD sex at 5AM each morning...But if asked if you could hear the neighbors, we said nooooooo....
welll thats a completely different story. maybe you SHOULD tell potential buyers. maybe they'll like that sorta thing and consider a plus to buying the house!
but i had an agent in my office once who took a listing on a house where the couple wanted to sell asap because they were in a home invasion and the intruders beat the wife to gain entrance. he sold the house at a reduced price because they just wanted out of the neighborhood but never told the buyers why because they never asked. about a month or 2 after the closing, they found out from the neighbors and actually sued the agent for not disclosing the information. so for the buyers out there, i think its a pretty good question to ask. jmo. 
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| Posted 3/15/09 11:04 PM |
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belladi
LIF Adult
Member since 9/06 1011 total posts
Name:
diana
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Re: what to ask real estate?
You should ask if the electric has been upgraded, how old the hot water heater is, what time of fuel, if there is central air ask how old, you basically want to know that the mechanics of the house are updated.
if the house looks expanded, as for COs
if you like a house drive by at odd times to get a feel for the neighborhood
i agree with asking about hardwoods under carpeting
if the basement is bare check the walls for water damage
def ask for confirmation on taxes, but you can call the town yourself to make sure..
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| Posted 3/16/09 8:06 PM |
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