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Pro Tip for Buyers: Investigate Your Home Like a Private Eye
Our final episode for Season 1! Like it or not, “caveat emptor” is still a thing when it comes to real estate purchases. Even in California, where sellers are required to disclose anything deemed as “material,” there’s plenty of investigating that buyers (and their representatives) can and should be doing. Staci Dresher – licensed attorney, private investigator and skilled workplace investigator – talks with Cynthia about how buyers can don their proverbial trench coats and fedoras to uncover what seller disclosures don’t cover!
Highlights:
A good private investigator is curious but skeptical. The axiom to follow is “trust but verify.”
Caveat emptor means “buyer beware,” and buyer beware is still a thing in many places in the country, though not so much in California. Still…
The more nuanced potential issues with a property are harder to discern and may not necessarily be thoroughly disclosed.
Online court searches are a great resource for learning about neighbors of a potential home.
Other (mostly) free sources for investigation: County building records, city council meetings, police records, noise complaints, voter registrations.
Some folks don’t want to know about anything negative, but it’s important to pay attention. A good buyer representative agent will adamantly point these things out.
Buyers – it’s okay to knock on a neighbor’s door! Introduce yourself and ask questions.
Pro tip: Walk your prospective neighborhood. Sit there for a while. Visit at night. Visit at commute hours. Practice your commute. You can learn a lot.
Read your local (or neighborhood) newspaper and check for neighborhood forums like NextDoor, Facebook groups, etc.
Open your eyes and use your common sense when evaluating a home and neighborhood. Don’t skip that.
Engage with Staci:
Website: https://www.dcifacts.com/staci-dresher / stacidresher
Engage with Us:
Instagram
TikTok
Real Estate Therapy Blog
https://www.realestatetherapy.org/
View all episodes
By Cynthia CumminsOur final episode for Season 1! Like it or not, “caveat emptor” is still a thing when it comes to real estate purchases. Even in California, where sellers are required to disclose anything deemed as “material,” there’s plenty of investigating that buyers (and their representatives) can and should be doing. Staci Dresher – licensed attorney, private investigator and skilled workplace investigator – talks with Cynthia about how buyers can don their proverbial trench coats and fedoras to uncover what seller disclosures don’t cover!
Highlights:
A good private investigator is curious but skeptical. The axiom to follow is “trust but verify.”
Caveat emptor means “buyer beware,” and buyer beware is still a thing in many places in the country, though not so much in California. Still…
The more nuanced potential issues with a property are harder to discern and may not necessarily be thoroughly disclosed.
Online court searches are a great resource for learning about neighbors of a potential home.
Other (mostly) free sources for investigation: County building records, city council meetings, police records, noise complaints, voter registrations.
Some folks don’t want to know about anything negative, but it’s important to pay attention. A good buyer representative agent will adamantly point these things out.
Buyers – it’s okay to knock on a neighbor’s door! Introduce yourself and ask questions.
Pro tip: Walk your prospective neighborhood. Sit there for a while. Visit at night. Visit at commute hours. Practice your commute. You can learn a lot.
Read your local (or neighborhood) newspaper and check for neighborhood forums like NextDoor, Facebook groups, etc.
Open your eyes and use your common sense when evaluating a home and neighborhood. Don’t skip that.
Engage with Staci:
Website: https://www.dcifacts.com/staci-dresher / stacidresher
Engage with Us:
Instagram
TikTok
Real Estate Therapy Blog
https://www.realestatetherapy.org/