Questions To Ask An Agent When Viewing A Home You Like

As you start scheduling viewings for homes you are interested in, you will probably come across some houses that appear to offer what you are looking for. When you find homes like this, there are some key questions you should ask your agent about these homes, as these questions can help you learn more about the homes you like. Here are four of the questions you should consider asking.

How long did the homeowner live there?

It can be informative and helpful to find out how long the owner of the house lived in this home. If you find out that it was many years, that can be a good sign. If you find out the owner lived there for only a year, it may raise some red flags. Why would a person want to sell only a year after moving in? Could the house have a problem of some kind? Is the neighborhood bad? These are all potential possibilities when a homeowner wants to move so quickly.

How long has the listing been up?

Secondly, ask the agent how long the listing has been up. Your agent will be able to retrieve information about the sales and ownership of the home. This will tell you the date the owner listed the house, how many owners the house had, and what the home sold for each time it switched hands. Finding out that a house was listed a year ago might be troubling, simply because homes do not typically take this long to sell, and this is why it is a good idea to ask this question.

Are there any red flags with the home disclosures?

You can get a copy of the disclosure form the seller filled out, but you may still want to ask your agent if there are any red flags with it. Agents know the wording to look for when reading these forms and can help you understand things on the form that you might not understand.

How is the real estate market in this neighborhood?

The other question you could ask is how the real estate market is in this neighborhood. Are there a lot of homes for sale there? If so, why is this? How do home prices in this neighborhood compare to prices in other neighborhoods? These are all good questions to ask when analyzing a home for sale.

When you ask these questions, you learn more about the house, and the answers can help you decide if you should pursue the house or move on. Ask a real estate agent for help today if you would like to begin looking at homes for sale in your area.