home inspections

So Your Offer has Been Accepted: Action Steps Following Accepted Offer

Order your home inspection immediately. Per the contract there is a specific number of day inspection period which begins on the date the purchase offer is accepted. You and your agent will have pre-determined the inspection period and listed it in the purchase offer. I can give you the name of two different inspections companies that I have dealt with in the past.

HouseMaster 480-345-8570

Ecospec Home Inspections 602-332-7132

Home inspection companies will generally do an overview of the home. Making sure things work such as appliances, toilets, hot water heaters, fixtures, HVAC units etc. They are not specialty contractors.If you wish to have specialty inspections performed such as roofing, pool, lead based paint, radon gas etc. you will need to contact a specialty inspection company and/or a specialty contractor to have these types of inspections performed. Again remember to make arrangements for these inspections immediately following your offer being accepted and that they have been completed within your inspection period. I have an additional list of contractors and inspectors that I can provide you with if you wish, feel free to contact me anytime.

Contact your lender if the transaction is being financed and let them know that you have an accepted offer. Your agent will be sending them a copy of the executed contract. Also provide your lender with your homeowners insurance agents contact info. ( I have included several numbers below of agents I have used in the past.)  Make sure your lender has all the documentation they need to complete your loan such as paystubs, tax returns, financial statements etc.

Contact your homeowner’s insurance agent and inform them that you have an accepted offer and that you will be in need of a homeowner’s insurance policy to be effective by the close of escrow date.

Ken Stephens Allstate 480-948-8817

Toni Allen Farmers 602.324.4668

Be on the look out for information from the title company. They will be sending you a packet to get some information from you. It will also determine how you will take title to the property. Additionally they will include wiring instructions for any funds that need to be brought in at close of escrow. Certified funds are also acceptable.

You will also want to contact the local utility companies about ten days to two weeks prior to close of escrow and make arrangements for the utilities to be turned on and/or transferred into your name.

Salt River Project Electric       602-236-1889

Arizona Public Service            https://www.aps.com/customer/ratewizard/start.asp

Southwest Gas                        877-862-6020

City of Phoenix Water            602-262-6251

Please contact me with any questions or comments:

Tim Broderick

602-741-0862

home inspections

Do I Need To Have My New Home Inspected?

Buyers may not be aware that there usually is a clause in the new home contract that allows them to have a home inspection during the construction and upon completion. Why should you have a brand spanking new home inspected? What could they possibly find?

Having worked for new home builders in the area I have a few reasons why and I will start with my own personal new home. Our final walk through went fine. Everything was beautiful. When I set my office up and the electrical outlet that I plugged my computer into did not work I thought, no problem, I have a year warranty. I called the builder and sure enough, they came right out. The hip, (slant) of the roof was no longer accessible from the attic to repair the outlet. The builder said most likely a nail went through the wire. They could fix it but it would require cutting through the drywall until they found the site to repair. An inconvenience to say the least. I just wanted my office unpacked and get back to work! 3 months later I found a termite tube on the exterior of the home which caused me to look further, which I found another tube under the bathroom sink. Yes my home was brand new and under warranty however your home is labeled henceforth at the State of Arizona Office of Pest Management. (OPM).  A health department history of homes if you will.  http://www.sb.state.az.us/  The website is very helpful. Go to the consumer resources and they have everything from pest advisories to termite re-ocurrence or search an address for a home you are considering to purchase to find the history. Yes my address is there. It is the home’s reputation and the more you know the better off you are to make that decision to sign on the dotted line. After all it is usually the biggest investment people make!

Attics: No one likes to take the time or effort to stay there long enough to thoroughly inspect the attic. Common problems are broken trusses, crimped duct work which reduces the line for the heating and cooling to pass through and can even cause extra wear and tear on the heating and a/c unit, disconnected a/c & heating ducts, roof leaks, lack of, or no insulation at all. Since the attic insulation is one on the very last things to go into a new home it is not uncommon to be forgotten. One buyer went through an entire summer without insulation and had excessive utility bills before it was noticed. The builder did get the contractor out and blew in insulation but it was not a pretty sight. The mess from the hose being dragged through the home to the attic access not to mention the insulation droppings that fell around the room and on the clothes in the closet as well. Weather stripping, poor installation and lack of it is another big oversight of some new home builders. It also contributes to loss of heating and cooling and another avenue for bugs to enter your home.

Electrical: As I mentioned earlier my personal story.

Foundation: Lack of a seal. The wood is bolted directly to the concrete and unless it is sealed properly it is another way for bugs to enter your home. I cannot say enough about a post-tension foundation. I feel it is superb. Some new home builders will use a stem-wall and some use a post-tension. It is my understanding that Post-tension foundations are more expensive. Typically a 7” frame up with the Foundation Boards. Then they place metal cables in a checker board pattern that extends out the sides. There is then an inspection prior to pouring the concrete. After a specific cure time of the concrete they come out and pull on the cables to around 30,000 psi (per square inch) then it sits and they return to assure that the psi has held. The cables are cut off at the surrounding slab of concrete and are patched. The other foundation builders use is a stem-wall which the concrete is bolted to the earth and because of earth movement and expansive soil in AZ, cracks in the foundation can occur. It is another avenue for bugs to enter your home. My personal story I had a stem-wall foundation which I believe is the reason I had termites 3 months after I moved in to my new home. Ugh!

 

When should the inspector inspect?  I say at the frame completion prior to the walls being closed up and at completion. I also recommend doing your research on the inspection company that you hire!

If you are considering a new home purchase or having one built, I would be happy to help you through the entire process from home-site selection to what you really need to pay attention to at your walk through. I can share more information with you on the various areas that could be important to you.  It goes without saying a list of professionals for you to consider is available as well. Having achieved my lifetime achievement award selling over $52 million in new homes in a period of under 5 years I know what I am talking about. Judy Manning 480-518-0722 cell judy.manning@phoenixpowersearch.com

home inspections

Why not buy a home over the internet?

Times are changing and with the amazing technology we can do pretty much anything. We truly never have to leave our house to buy anything anymore. Most of us have purchased something from the Internet, cars, clothes, furniture and now houses are included in that list. Why leave the comfort of your home to find the new home of your dreams??

In Arizona right now the temperature is around 111 during the day.  If you have a Realtor that knows exactly what you are looking for then why would you want to spend hours in the sun?

I have been out taking videos and and over 300 pictures for clients who are wanting to purchase a home in Arizona, but live in New York.  We found exactly what they wanted and they never left the comfort of their home.

We will get an inspection with detailed information and pictures and the owners will be here once the weather cools down a bit.

If you are thinking about purchasing home, let me set you up with a search today.  I can do for you what I have done for my other clients.
Rachel Anderson 480-309-7968 or rachel@phoenixpowersearch.com