We are coming to the start of hunting season here in the Ozarks and land properties are a must buy for the avid outdoors enthusiast; however, residential properties are still being viewed by prospective first-time home owners looking for a quiet place to set roots. For those who are about to place their money into their new home, I want to caution you with some words of advice: Protect Your Investment!
When you go to see your lender for the first time (whether it is for pre-qualification, pre-approval, or at the time of loan application), they are required to give you Form HUD-92564-CN, which looks like this:
The overall reason to consider a home inspection is you get an unbiased third party to look over your investment. An inspector will get into the nitty-gritty of what makes your home stand up and they will be able to tell you of anything that might need some TLC when you take ownership of the home.
When you are making this decision, you need to know that you, as the buyer, must ask for a home inspection. You can even make your home inspection part of the contract agreement, ensuring you understand where you are placing your money.
An important thing to understand is that an appraisal is not the same as a home inspection. Appraisals are an overall estimation of the home’s worth and to ensure that it is, indeed, marketable. As such, appraisals are for the lender, not the buyer. For the buyer, a home inspection looks at the soundness, not the value, of the home, and serves as a means of seeing things that an appraiser may miss.
Overall, when you move anywhere, you have to ensure that you are an informed buyer. This is your money and home ownership is an investment in your future. You want to have the best investment your money can buy. Our real estate agents are more than willing to help you find an inspector that you can trust. More importantly, our agents want one thing above all else: to help you find a home you will love for the rest of your life.
– Chris
PS: Whether you already own your home or are interested in buying properties in the Ozarks, owning a home requires stewardship of your investment. Steven Dabney of New Creations Inspections is an experienced inspector who can help you out. He can be reached at (417) 967-6491.