If you are looking into purchasing your dream house for the very first time, then you need to get acquainted with some of the things you need to check before closing on the sale. However, problems can appear even after doing a thorough check of the house. What can you do when problems arise in your new house?
Realtor.com cited an example based from Jessica and Jim Jepsen's newly bought house in Indiana. According to the publication, the couple did everything, including a consultation with a home inspector, to ensure that the five-story house they got from an estate sale in 2012 was free from any major issues.
However, just days after the couple moved in, Jessica realized that their house had a deluge pouring through the roof when it was raining. Only then did they discover that the former occupant replaced the rubber roof with shingles.
The publication noted that while it is easy to take this case into court and blame the former occupant for the problem, a proof to state your claim must be provided.
"In order to have any recourse, you have to prove that the seller knew about the problem and did not disclose it, or even lied outright about it," said real estate attorney Lauren Jackson.
The publication then stated that in order for you to protect yourself from any problems down the road, you should ensure that you are protected from liability using a seller's disclosure form, a title report, home inspection and property survey.
As previously reported here on Realty Today, there may be certain things that the seller is hiding from you and a more thorough research must be done before closing on the sale.
While a professional home inspector can only do so much to ensure you of less worries down the road, the aforementioned publication noted that "sometimes stuff just happens and you're still going to have to whip out your checkbook."
