every nook and cranny,” says Ericson of Realtor.com. Ericson reports that Jesse Fowler, president of Tellus Design + Build (Costa Mesa, CA), says to look for fresh paint overspray on the inside or outside of window trim and ligh t fixt ures. “ Th is overspray might be covering up inconsistencies in the fin ish — wood that doesn’t look like wood, for example,” he says. “But, more importantly, it quite o ft en indicates that the contractor went with the lowest-quality painter, so it’s likely they cut corners elsewhere in places that are not so obvious.”
6. Th e Home Might Have Been Environmentally Contaminated
Some homes are not healthy or environmentally safe. For example, homes built from the 1940s to the 1970s could contain harmful asbestos or lead-based paint, both of which we now know are unsafe, and even responsible for all kinds of serious health problems. According to Ericson on Realtor.com, Christopher Bourland, appraiser, says that “other environmental issues could include a faulty septic system, which can contaminate drinking water, or mold issues stemming from building materials, such as stucco or siding.” Environmentally contaminated homes will most likely be both diffi cult and expensive to deal with. Save your time, money, and sanity and move on from this home. It’s just not worth it. 7. Th e Home Will Cost Too Much to Insure A common mistake that home buyers make is not factoring in all the costs involved with purchasing a home. Most focus on the home purchase price and the monthly mortgage costs. Of course, 142
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