Buying a Home Sight Unseen
Have you ever thought about buying a home sight unseen? I’ve handled many transactions where my buyers didn’t lay eyes on the home until they walked through the door. There was a time that I perceived this practice to be risky until I actually did it. It’s not an ideal way to purchase a home but for some, it can be most expedient and necessary. Having done this myself in the last year, I’d like to offer a few suggestions:
1) Find a realtor who is willing and proficient at video. They don’t have to be a video professional, but in the absence of being there yourself, your realtor’s willingness to try is key. MLS photos do not always tell the whole story nor does a video of the home only. The neighborhood is also important.
2) Be willing to arrange your schedule in order to be present for the home inspection. This will minimally allow you to enter a contract and undergo your due diligence of a 10 day inspection period, or more and allow you to make a physical visit.
With that said, some sellers don’t like to enter a contract with a buyer who has not physically seen the home and in some instances, will ask for a non-refundable deposit or a shorter inspection contingency period. If you’re unable to secure a flight and b present, ask your realtor to provide you with a list of home inspectors who are willing to call you after the inspection for either a video walk-through or give you a call at the conclusion of the inspection. They will furnish their customers with a detailed report with photos but a phonecall allows the inspector to relay anything major when things are still fresh on their mind.
3) Use Google maps and other resources to explore the neighborhood. Is there a school right around the corner that will lead to heavy traffic at certain times of the day? What about a busy road or even a highway? Neighborhoods with blight can be a little trickier to discover but using Street View and satellite maps can go a long way.
4) If it’s important to you to have a preponderance of owner occupied neighbors versus absentee owners, this information is available. Sometimes title companies have access to this information other times there are services that for a fee, can help you learn the percentage of owner occupied to absentee ownership. A realtor can also be instrumental in helping you learn this information.
5) Ask your Realtor if there are Chicken houses, garbage dumps, or other types of businesses nearby. This is important to ask because at certain times, there might be offensive odors that could reduce your quiet enjoyment of the home.
6) I purchased a smart-phone window holder at Marshalls for less than ten bucks. This way I can turn on the camera and drive through a neighborhood either with my client via Facetime, Facebook messenger or simply to record a video of the neighborhood for a potential client. Ask your realtor if they will do this for you. Maximizing technology can go a long way toward helping a buyer purchase their dream home when they can’t be physically present to do so.
I know it’s possible to purchase a home sight unseen successfully because this is the way I purchased my own home. I’m not saying it’s the most ideal way to purchase a home but with a few precautions it can be done. And for some it’s necessary. If you have questions or care to relay your personal experience, please feel reach out to me.
