What public documents can I research about a home I may want to buy?

 What public documents can I research about a home I may want to buy? I
am looking to get the kind of detail one would get from, say, CarFax,
when researching a car. I want to know repairs, accidents, damage,
soil, foundation, etc.

What are some online resources?

Thx,
David

 
1) Check with the local property tax body or assessors office - they
will usually have basic information on file and  often on line. In my
area for example  I can pull up current taxes, sq ft, "classification",
year built and a picture by address or tax number.

2) Check with you lawyer, you may wish to consider making your offer
contingent on the seller providing a satisfactory "Home Seller's
Disclosure" CLUE report:

http://tinyurl.com/lmdkz

 -or-

http://www.choicetrust.com/servlet/com.kx.cs.servlets.CsServlet?channel=home&product=ror&subproduct=order&anchor=undefined

3) You can go down to the local building department and verify that
permits were pulled and all required inspections completed and passed
for obvious newer work that requires permits. (If work was not
permitted and passed,  you as a subsequent owner may find yourself
required to resolve any problems that result at your expense).

4) Ask the seller for copies of any transferable warranties (water
heater, HVAC, major appliances, foundation or basement
"waterproofing" etc.)

5)  Ask for  receipts for major improvement and maintenance - the guy
who dug up the sewer last time may remember where the "mystery"
clean out is located.

6) Ask the seller to provide any available instruction manuals for
major appliances, including components of "systems" such as heating
and cooling.  (Also, if you are getting a home inspection, it's
sometimes helpful to the inspector if these are available when he or
she goes through the property.)

7) It's always worth asking if a seller has the original blueprints for
a house or for subsequent additions or major modifications, and if so
request that these pass to the buyers at closing.

8) Ask for copies of current utility bills, often these will also have
a  graph or table that shows energy consumption each month for the past
year. "Sanity check", you are looking for costs that seem way out of
line.

Michael Thomas
Paragon Home Inspection, LLC
Chicago, IL
mdt@paragoninspectsDOTcom
847-475-5668

 If you live in NY State you can find out if anything toxic was buried
there. Recently I found a site which shows these areas in detail.
Don't know if every state has groups and maps like these.  If anyone
knows where to find them for other states, I'm hoping your question
will induce someone to come forward. Go to
http://www.toxicstargeting.com/toxicmaps/index.htm


geermeister@gmail.com wrote:

 On 31 Jul 2006 04:13:22 -0700, someone wrote:


Not exactly.

Yiu can find out if the State KNOWS there is toxic waste buried there.
Do ya really think that if the guy decided to pur out a gallon of old
pesticide, he called the State and told them?  Or if was draining his
used car oil in a hole in the back yard, that the State knows?  Or
that the gas can tipped over while he was out doing the lawn?


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.