Your Second Home Showing – What to Look For

Roof You have looked at several homes and have narrowed it down to one or two favorites. Things are getting serious now. You have scheduled your second showing and want to spend more time looking at your potential new home. You have seen the home once. What do you look for on your second visit? Now is the time to pay close attention to, among other things, the roof. It can be quite expensive to replace or repair a leaky roof. It is best to consider the condition of the roof before making an offer so you can calculate that into your offer. Fortunately, even if you aren’t skilled in … Continue reading...

Pay Attention to Details When Looking at Homes

I often see home buyers walk into a home and within 2 minutes say "WOW, THIS IS THE ONE!" First impressions are very important for sure, but with such important financial investment, it is a good idea to spend a bit more time taking a close look at details before deciding to make an offer on a home. Sure, you can always back out after inspections uncover major problems, but by then you have already spent quite a bit of money to pay for inspections. Why not spend a bit of time looking into potential problems before making the offer? Even if the home IS perfect, doing a bit of sleuthing up front … Continue reading...

The home we love has cracks in the walls. Is this a deal breaker?

Not necessarily. Oklahoma has a lot of clay in the soil, and it is common for the soil to shift during extreme weather, especially our hot summers. This shifting over time can cause foundations to shift, resulting in cracks. In addition, or high winds can cause walls to shift and crack even if the foundation is solid. There are primarily two ways cracks develop in the exterior walls. Foundation cracks Much of central Oklahoma has clay based soil, which expands and contracts depending on weather and soil moisture content. And many Oklahoma homes are built using concrete stem walls and slab … Continue reading...

To Pier or Not to Pier after an Earthquake?

Ok, I never expected to be writing about this phenomenon in Oklahoma.  The reality of it was very apparent when showing homes yesterday to some clients in the Jones area.  It was one of those....when the price seems too good to be true...it is.  Face it.  Every buyer wants a deal.  This one was only $39.00/sf!  The photos online looked good.  All the kitchen appliances were there, the cabinets in place, light fixtures intact and even some wood flooring in the dining room!  As we drove up, it was on an attractive acreage, had curb appeal and we could easily see beyond the need for a fresh coat … Continue reading...