Common questions with no answers

Published On: September 6, 2011


Buyers want to know as much as they can about a property before making an offer.  But sometimes the questions asked don't have an answer or at the minimum, a "good" answer.

  • Q. How old is the home?  A.  That may be unknown especially if the home is a very old home and court records are not complete.  If a home has been extensively modified or added onto, the answer may depend on where you are standing in the house - there may have been several additions over the years.
  • Q. How old is the roof, or furnace, or wiring, or plumbing?  A.  If the current owners did not do the upgrades, they may not know when they were accomplished, especially true if the home is bank owned.
  • Q.  What are the utility bills?  A.  If the property is bank or govt. owned, those records may be lost or unavailable.  Even with homes that are lived in, utility costs may vary greatly with the preferences of individual owners.
  • Q.  Why are they selling?  A.  That would be considered confidential information and couldn't be revealed by the listing agent, if known.  A Buyer's Agent may be able to find that information for their client.
  • Q.  What's the seller's bottom dollar?  A.  That figure is best determined by open negotiations, otherwise it is confidential information.
  • Q.  Property in good condition?  A.  Buyers should have a property inspected by experts to determine condition.

Let your Buyer's Agent help gather information but also realize that some things can't be easily defined.