Never buy these type of Houses! (Must Watch!)
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- Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
- Here are my top houses to never buy!
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Thanks for watching! If you are looking to buy or sell Real Estate on the Gulf Coast of Florida or Alabama email me at jack.motley@adoorrealestate.com or give me a call at 850 324-1673!
I was waiting for you to mention Orangeburg sewage lines that connect the house to the city sewer systems. This may not be common in your area. These pipes typically completely collapse around the 50-year mark.
I don't buy houses with wall to wall carpeting. Not me.......
Down south, don’t you have to test for Sinkholes as they are common.
Sad to buy a home, and have it swallowed up and disappear forever.
Don’t buy flipped houses , cheap shoddy construction; cheap materials
A flipper bought the house next to mine and flipped it. Seems guy is trying to offload it already and his guys are in a hurry.
uh dont blame all dummy. I flip and do it right
Even the brand new houses are just crap. The ones I've built in the last 1520 years are just not worth it.
Some do a good job
Exactly! I sold my Mothers home after her passing…built in 1961 with original cast iron piping…electrical wiring…all original…..sold it for 135K to get rid of it…the flippers pit about 50K in and slapped in some new fixtures, paint and light kitchen remodel…sold it for 299K….i feel sorry for the new owners who will be dealing with a quick flip that will need to be token apart
Never buy a house with a bad next door neighbor.
How would you find out before buying?
Interview people..
@@lmor7110police reports and criminal databases.
@@alisonbarratt3772 And you'd better have a damm good ability to judge character. Anyone can put on a front, not everyone can see through it. ALWAYS TRUST YOUR GUT. Not your paranoia, your *GUT.*
Stand outside and sniff the air. If you smell grass or a cat box odor (and it's NOT a cat box), move along. Come back in the evening and look for parties. Move along. @@lmor7110
Don't buy a house owned by an investor.
Don't let your real estate recommend your home inspector. Those two professions are meant to check and balance each other. When they know each other as well as drum up business for each other you might be the odd man out in that three person deal with you paying both for that privilege.
Bingo and Blackout!!!!!!!!! Banker in on it too....5000 forgivable down payment to make credit illusion ....Ignore 1st time home buyer - inspector. Ins co? unsuspecting? or in on it to,,,solution a disaster that makes em pay if you are very lucky unless you wise up in time and sew if you can
That eliminates half of the houses these days...
What’s wrong with buying a house from an investor? Thanks
@@1rstBornthis happened to us got stuck with a 70 year old flat roof near collapse
Always go back to the house during evening and nighttime hours to check out the neighborhood. Sometimes the real picture of what's going on in the hood is after hours.
Ain't that the truth :-/ even in nice areas there's loud music and stolen cars, cherries n berries showing up to break up domestic arguments...
Yes!!
Good advice. Not just a hood thing. Even in decent areas, dirt bags often have day jobs- you need to visit the area at multiple times of day. I've noticed if you go into most suburban neighborhoods in the middle the day during standard work-week (or very late at night), most of them look kind of quiet and chill. Definitely does not tell the entire picture.
I looked at the house I'm renting on a Sunday, the 9ne day of the week where dump tricks carrying coal go by the house disregarding traffic laws constantly
This is fantastic advice!
You overlooked! Don’t buy a house on a bad grade, where rainwater or snow melt flows toward the house. Everything you mention in your video can be fixed. But you can NEVER fix bad geography.
Everything can be fixed, but at what cost?
Retaining wall could stop the in flow of water, but yeah, it's expensive to fix and best to avoid.
I’ve done it, but it’s a lot of work.
French drain
@@CBBC435 no length of French drain can make rainwater flow uphill away from your house.
Not to be contrary, I bought my house 40 years ago in1983 and the first thing I thought had to go was the big cast iron main drain pipe in my basement. The house was built in 1936, so I felt it was time to replace the cast iron with plastic. I had a premier plumbing contractor out, who agreed, it must be replaced with a plastic pipe. He took his large sledge hammer to it and after several 'Babe Ruth' swings to crack it open he had to take a rest. It was then that I made the call to abort this mission and 40 years later it is still standing and I have had zero plumbers out to my house since that day.
Cast iron drain on my house too. It’s original 1962 and QUIET!
@@carollyntThese days, the only people who have cast iron drains installed in my area are the hospitals.
I have the same thing in my 1924 house. The only thing that needs to be reconfigured is the drum trap for the tub. That was designed poorly and after 100 years has built up sediment. I was told I can cut it out and replace with a plastic p-trap.
@@mrniceguy423 I dug out a broken drum trap on a tub from 1952 last year. I wasn't sure how to proceed, so a plumber friend of mine cut out the broken drum trap and installed a rubber Fernco boot. Then used PVC to run to a P-trap. It flows better now than it ever did. BUT, you cannot skip the P-trap or your sewer line will vent gas back up into the house!
@@Duke_of_Prunes Plumber just pointed at where to cut and to use mission clamps to join each side of the new p-trap to the cast iron. Other than that the sink and toilet drain just fine.
My house was built in 1900. So before I bought it, I got it inspected, it's a 690 square-foot house and the guy spent three hours on it. Luckily, most of the upgrades are already been done, electrical and plumbing where are my big concerns. but I can tell you one thing, the inspector told me that my house will still be standing in another 100 years. And the new houses that he's inspecting will not be here in 50. So don't shy away from old houses, they might take some work, but in the long run they're a pretty darn good investment.
We have a 1961 home and the inspector said we found gold. I also have a flat roof. Insurance didn’t change. We live in Montana with a lot of snow and in 15 years we have had absolutely no problems!
I've seen very few houses torn down because of bad construction, at least in New England, where the risk of natural disaster is fairly low. Even really crappy houses, some with bad foundations, are usually fixed. When I was a kid, there was a lemon-house across the street that literally sold for $5000 in 1963; its crumbling foundation has since been fixed and it's worth about $550,00 today. Today's cheap houses definitely have their shortcomings. The vinyl-sided houses with soffit vents and truss attics seem almost designed to burn, and I wouldn't be surprised if they become hard to insure without upgrades in some places. But as long as the floor plans and style of the house is acceptable, I suspect that most will be upgraded and repaired as needed. Most of the houses I see getting torn down are in good shape, but too small for the neighborhood.
My garage is 1100 square feet. Gee wiz. where is this.
I have a new construction home. I won’t be alive in 100 years and don’t care if it doesn’t last that long. I keep up with my maintenance. It’ll last my lifetime. The market value… keeps jumping up by leaps and bounds. Will it ever devalue? Not during my lifetime.
Exact same thing my inspector told me about the house i bought. Right on the mississippi. Built in 1929. He said "yeah this house is solid as can be" didnt get the same report with the newer ones my gf wanted. So i traded my gf in on a beautiful old house with a nice view.
Stay away from houses on busy roads, that back to gas stations, that are near noisy freeways or railroad tracks, etc. They are often priced very low but you'll hate living there and they can be very difficult to sell. Mobile homes depreciate quickly just like a car. Condominiums are the last to increase in value in an up market and the first to fall in value in a slow market - and the HOA fees will go up nearly every year.
I never understood why people buy Condos. You rent apartments. You don't buy them.
@@1969bones69I bought a Condo haha it depends on what you are looking for. My condo is worth more than people’s houses. I’m close to the beach so the value will always go up. Also the amenities alone make it worth it too. When you rent price always increases but my Mortgage won’t.
I disagree. I grew up in a house with the railroad tracks right behind our backyard.
It's one of the most expensive neighborhoods on our side of town. Very beautiful shady old oak tree lined streets, river views, parks, best schools around, beautiful mansion houses you see only in magazines. Just so happens the railroad tracks go right through the middle of the neighborhood. I love the sound of the trains. I miss it if it's not around. My house now is across a bridge to the north about 2 blocks from the tracks. A neighborhood I love just as much, but affordable. Thank god we bought it in 2011 because I couldn't afford it today.😅 🚂
@@KewlBrownMy folks sold their house and retired to a condo. They are still able to customize the interior without having to maintain the exterior (which is hard at their age and I'm too far away to help).
@@PongoXBongo yeah it’s not bad to have a condo. Very maintenance friendly.
9.) Do not buy a house in a really bad neighborhood.
All "bad" neighborhood s....one day turn... GREAT 😳🤗....Aka
NEW YORK CITY
*GENTRIFICATION!!!
That's true, esp. if you have/want kids. Living in a good school district is so vital.
Drive the neighborhood at several different times of day and night to check for people who'd rather be up to no good than in their house .
My second cousin was a realtor and was always saying location location location.
Sadly, if the local elementary school is named MLK or there is an MLK street name within 2 miles... look elsewhere
In my opinion, a housing market crash is imminent due to the high number of individuals who purchased homes above the asking price despite the low interest rates. These buyers find themselves in precarious situations as housing prices decline, leaving them without any equity. If they become unable to afford their homes, foreclosure becomes a likely outcome. Even attempting to sell would not yield any profits. This scenario is expected to impact a significant number of people, particularly in light of the anticipated surge in layoffs and the rapid increase in the cost of living.
I suggest you offset your real estate and get into stocks, A recession as bad it can be, provides good buying opportunities in the markets if you’re careful and it can also create volatility giving great short time buy and sell opportunities too. This is not financial advise but get buying, cash isn’t king at all in this time!
I copied her whole name and pasted it into my browser; her website appeared immediately, and her qualifications are excellent; thank you for sharing.
@@maggysterling33254 Don't fall for any of these scammers.
You are confusing wish with analysis.
Only if there’s a recession or worst
I also won't buy a house with add ons. They are never done right.
True. I owned 2 homes where “friends’ had built additions. They were poorly done.
i agree!
That's not true
@@alisonbarratt3772
It's often true. There's only 2 real ways to do something like framing:
1. Be a perfectionist and take a long time
2. Have 25 years experience
There's no other way. I've hired someone like that and it showed me, the only way I can do what he does, is if I take a heck of a lot longer.
I have a house with an add-on. I partially agree with you. The living section was (and is still fine) however, the way they connected the roof is way f'd up. Causing our solar panels company to add an addendum limiting their liability due to unusual slope.
Don't buy a house that has a weird floor plan ie..have to walk through a bedroom to get to another bedroom.
Master bedroom right off the open concept kitchen/living/dining room like my SIL...
@@katie7748That could work for a senior, or a handicapped individual.
Here in New Orleans there are lots of “weird” floor plans, i.e., our traditional shotgun house you literally walk from the living room through one or two bedrooms, then in to the kitchen. They are hugely popular and expensive to purchase.
@@NOLAMikki Very much the exception, not the rule.
@@NOLAMikki I saw that while visiting NOLA. It's interesting, seeing houses where you can literally look through the front straight through to the back of the house. The bungalows where I am aren't typically that simple in design. It was definitely a humbling experience.
The investors are part of the problem as to why houses are unattainable these days. Greed is destroying our country.
I’d argue corporate investors are the problem, not the mom and pops.
@@Dan-lr4hm To a larger extent, yes. Mom and Pops still add to it but not much.
@Dan-lr4hm it's both. Plus airbnbs, and foreign investors.
Blackrock, Statestreet and Vanguard own many houses. They have connections to the Rothschilds, so they can print all the money they need. Also lax rules on foreigners owning houses and farmland is not helping.
@@eegernades foreign investors are the real problem.
Here's a quick list:
1) No iron pipes
2) Galvanized pipes
3) Really old electrical wiring, aluminum wiring
4) Very low pitch roof
5) previously burnt house
6) structural issues, uneven floors, cracks on walls
7) bad windows
8) house with septic tank and has sewer nearby, the county will make you convert to sewer
9) don't buy an ugly house
10) don't buy bad layout house, odd number of bathrooms and bedrooms
Ty
Thanks!
You're the best. I was writing notes as he was talking so I appreciate you!
I’ve lived in all kinds of houses. 100 years old, brand new, 300 sq ft, 3,200 sq ft. 1 bedroom, 5 bedrooms. 12’ wide trailer, fine old craftsman, very best neighborhood, very poor neighborhood. Uptown, by the ocean, in the sticks, you name it. Every house has good points and bad points. Easy heat/cool. Lots of space, easy to maintain, fun to entertain, convenient to work, lots of privacy, close to the action, quiet and safe. There are plenty of houses to live in and all of them offer something different to experience. People adapt to the space they have, no matter how big or small. The very best thing a house is… is home.
Don't forget to ask about sinkholes and areas that stay wet on land.
For sure!
It is hard to get sink hole info sometimes as, in my opinion, it makes homes unsellable. It is closely guarded info in Florida.
Yep. Check the official sinkhole maps on the internet
My sister bought a house that was a foreclosure (bank owned) that was in a flood zone. The bank didn't disclose it had flooding issues because they never resided in the home. After she bought the house and started having issues, she found online through the county it is in a flood zone. Do your homework on the area to see if the house is in a flood zone, especially when it is bank owned.
Hey, was that something a real estate agent should have caught? 🧐
@@JAJ3RD4TH No, she might not have used one, most forclosures that regular citizens can get into are HUD houses, they are bid on, FHA preferred. It is always the seller, the lender, or the title company that discloses, and clearly she didn’t pay for a survey, it is always on a survey, and in loan documents (Because banks want to protect their investments).
Most likely, she either paid cash, or didn’t do her due diligence to READ the closing documents. HUD technically holds a foreclosure (the asset tied to a debt instrument, but never appears on a home’s title).
I am one of the few people who actually reads all of the documents in a real estate transaction. Buyer beware! Everyone, except the buyer is involved is making money off the sale, therefore they are incentivized to be less than honorable. If it wasn’t disclosed at all, she can sue anyone (and usually everyone) involved with the sale. I bet the house was super cheap, and a lot of the time it is a storm drain issue, especially when the sewer is storm and sanitary sewer combined. Therefore, it’s not in a flood plain, it’s about failing infrastructure, that can effect an entire low lying area. If real estate brokers were involved, she could sue the brokers, agents, title insurer, for the swindle. The brokers carry insurance specifically for these “non-disclosure” issues, as non-disclosure is against the law. I’ve seen it frequently in “flip” homes (generally shoddy).
Never hurts to know a lot about everything you buy. Like cars, clean titles, no broker chains in history, pristine maintenance and a perfect no wreck, carfax that did not move around from state to state. Be careful about cars hiding flood damage, dangerous and deadly, houses, too. Also, never buy a horse, if you don’t know a lot about horses. Most horse sellers are selling for crappy reasons, and it’s really sad, all the way around.
As a long-time home rehabber, your list of what not to buy, or at least to factor in the upgrade costs, is SPOT ON! Also, here in Florida, look out for skylights - they make it hard to get insurance. Look out for large, old, or dying trees especially near the house. These can both make insuring harder and cost thousands, even over $10,000 to remove.
Great ideas!
YES! I bought a house in Texas with 4 large skylights and had two removed immediately, the other two after leaks developed. They cause damage to the insulation in the attic etc. I don't care how much they cost, how well they are made/sealed EVERY ONE of them will leak eventually.
Skylights suck. It's like having a sunroof/moonroof on a car it's just a liability that will start leaking.
Good points
"Large old trees" Living or Non-living can cause root damage to the foundation or pipes. So, I would do like an extensive inspection in a situation like that.
Bought a house over 100 years old. About the time This Old House magazine came out. On a crawl space. Paid 1,000. For it. Had seven roofs, iron pipe, sand and horsehair walls. Walls were stuffed with old Detroit newspapers in great condition. We had soooo much fund doing it all ourselves. Learned about balloon framing. Sill plate patching cutting japanese splice cuts. We redid the foundation, put standing seam metal roof on ourselves. Wet plaster walls. What a learning experience. We financed all projects cash out of pocket. Best investment of my life.
I’m just starting my third.
There used to be a show on HGTV (If Walls Could Talk) and one where the owner found hundreds of old collectible movie posters inside the walls that were used as insulation. Worth hundreds of dollars each. Guy made a fortune selling them. The previous owner, who died had worked at a movie theater for 20 years and got them for free to insulate his house.
Love this!❤
@deeandrews7051 what an awesome find.
Old houses feel better.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GET RID OF WOOD WINDOWS. Keep good oil paint on them, and use nice stormers and drapes. Last hundreds of years. Don't need replacing.
You also have to get out and reglaze around your mullion bars from time to time. I have windows from 1941, and they're in better shape than the aluminum frame windows on the neighboring property from 1963.
I love the imperfect glass in some of them!
i agree w this. i've seen good old windows with storm windows that were warmer and more energy efficient than the new double hung argon gas filled things. i like the old wood look with plantation shutters..feels richer than cheapo aluminum frames and plastic latches.
@@deniseherud raised with pulleys with weights on them, and the glass held in place with linseed oil putty, classic! We replaced them with modern friction fit double pain plastic ones which after a few years get frozen in place, and you need to be a strongman to open them. But they come with a "lifetime warranty" if you don't mind waiting for the company to schedule a repair or replacement, at their convenience. Ah the good old days.
@@deniseherud I believe you are misinformed. Storm windows aren't designed to insulate. They only are to protect the inner windows. PLUS....try taking those apart for cleaning! (Nightmare) Good, professionally installed gas vinyl windows will significantly outperform wood windows and eliminate drafts. PLUS....they are maintenance free, and easy to open...and...can be cleaned from the inside!
Here’s another one. Never buy a house that looks like a bunch of old Sears tool sheds were slapped together over the decades. 😕
I think that falls under the mud dauber type of house his mother mentioned..haha
@@poppypottschannel Believe it or not, I've seen at least one mobile home (better name, trailer) that had an "addition". Talk about something to stay away from!
The fence on my yard was built by Sears
@@KECOGI hear banjos!😮
Shed houses are becoming popular now.
I like older homes 1947 to 1970’s. I make sure the foundation is solid and there is no asbestos in the home. You have good advice especially for the people that can’t do their own carpentry, plumbing and electrical.
The cost of materials and contractors outrageous . It’s hard to find and honest contractor with good quality craftsmanship that won’t rip you off.
😂no asbestos in an old house😂 it was the Frank's Red Hot of building materials!
Don’t buy a house that’s part of an association.
In FL is almost a must.
We have to live somewhere and new homes are not built as well as older homes. Just take good care of your home. Your neighbors will love you for it. Plant a garden. Be thankful for your home. I think the real problem these days is the COST of HOMES are OFF THE CHARTS (UNAFFORDABLE) because of INVESTMENT companies like BLACKROCK buying up homes that first time home buyers ought to have available on the market. People ought to be able to afford to get married and have children and be able to pay for a home.
What a fairy tale. Living happily ever after.
I agree with you in principle.
But nothing you are calling for is a right. None of that is owed to us.
The only thing I could offer you as it applies to inflation or unrealistic costs is this......
How do you vote?
Who are the people you are electing?
Stay away from bad schools, bad neighborhoods, neighbors on sex offenders list, neighborhoods with a lot of rental units, too close to high power lines, near landfill, near industrial developments, and houses with old inground pools. Great video. Thanks!
Once nice neighborhood can easily turn into a bad neighborhood through the decades.
How do you find out the neighborhoods for the sex offenders
@@MuzicTunes-lk6npIn my case, less than 2 decades.
My whole community turned black very quickly. Now my house is worth the same as it was when I bought it over 20 years ago.
@@user-fc6um2uy9b An internet search or try talking to your local police department (who will likely tell you to look it up).
If I listened to this I wouldn’t be able to buy a house period. Even the newer houses here have settling. I think I you should be saying, “research the cost to fix these items before you buy”.
ABSOLUTELY!!!! Especially now.
Facts
Nearly every house has some type of problem in the points mentioned…. Even new homes are not defect free
Good advise. We stay away from mold, termite damage and foundation issues.
Don't buy a house next to, or across from a church or a school due to traffic/parking problems. Houses at a crossroads, many folks won't buy those. Same with corner lots.
It's funny how they advertise corner lots as if they were a good thing. I'm thinking twice as much noise, traffic, and exposure of whatever is in your backyard.
But living close to a school could be a selling point for a family with school age kids.
Excellent video. Being an agent in Virginia, I found myself pointing these items out to buyers and investors while showing older properties, foreclosures, etc. Low-priced doesn't mean a good buy everytime.
Note: inspectors cannot remove anything that isn't removable. Beware if anything looks like it has been sealed off or covered up. Tacky additions usually have other stuff that is substandard and not visible. Most of all educate yourself. Many homes can be eliminated on a walk through before you even consider having an inspection. Any time a realtor mentions something as an easy fix is a red flag. If it's easy, then why isn't it fixed? They can ram new sleeve piping through old cast iron sewer lines; no excavation required. Don't buy diamonds in the rough or polished turds. Most of all, buy yourself an infrared gun and do the walk around when it is pouring rain. This is the time to spot water drainage problems around the foundation, in the basement, leaks in the roof coming through the attic and ceilings, and rain gutters.
@ gnomiefirst9201 thanks you offered some very good considerations. I’m looking to buy a home. I have upgraded the current one, but want more property. It helps having other options on how to navigate existing homes with their issues.
@@celiauzarski2064 You are welcome. Thanks for the note. Best wishes.
Beware of wooden deck porches with indoor-outdoor carpeting on top - often covering up weak spots or even small holes. Also sometimes sneaky sellers will place furniture over weak areas on a wooden porch deck. Inspectors who are good will note a suspicious area but note they cannot verify due to the presence of carpeting or furniture. Especially difficult when the porch only has a crawl space covered by skirting.
I bought a house with the old electrical, old pipes, and baseboards. Needless to say, I learned a lesson the hard way, but it's interesting learning how to upgrade. The plumbing was fairly easy, I'll never have to hire a plumber again. The electrical has been more of a higher education curve, though.
Good for you!
How bad was it to get rid of your baseboards, if you did what did you replace it with. I know a lot of houses on the market have baseboards and the homes are going for $200,000 to 350,000 and more. I can’t believe people are buying them.
Baseboards are relatively cheap and all you need is a finish nailer and a chop saw. The hardest thing is prying the old ones off.@@kt6332
@@kt6332 ? The decorative trim?
I will do electrical any day over plumbing.... to each his own
The old iron pipe wasn’t that bad if it lasted 80 years!
Could be is for another 80 in it, could be it's on it's last legs and about to quit.
My last house was built in 1940 and had cast iron waste pipes in the basement coming from the 2nd floor bathroom that looked solid, but after 2 years they started to split and leak. This was in about 2015, so they made it 75 years before they quit.
@@MultiIhatethis
The copper that was the standard for decades seems to be good for 60 - 80 years. Only time will tell if the new stuff they are using now will last for 75 - 80 years.
@@scooterp7009 Some plastics are just not degradable, I think EPDM is rated for 50 years in harsh conditions (sun, freeze, high temps, etc) so should at least last 200 years inside.
True. But that 80 year window has come and gone. And since the iron pipe isn't being installed into new homes or remodels, then we're right back to the initial premise.
Nothing is permanent.
I've got a cast iron stack in my home still. Its about done. I have been eying to change it out for over a year now.
I've been a Texas state licensed home inspector for over 20 years, here is my take. As far as cast iron drain lines they were used in homes up until the very late 70s and I have even seen them in very early 80s built houses as the plumbers could use up whatever stock they had once PVC became code. A lot of homes these days especially older ones have been upgraded with PVC due to problems in the past. If you love the neighborhood and the home overall then get a plumber to scope the lines if you find a house that is older and has some signs of cast iron. Its all repairable just have to factor that into the purchase of the home if repairs are needed which I guess you pretty much said.
Our main drain caved after 15 years and backup resulted. We and the kids dug it mid winter, rainy and cold, and replaced the 20mm PVC with 40mm. My hubby and a master plumber friend replaced all the house piping with PEX. The galvanized pipe developed leaks at the joints causing a stain in one spot in the ceiling. We caught it before major issues developed.
I lost my mother to a house fire in 1979 due to aluminum wiring! A short started in the basement while we were eating breakfast before school and the fire consumed the home before my bus reached our high school that morning.
Unbelievably tragic. I can't imagine the pain of that scenario, especially when you consider that your home is supposed to be your safe place. 😢
Tragic indeed. However any short-circuit in any wire, will be remedied immediately when the FUSE blows. I have heard that historically "putting a penny in the fusebox" was a thing whereby a USA one cent coin could be used instead of a proper replacement round fuse (in some old type fuse panels).. Sometimes people used fencing wire or nails etc. Obviously that was dangerous as that wiring circuit was no longer protected by a correctly rated fuse. Most newer buildings have MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers or "Breakers"). Fuses and MCBs are rated to safely protect the wiring. Well before the wiring gets hot enough lone Fuse or MCB has long since blown out and turned off the electric power. Please folks ONLY replace Fuses with a proper fuse of the correct rating or use MCBs corrected rated for your wiring. Stay safe folks !
So sorry about your mother. I A lot of people are fooled by electrical panels being up graded and are not told that all the old wires are still in the house. If your electrical panel has been up graded and you still have the old wiring they should have all GFCI Circuit breakers to prevent short start fires.
@@KiwiCatherineJemma Fuse blows only if there is over-current on the line. A corroded line can heat up without having excessive current. You fail the electrician exam.
🙏
In the coastal areas, stay away from areas where you see palmetto growing in undeveloped land - sure indicator of flood problems.. Also, don’t buy if you see a large tree within a 10 feet of the house - it WILL have slab cracking. I have sat in the realtor’s car, before getting out to see a house she’s showing, and said “this house has a cracked slab” . And she didn’t know, and found out it was true, just not disclosed.
Palmetto is a transitional plant. And usually a pretty good indicator of uplands. They don’t grow in wetlands.
99.9% of coastal land is going to have palmettos. If you want to completely avoid flooding don’t buy in a coastal area.
@@butterbeanqueen8148 Down here in south Louisiana, palmettos growing on undeveloped land is a sure sign of wetlands.
From Louisiana State University website on palmettos:
"WETLAND DESIGNATION: Facultative Wetland (FACW): Usually occurs in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast Plain Region"
My perfect house would be 1600 square feet. A garage that can comfortably fit a car. A nice sized front porch. A non galley living room in the back of the house. A modest kitchen (galley is fine) No stairs... Rancher with a master bedroom a 2nd bedroom and an office room. master bath and a 2nd full bathroom for everyone else. A screened in back porch area with a hot tub and some decent closets.
I'm almost in agreement, but I don't want a galley kitchen. I want it open to the living room. And I don't want an island. Also, I don't want a hot tub. My yard, which would be visible from the living room and kitchen, would be lush with tropical vegetation and some type of water feature. Front porch needs railing to keep my dogs corralled and to make it feel cozy. Finally, it needs to be in Texas. Preferably in Zone 9A or B.
@@AmericaCirclingTheDrainManifesting what you’d like starts with stating your wishes. You are already partway there.
Our inspector didn’t find signs of termites, a rotted beam around the deck, and was generally lazy and we found all kinds of things wrong that he should have found.
You described my perfect house also!
Wow, mine is a rehab townhouse with steps, unfortunately. But I have a small front porch and a back deck with a garage and a Swim Spa installed with a detached garage and a full functional basement. No flooding ever fenced in property. One 1 and half bath is the downside but decent sized bedrooms and a huge master bedroom with a nice size closet. The property looks small from the outside, but it is very impressive on the inside.
Don't buy a house that is in the direct line of oncoming traffic! Not just because vehicles might not stop and run directly into your house which might never happen, but because at night the headlights of oncoming traffic at night will make your life a nightmare (Yak's favorite word).
OR ON a curve as Vehicles tend to visit those homes!
I personally don't like Bi level homes. The idea of having to walk up and down a flight of stairs as soon as you walk in the front door to get to your main living space I find very frustrating. Unloading groceries...walk up the stairs. Comming home from a hard days work...gotta walk up those stairs before you get the coat off. Moving furniture, it's all gotta be able to handle the trip up the steps if you want it.
Pets and kids, you'll have to worry about them around the stairs. Then I find that nobody ever likes to be on the lower level floor of these things. It's like having a furnished basement. Yeah, you can spend time down there but if it's your house you're just going to always want to be on the 2nd main level floor. So you're buying a two story house and really only getting 1 story's worth out of it while dealing with the inconvenience on living on a top floor.
Of course alternatively Ranchers cost twice as much for less square footage because of these very reasons. :/
Good points about split entry homes.
I 100% agree.
Yep. Also when people get injured or get older that part of the house becomes inaccessible
@@hummingbirdclawsthe WHOLE house becomes inaccessible... because you have to climb stairs just to enter the home, and then you have to go up or down some more stairs as soon as you do enter. It's a terrible design.
Agree I was stupid and my first house I bought was that. It was hard to sell 4 that very reason.
I dislike open floor homes. Walls and doors are our friends. They keep people out and noises in. They let you know that you're doing something different when you enter a different area. People from the road won't be able to see straight through your house. Mentally it won't feel like cabin fever because you haven't spent all day in the same room. Walls allow you to hang things on, paint, utilize for shelves and furniture.
Get into an arguement you can actually leave to another room. "I've had enough!!! I'm going to just sit over there where you can still see me and we can just glare at each other!"
I’m with you - not a fan of the open floor plan. I need separation and privacy.
I don’t like them either, I prefer eat in kitchen separate from other rooms, unfortunately all the new homes are open concept & don’t even get me started on the giant main bedroom with a giant bathroom what a waste of space, I do like the big closets in modern homes though
I don’t like the open floor plans either. I like having the kitchen completely separate. Nothing is worse than seeing your dirty dishes from the livingroom.
@@lisabaltzer4190 ha Out of site ; Out of mind....and out of smell
Could not agree more.
I found out years ago you don't have to disclose fire in many states, which I think is crazy.
The CLUE report that insurers run will turn up that little detail
That's why realtors don't want you around while showing home as they don't want the home owner blowing the sale from the questions buyers might ask them.
Don’t buy a Split-entry Ryan Home.
Don’t buy a large contractor /new subdivision home.
Nevermind: don’t buy a house!
Don't buy a Ryan home period. Mine is a money pit
@@rebeccahavlik7838 sorry you got pulled into that mess.
That should’ve been a class action for sure!
I’ve witnessed it! Too many times.
For me personally, I won’t even consider a 1974 or newer house!
My father always told me… NEVER buy a house with horizontal cracks. Vertical cracks can be fixed but horizontal shows there’s something very wrong with the foundation, like it’s slipping.
Your video is spot on. I have learned the hard way throughout the years of what to buy and what to skip. I have spent more money on updating electric panels, wiring, plumbing, etc than I care to admit because I slobber over houses built between 1900-1940. It is my one weakness…. Cars, clothes, jewelry NOPE. Four square house with a big front porch and gingerbread lattice work, I am sunk!!!
You speak the truth. As an insurance property claims adjuster I see the issues every day and often people are surprised when their homeowners policy doesn't cover replacing those old pipes or wiring or settling foundations and any of the other problems you mentioned. When a home is about 40 years old the things that go wrong begin to pick up speed.
1980, the plumbing is now pex. New sinks all around, new toilets twice, roof done and needs done again soon, ceramic tile all the way, need pilings for recent cracks in the floor now (clay soil that was affected by last summer's drought) needs a paint job in and out. It never ends but no mortgage and low taxes should enable some work.
Paid cash and let the insurance go years ago. Insurance is a guaranteed loss.
just completed a record slow flip, I bought a house in snow country back in 1995 for 138,000. It was the cheapest house in the best neighborhood. I put countless hours/days into it, added 350 sq.ft. Separate unit below (which I successfully rented out). I recently sold it for 1.2 million even though it still needed some cosmetic upgrades AND it had the driveway from hell, especially in our huge winters. But one of the other big issues were the trees surrounding the house. I had removed a dozen large trees but there were still ten more that needed to go and insurance companies weren’t insuring houses with trees. Unfortunately all the trees were clear cut in the 1800’s and a “weed tree” the Douglas Fir grew in place of the once magnificent, diverse, old growth, fire resistant forest. So now fire is a huge threat. Know the history of the land you buy on, it’s not just the house, it’s the geography etc. that really counts!
2 houses ago: 1977 split level with half on a slab. Short story: spent 4 months living with a 4 foot deep trench from the basement side of the split, through the dining room and under the big, load-bearing, wall to replace the black iron knuckle in addition to all the sewer lines.
Did it myself with a jackhammer and concrete saw . . . oh, what fun. :/
ahh the 70s.....a few winters like that on mine. Now if it just had wheels
Call on the neighbours. If they are un-friendly or don't seem like the people you want to live next to....forget it.
He's right about the cast iron piping. I learned that the hard way. Also, if you can, try visiting the house after a strong rainstorm. You can thank me later.
One side note on old homes that have plaster ceilings. I knew of a case where water accumulated over time, and there was no indication of any water leak until the ceiling collapsed.
If you are an extreme, professional rehabber, this is also a list of houses to buy super-cheap, as no on else wants them. But certainly DO NOT BUY if you are a quick DIY flipper.
I was thinking that, those are project houses! You don’t buy those houses unless you’re prepared to pretty much gut the place & rebuild.
Most of the homes where I live are less than 30 years old, but when I lived in New England 50 years ago these problems were common. I remember seeing a lot of knob and tube wiring and iron pipes. There was a house up the road from where I lived back there that was built in 1720. In the basement you could see all the hand hewn beams that were pegged together.
I love NE homes! They are so solid.
@@susanpage8315 The structure may be good but they lack modern vapor barrier, insulation , wiring and plumbing. They will usually cost more to rebuild than to replace. They usually don’t even have 2x6 walls. Even my late brother’s house that was built in 1980 wasn’t up to modern standards. Even the house my wife Iived I before her husband died was crap. I flew back there every other month for three years making improvements and cut her energy usage by 2/3rds before she sold it and moved here.
We live in a 3400 sqft duplex I built and use less than 700 gallons of heating oil to heat for a year. We have weeks were it doesn’t get above zero and even had some -50 this winter.
A lot of them are solid, it depends on a lot of factors. A modern 2x6 might be about as strong as an old 2x4.
@@hempcacaogoji831 Unless you use spray foam you will never get the R value of a 2x6 wall in a 2x4 wall. Also older houses don’t have proper vapor barriers.
@@Chris_at_Home depending on your climate zone you don't need a vapor barrier as in polyethylene sheet plastic, which should really be called a vapor retarder. I'm in NE zone 5. If you have vented siding like uninsulated vinyl, which is super common here, for instance you didn't need per code anything more than latex paint on your walls. Craft faced insulation bats also are a vapor retarder. The key is vented siding it really improves the wall drying process.
My last house was built in the 40s. Never again! I was so happy to unload it. I love the anesthetics of an old houses. But, I'm not into the upkeep. Some people like tinkering. I don't. Lesson learned.
Anesthetics?
Esthetics = look, feel, ambiance. Anesthetics = drugs to knock you out during surgery or topical type to keep you from feeling pain, like at the dentist.
@@AshleySpeaks4U Damn you Autocorrect?
Mine was built in 1940, and I love it. However, when I bought it, the wiring, HVAC, and plumbing had been brought up to code.
Loving honesty.
RE appraiser here. Arkansas required cast iron for years after everyone went with plastic. So, houses there can be in the 1970s and have cast iron. PITA. Rewiring 2 line wiring a problem. Watch for burned wood, often is sprayed with silver (aluminum) paint. Watch out for wood touching the ground (like a cripple joint holding up a weak spot) Pay for a home inspector. your appraiser is not a home inspector nor doing a home inspection. They are a value inspector not a home inspector. Stay away from log, geodesic, A frame, etc. as they are very difficult to finance regardless price. Avoid steep lots especially in certain geological situations.
When I replaced the galvanized water pipes with pex in my 100 year old house, I was amazed to find those steel pipes were in pristine condition when I cut them open. Water flow had been very poor, however. With a properly designed pex system and a one inch manifold, it was equally amazing to see that all fixtures now had blasting water flow, even with several taps open at the same time!
Now let’s hang around and see if the pex lasts 100 years!
Useful! I ❤ water! Having been all over the country, I realize how crucial clean, safe, rust-free, abundant water is.
The house with fire damage will also have mold if not repaired correctly because of the water used to put the fire out.
Before buying, it might be worthwhile to actually measure the house yourself - don’t trust the listing, or even blueprints provided. We have been cheated with altered blueprints.
We bought a house built in Canada just after the war for returning soldiers. Cement blocks.
The old windows were really great. Had to switch the winter windows and screens, but the best windows we ever had in any home.
The new big window put in the front acfew years before we bought was like an open door.
Our second house had 60s sliding windows. Horrible. Pure garbage.
Our third house, retirement, was built in 92. We had the inspection from the power company. Well worth it. Said not to waste money on the windows. Just needed re calking. Put the money into the things he said like insulation in the crawl space, and it made all the difference.
That yellow house was only ugly because of the yellow paint!!
What do you like? Mud color?
Green shutters would make it look alot better. The issue was weird turquoise shutters.
Cosmetics would make that house adorable....cute cottage design is timeless.......bet he just couldn't find the right fugly house picture needed!
I agree. That is a very cute craftsman home. All it needed was a better paint job by the looks of it. I’d buy it!
Great video. I’m a CA general contractor and have bought dozens of foreclosures at auction. All your tips are excellent. Two more: hire inspectors to scope the main sewer line and any fireplace. Also, consider how difficult it would be to replace either the main panel (if it’s old or undersized) or convert to a tankless water heater.
Don't buy a house that was built by an owner who was "in the trades". They usually have skills in one trade, but not the others, but DIYed outside their skillset with the cheapest materials possible. Same with buying a home that was part of a community rehab program using predeominantly apprentice tradesmen. You'll find all kinds of construction oddities, code violations and system failures as the structure ages.
Ugh. Yes. We are renting and the landlord is having an electrician who thinks he's a Jack of all trades fix it up. He talks a big game, bragging and boasting about doing big projects and being a perfectionist. So many cut corners! So many things that look like crap and/or won't last! There's a few things we are shelling out our own money on to make sure it gets done correctly. We'll be here for a bit so it's worth the cost.
Not sure that is true. I've known union electricians who do work for plumbers or carpenters. They, in turn, do work on the electrician's home. In fact, you may end up with a superior home as these craftsman have a more discerning eye for what is quality construction.
Haha so we had to have the HVAC guys come out AGAIN to figure out why no heat in winter and now no AC in summer. Turns out that when Mr. Wannabe Jack of All Trades put the thermostat back on after painting, he wired it wrong. Sure, it could happen to anyone, but his arrogant azz didn't consult the picture he'd taken of it when he took it off to make sure he put it back on correctly. He just assumed. Oh, and he used GIANT, thick, 4" screws to attach it to the wall. It had been just dangling there for months and he almost left the last day he was here finishing up the house when I reminded him he wasn't done yet. The HVAC guy said, "Electrician is the hardest license in this state to get but I'm constantly fixing their screwups." And he was laughing angrily at trying to get those giant screws out of the wall.
I don't know how to do this stuff either but at least I'm a big enough person to admit it.
@@katie7748 Some thermostats are not that complex. Maybe, with a little learning, you could have avoided calling that HVAC guy. Of course the desire must be there. Good you have it fixed.
Don't buy a house on a street that is difficult to drive in and out of.
Never, ever buy a house with an HOA if you can possibly avoid it. They are legalized racketeering and a $20 billion a year industry.
Your exactly right about iron pipes. My house was built in 1920.. cost like 16 grand to replace entire sewer pipes
Daaaaaammmm
Hey...you just described my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rental homes! Lol. Had fun learning all the trades along the way! You definitely have to "buy" it at the right price to make it work.
Here in Texas especially in areas away from city limits, check out original construction. Many of these were just thrown up quickly as there are no building codes in rural areas. I was a traveling nurse and its amazing what people are living in. One was a plywood shack with 1 layer plywood walls. No insulation and no interior walls, just curtains hung to divide rooms.
Awesome info Jack!! Appreciate you sharing your wisdom and knowledge.
1:34 - This I can testify is a thing. I had a house in Pompano Beach, Florida, which had an iron pipe from the city feed to the house. My sprinklers did not work worth a damn, and the problem was getting worse over time. I finally got a plumber in there to have a look and the iron pipe was just about closed up. The replaced the line with PVC, and, wa-la, all the sprinklers came on at one time (the were four zones) stronger than I had ever seen...
Speaking from personal experience, everything you said is spot on. All good advice. I learned a lot from being in the construction trade and also buying and selling homes.
Windows are expensive. Renewal By Anderson quoted us $8,500 to install a 8 foot by 5 foot slider window! Fortunately after reviewing six quotes from different vendors, we found a comparable window installed for $2,500.
My husband owns a basement waterproofing and foundation repair business in Atlanta. The number of calls I have heard from people who purchased a home to flip and didn’t realize how much it cost to waterproof a basement and or repair a foundation with piers is crazy. Basically, it eats up a lot of profit they hoped to make flipping the house. When we bought our house, my husband said no to several of them based on what he saw as potential foundation issues in the future. Foundations are important and expensive to repair. Walk away if there is an issue or potential issue.
Wow! Thank you for sharing valuable key tips when looking at homes !
Some good points. Always think about resale when buying or building, many people buy or build believing hey will never sell, but things change. Stupid poorly designed houses are difficult to sell even in hot markets.
Xlnt info! Thanks. I've been evaluating homes for over 20yrs. and you've pointed out stuff I hadn't considered.
Cracks over door & window frames; arsenic paint; asbestos siding; water damage. Thanks for the great vid!
In Florida I look for block construction and try to stay clear of too much wood. Termite tenting is not cheap!
Cement Block does not do well in earthquake zones or where the ground settles.
Never buy a house in a neighborhood with more than one house fitted with burglar bars. One? Ok, crazy paranoid. Two or more? Too many crazies or too much crime.
That's just common sense.
On the plumbing pipe, you didn't mention not buying if the place is plumbed with plastic pipe of any kind. Also if you are replacing piping do it with copper. The failure rate on the plastic has gotten a lot better but it still doesn't match that of copper pipe.
On electrical, if you see anything less than fairly modern wiring, plan on having to rewire. If there are no ground fault interrupters, expect to have to do some electrical.
These days, you also what to investigate the ability to put in an EV charger.
Even where is doesn't rain a lot you want enough slope on the roof that the leaves will slide off. Otherwise you get leaves piled up and then the rare rain happens.
Avoid fireplaces. They use up space and carry risks and costs.
If there is painted paneling on a wall, think of water stains from a leak.
Look at the outlets and where they are. It is very common for the living room to have a light switch that works a wall outlet. Find out where that outlet is. If it is nearly right below the switch they cheaped out on the electrical and likely other things too.
Luckily our inspector told us about the galvanized pipes. We didn't get a discount on the house but we offered asking and had to repipe the entire house with pex! $25K for pex repipe+new water softener+tankless heater+2 new toilets.
We bought a house in Corpus Christi Texas in and Up and (never going to) Come neighborhood for only $65,000. Made every single repair you just listed and was able to sell it for $150,000. We only lost about $40,000. Haha😅 NEVER AGAIN!!!!!
You sold too early probably
Flat roofs, if maintained regularly, aren't as scary as most are taught to think. I had a flat roof for years and never had any issues with leaks. I just used Gaco Roofing product and painted it on and it last. Ten years later, tye new owners still haven't had any problems.
Flat roofs are great in the proper location. You don't want them in heavy snow/rain areas though that's for sure.
@@Ziegfried82 Yep. Not that I have flat roofs, but the college near me has them (built in the Mansard roof style popular in the mid to late 60's, if not the early 70's) and they have had problems with them, I think from the beginning when original campus was built in 1965, so now nearly 60 years old.
The architect should have known this as he's done at least one other building in the area that did get an award in the 50's. The area, Puget Sound where it rains a lot during the fall/early spring and not only did he used flat roofs, but he also used rain channels, instead of pipes so when it would rain, the rain would pout out of the openings and onto the ground, creating muddy puddles where there was no pavement, which was more the case when the campus was still fairly new. Several of the buildings have been torn down and rebuilt, others repurposed etc over time as the campus expanded. From the get go, it was a bad design by the fact that it was not built for our region and its weather.
A 'flat' roof requires a particular angle of decline to facilitate proper rain drainage.
Otherwise, your roof will leak and require treatments.
The neighbor treats it every few years.
We moved into our house in 2000, treated the roof once about ten years ago when leaks started. No leaks since.
Here in Puerto Rico there's no heavy snow to worry about.
However, a woman was killed when her roof collapsed after a water cistern was installed on an improper section of the roof.
@@valereehansen4378 Oh I know that "flat roofs" are not totally flat, but often just enough to let the water run off, but often barely at that though. A well designed flat roof should hold up fairly well, and are used where flattish sections are found can be fine, it's when the entire roof is nearly flat that is a problem where it rains a lot, and at times heavy.
Good to see you are doing well in business and putting out a video.
All good points Yak.
Thank you for all the great information.
I will say the LUMBER in my 1950's home is five times better than the crap that the cookie cutter mass producing home builders use anymore! 2x4's in my home are actually 2x4 inches and hard as a ROCK you have to pre drill or you'll never get a nail in 'em!
Agree RubinBaxxter!I've seen what they do to flip around here... Painting over and putting drywall over water damage, etc to cover problems without fixing them!horrible!
Flat or low pitch roofs STINK. I have a low pitch, higher AC costs and no option for attic fans.
I have one, here, from the rental house we lived in: make sure the lighting (window/natural) is good; otherwise you'll think you're living in a cave even in the daytime. Also: with trees all around the house, make sure that the foundation isn't cracked or threatened by the root system. When we moved out, we found later that the slab had been cracked into at least three pieces. This, in a 4BR 1.5 bth house, not small.
A tell-tale sign, on the exterior, that there might be tree root issues is if the driveway and/or sidewalk are heaved up and cracked. I had to remove a large tree from my front yard and replace both (esp. the sidewalk for the city). Thankfully, no foundation issues in my case, but it was worrying none the less.
Omg yes!! We have a big covered porch and a big covered deck. It helps to keep it cooler in the summer but it's also colder in winter. And SO. DAMM. DARK!! 2 of our windows are itty bitty and 3 of them (including one of the small ones) don't let in much sun due to the covered porch and deck. The best part? Most of our windows face north and east.
Hire your own inspectors and get a thorough inspection.
Check the history of the land your house is built on. Love Canal has homes built on it. Is it built on a land slide area or avalanche region or is the home built over a fault line. Is the land in a flood zone. Is the roof tied to the frame and the frame tied to the foundation.
And the Love Canal properties sit on some of the most polluted soil in the United States. You can use an inspector but do your own homework, the inspector may know the condition of the home ,but he may not know it's history
Really enjoy this. Super sound advice and helpful tips right to the point. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your real estate wisdom, knowledge, and experience! No old plumbing, wiring, and windows; sketch layouts; uneven flooring; flat roofs; and most of all: no ugly houses! Appreciate it!!
Great advice Jack. Thanks for your expertise.
Any time!
Don’t buy a house that has its windows open during showings. It may be a smoker’s house or a moldy basement.
Your videos are pure gold! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us😊
Excellent advice! Having been a Mortgage Broker, Functional Obsolescence is not good either. (ex. A room going to another room that goes nowhere.)
Original windows will outperform modern day vinyl windows if you maintain them. They will last hundreds of years, be just as air tight if properly weather stripped/glazed and look waaaaay better. The wavy glass and real muntin bars are beautiful. The ability to lower the upper sash and raise the bottom sash is incredible for air flow! The pulley system is fun to operate. My 1926 house has original wood windows and my energy bill last month was ~$125. Including water and sewer(Jacksonville FL). Take care of your old windows! The frames are made of old growth, dense wood with a species unique to your environment! Keeping your old windows will actually RAISE the value of your old house vs replacing them with windows that will need to be replaced every 20 years.
Darn good video! I'm on my second flip. I took notes LOL. Thank you
Seriously! Thanks for the information! 👍
NEVER BUY IN A FLOOD PLAIN. Check before you buy. My husband knew this & saved us from buying a house we really liked that was in a neighborhood built around a small man-made lake. When the area received above normal rainfall, all the homes flooded & had a minimum of 4-6 inches in them. Insurance wouldn’t pay because they were in a flood-plain.