This is a level lot ready for construction to begin in beautiful Whalehead Club, an extremely popular vacation destination in Corolla NC. This home site is surrounded by large, custom built beach homes that are either 2nd homes or investment properties in successful seasonal rental programs. All preliminary pre-construction work is finished. Water permit paid, lot filled, custom designed septic approved and electrical installed. We even have plans with permits available for you to use. This is a large lot in one of the loveliest, upscale areas of the Outer Banks. And it is in an X Flood! Come Build Your Dream Home!!
This post asks a serious question: What is the purpose of the home inspection?
I ask this because in my last two transactions where I represented the buyer, the home inspections turned out to be worse than worthless.
For example one home had non functioning HVAC on the day the new owners moved in. Subsequent service evaluations proved it was impossible the system was working at the time of inspection. The inspection report specifically noted that all HVAC units were functioning properly. That is a $6000 repair bill before the furniture is even delivered! On this same property, there was a serious water leak in one bedroom after a storm. The service person found, after crawling up to the very top of the attic, a series of pans the sellers had apparently been using for quite some time to collect the water coming from poor flashing around the badly constructed chimney plus other structural defects. Currently the chimney is being rebuilt, dry wall & carpet replaced; another costly repair. Of course, there is no way these problems were non existent at the time of inspection, less than 45 days prior to the rain.
Before the closing I asked the seller's agent explicitly if there were any leaks or roof damage known to the sellers and was told there were none. The buyer commented, "Even if we had known about these problems we would have still bought the house. If they had been honest with us, at least we would have known what we needed to budget to fix this mess."
Another property also required repairs that should have been noted in the home inspector's report.
Thank goodness I included home warranty insurance in the contract so some of the repair costs were covered!
Lately in my world, home inspections seem to be a formality rather than a tool guiding the buyers and sellers during negotiations. So, why do we rely on home inspections at all? Are they of any use? Is there another way to insure the property is not in need of such major repair? What recourse does the buyer have for remedy?
Your thoughts and experience on this topic please! HELP!
Everyone is always asking me "What is the market doing?" or "Is anything really selling?". So I am going to post each sale in Southern Shores as it happens with a photo, address and sold price. If you want any more information about the specific property, please give me a call or shoot me an email. Enjoy!
One topic at our Realtor Association meeting last week was branding our community. As many know, the Outer Banks has been known as "Fishermen's Paradise" for generations. And our beaches are known as some of the best in the country. However, with the onslaught of the "Consent Decree" beach closings and increased fishing regulations, our Paradise is less about fishing & beaching each year! As one who loves casual bike riding, I think our community could be an ideal destination for others who cycle, either casually or seriously. What can we do to bring this sport into our brand? How about contiguous bike routes from Hatteras to Corolla? Some paths could be along the roads and some closer to the ocean and/or sound. We already have the most important ingredient for success, an unparalleled environment compatible with this sport for 8 months out of the year. It does not depend on "beach weather", would extend our season and expand our visitor demographic. Let's start a discussion around this topic beginning with cycling and moving on from there. What do you think?
I live and work in Southern Shores NC as a REALTOR specializing in sales and service on the Northern Beaches of The Outer Banks. I help individuals and investors buy and sell beach property in this amazingly unique place. My blog will cover all aspects of coastal living on a barrier island so more people will know about our special place. Living with the Atlantic Ocean at my door step is paradise. Hope to see you here soon!
