Last week I wrote an article titled "DO NOT BUY - ASK US WHY! Buying a Brand New Home Without a Realtor® and Inspector!" . It was a fantastic reminder why new home buyers should not forsake buyer representation nor having an inspection when purchasing a brand new home or new construction.
I had another incident happen yesterday that only confirmed it! I traveled over 60 miles round trip to attend a buyer inspection with a close friend referral buyer who had since become a great friend. The home was a newer construction at only 3 years old in which the owner had only lived in the home for one year before needing to leave the country for a family emergency. Although the listing agent assured us that a termite or home inspection was most likely not needed because the home was only a few years old in a new community and the sellers kept it in pristine condition, we pushed for one anyway because ya never know right?
The termite company found nothing just as we figured, great!
The home inspector arrived and was ready to work and within 5 minutes of being there said to me, "There's no water." Even when I tried turning it on from the outside valve, nothing." The listing agent had been fantastic in making sure everything was on, gas, electricity, so what happened?
Some moron decided they wanted an actual city water meter. The entire water meter had been stolen. You can't check for water leaks with no water. The inspection was a bust but the inspector didn't charge us and said he would gladly come out again when the water was running for a complete inspection. I called the listing agent and they were horrified because they prided themselves on seamless transactions. When reported, the city was even more horrified and immediately scheduled a next day replacement. Although no reports of burglaries in the area, were there other vacant homes in the area that had stolen meters. What does one do with a stolen water meter?
Although this appeared to be an easy fix, this is still further proof that it is ALWAYS best to get a home inspection because ya never know. Buyer beware! I don't care if its brand spanking new home or if you are buying from a relative or friend, get a home inspection and purchase your 30 year committment home with eyes wide open.
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Waterfall photo courtesy of Creative Commons all rights reserved.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic License. Missing water meter photo by AndiGrant.com
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Amazing that someone whould yank out the meter from curb side. A good reminder why a home inspection is so important. Can you imagine having a home buyer move in and try to use the water?
Andi - This is why people hire your services! You are thorough even when people think it's okay to miss a step. I think it comes from your many years working in the legal field. Leave no stone unturned! Because of your tenacity and attention to detail you saved your buyer a big headache. Way to go Andi!
Folks, this is why Andi Grant gets all of my Long Beach real estate referrals. She knows Long Beach real estate and the nuances of buying a newer home better than anyone I know. Talk to her and you'll understand what I mean : )
Hi Andi ~ That is so odd!! Why on earth would somebody steal a a water meter? One thing for sure about inspections - they're often unpredictable. Think it will be smooth sailing - it's not or dread the inspection and be pleasantly surprised. I learned to try not to have expectations. Fingers crossed.
Liz