What questions should I ask about the house when looking to buy a home?

Question

What sort of things about the house should I ask when I go to view a house for the first time?

Answer 1

Age of home, appliances, heater, roof, windows, siding etc. Ask about previous damages, fires, deaths/murders in home. If the home is vacant, how long did it sit vacant?

Ask what comes with the home, ask about a home warranty. Ask them if there is room for negotiation in price.

Get the home you want inspected to protect yourself.

Answer 2

One thing that would really help you out is to secure a real estate agent to accompany you on the tour. They know all the questions to ask the selling agent (or open house sitter). They will also kind of quiz you on various aspects of the house to get an idea of what you're looking for in a property.

This is extremely beneficial, because if you don't like that particular house, they then know what to look for in the listings to find another one that they think you might like. Real estate agents also have access to the multiple listing service, which includes detailed and confidential information that non-agents don't have access to, including links to a property tax database, where you can find out what's owed on a home. This can be very advantageous when determining an offer price.

Real estate agents also regularly tour newly listed properties (with groups of other agents called caravans) and the agent might have just seen one that's perfect for you.

Also, the seller of a property pays both the seller's and the buyer's commissions. So, having a buyer's agent costs you nothing, but gains you a lot.