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One Important Phone Call You Should Make Before You Buy A House

By Melissa 3 Comments - The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited October 4, 2015.

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There’s so much to do when you buy a house.

You’ve scoured the internet looking at real estate sites and scrolling through endless home photos.  You’ve likely driven around with the real estate agent for days, looking for the perfect home.  You’ve gathered all of the required documentation to qualify for the mortgage.

But, have you ever wondered about the history of the home you would like to buy?  Any home that you buy “used” has a history to it, and that history may affect your finances.

things-to-check-when-buying-house

Quick Navigation

  • Before You Buy, Call The Local Police Department
  • Previous Burglaries?
  • Meth House?
  • A Murder?

Before You Buy, Call The Local Police Department

Before you put an offer on a home, call your local police department and ask if they have any records of officers responding to the home you’d like to buy.

What, you’re thinking, isn’t that a bit paranoid?

Maybe, maybe just a bit, but you can find out important information that just may save you a bundle of money in the future.

Previous Burglaries?

When I was young, my parents had their hearts set on one particular home just down the street.  The elderly couple who owned it knew this and didn’t even have to put the home up for sale.  They just told my parents it was available.

My parents knew that the home had been burglarized twice, but they weren’t concerned.  After all, they reasoned, the elderly couple had a very set, predictable routine.  It would be easy for someone to case the place and discover when the couple would be gone, especially since the home didn’t have a garage.

However, other things made the home a likely target, namely that there was a field across the street, a field to one side, and a deep wood on the other side and behind it.

My parents lived safely in that home for nearly 20 years before it was burglarized again.  My mom no more than made the insurance claim, replaced her belongs, and then, a few months later, it was burglarized again.

She had to spend money on increased home insurance premiums and a security system.  Her insurance company threatened to drop her if she filed another claim.

Knowing if the house you’re considering has been burglarized before is important.

Meth House?

You may think meth houses are only in run down, seedy neighborhoods, but unfortunately, that’s not true.  As meth use increases, making meth has become a big business.  CNN Money states, “There have been nearly 84,000 meth lab seizures since 2004, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.  But only a fraction of meth labs, as few as 5%, get discovered by authorities, according to Mark Woodward, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control.”

If someone uses a home to produce meth, the byproduct seeps into the walls and carpets and will harm occupants.  One couple and their son unknowingly bought a house that was a former meth lab and immediately began suffering the consequences.  “They got dry mouth, headaches and nosebleeds.  Their two-year-old son Ezra got mouth sores so severe he couldn’t drink” (CNN Money).

Often, these homes require extensive, expensive decontamination.  If the meth byproducts can’t be completely removed, the house becomes uninhabitable. . .and worthless.

A Murder?

Did you know in many states that real estate agents aren’t required to disclose if a murder or suicide has happened on a property?

For some people, this isn’t a big deal, but for most people, it is.  In fact, one woman bought a house in Pennsylvania, not knowing that the year before the master bedroom had been the site of a murder-suicide.  She and her children reported various incidents including feeling like someone was sitting on the bed and hearing footsteps.  When the homeowner found out the home’s history, she sued the former owner claiming he knew about the house’s history and did not disclose.  The case went to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Even if you have no problem living in a house where a murder or suicide occurred, the property value may plummet significantly if word gets out.  And if you know about the home’s history and do not disclose when you get ready to sell, you, too, may find yourself getting sued.

When you bought your house, did you call the police to determine the home’s history?  If not, do you think doing so is a good idea, or do you think it’s a bit paranoid?

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Last Edited: 4th October 2015 The content of biblemoneymatters.com is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Visitors to biblemoneymatters.com should not act upon the content or information without first seeking appropriate professional advice. In accordance with the latest FTC guidelines, we declare that we have a financial relationship with every company mentioned on this site.

This article is about: Money, Mortgage

About Melissa

Melissa, a mom to three (ages 15, 10, and 9), blogs at Mom's Plans where she writes about homeschooling, health eating, frugal living, and paying down debt. She works as a freelance writer and virtual assistant.

Comments

    Share Your Thoughts: Cancel reply

  1. Michael @ NTPNW says

    The police station may be able to help you get some info on the home but I find the best place to look for info on a home is to question the folks who live in the neighborhood. I have always found folks to be informed and willing to share that info. If you do discover something of concern then by all means do more research.
    Good article.

    Reply
  2. a woman says

    I don’t think is legal to give private informations like the house was burglar X times. But the police can inform you about the general criminality of the area.
    When I bought first aprt. it was easy: just in front was living a old curious lady: she was better than any police couple :D (even that she asked me who is that man coming the evenings at me :-) ).

    I personally called the police after I bought the apartment, to ask an advice: what kind of door and lock system to recommend for an young beautiful lonely lady like me. And the police man told me that any door can be broken, some lock are easier and some locks more complex; but he gave me some more ideas:
    – finish to paint,repair, buy big furniture first (the people that are caring these can tell about what is interesting in the house)
    – no expensive items – or don’t put the cardbox in the front of the house for laptop/tv (ok, I have no tv)
    – don’t be attractive: avoid expensive cars, expensive clothes, jewels, etc (things that could be easy to steal)
    – when I am leaving for long: to let a light opened. Or best, to find a friend to stay in my house (to take the bills etc. and to be there). In plus, some police stations (the riches ones) have some addresses to pass by, daily, just by street.

    Now I have no assurance, I have no expensive items (I am buying second hand) so I don’t care. My friends are hiding everytime laptops, put web cameras in rooms, etc. and ask me to pass daily to check … and they call me for this. Common, I don’t want to live with fear!!

    Reply
  3. Vanna Lindholm says

    nice article, never thought about it, but it is important to know, in my neighborhood there was house in which happened family murder scene,

    house is nice and on nice place, but nobody want to live in it, it is empty, and every time I look in that house I feel chill…

    Reply
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