side of the house? For example, a rock or brick home could have been kept in good condition by the use of a power washer.

How old are the air conditioning and heating systems? What are your utility bills like? Do you have them serviced annually? Have you ever had the ducts cleaned?

Have you ever had the carpets cleaned?

What have you repaired yourself? Have you done any home improvement projects? If you've worked with a contractor -- what was his name? Did you like his work?

You can out a lot of infA home can hide a lot of things. And when you are looking at it for the first time, you can miss a lot of things. You may see the curb-appeal, the big yard and the nice kitchen. But did you notice the sloping bathroom floor or the waterstains on the closet walls?

My husband and I like to wonder what the previous owners of our home were thinking when they put in cheap electrical fixtures that have all shorted out, repaired the plumbing instead of replacing it, put paneling in instead of sheet rock and the list goes on and on.

We should have asked a few more questions.

Regardless of the questions you ask, you should have any home you are considering purchasing professionally inspected before you buy it. Make this a condition in your purchase offer and purchase contract.

But you can find out a lot about a home by simply talking to the owners. Hopefully, they are open and honest with you about the home. When we purchased our first home, the owners took us through the entire home and pointed out every problem they had every had. It was wonderful to know the little details of the home. When we sold it, we did the same thing when we showed the potential buyer the home.

What should you ask the current owners? It is easy to forget what you really want to say, so take a notebook with your questions prewritten with you. They are a guideline, ask anything you wish as the conversation goes on. Listen and write down the answers. If you are silent, you may find that the owner will keep talking.

Ask the owner:

• Is there any structural damage, like loose floor boards, cracks in the walls, foundation or concrete basement floor?
• If there is a basement -- Has there ever been any moisture issues? What was your solution to any problems? Have there ever been repairs?
• What is the condition of the roof? Has it ever leaked? How was the leak repaired? Was the roof replaced or repaired? How old is the roof?
• Have you ever seen or experienced problems with termites? How about other pests? Do you currently use a pest control service?
• How do you clean and maintain the outside of the house? For example, a rock or brick home could have been kept in good condition by the use of a power washer.
• How old are the air conditioning and heating systems? What are your utility bills like? Do you have them serviced annually? Have you ever had the ducts cleaned?
• Have you ever had the carpets cleaned?
• What have you repaired yourself? Have you done any home improvement projects? If you've worked with a contractor -- what was his name? Did you like his work?

You can out a lot of info

We should have asked a few more questions.

Regardless of the questions you ask, you should have any home you are considering purchasing professionally inspected before you buy it. Make this a condition in your purchase offer and purchase contract.

But you can find out a lot about a home by simply talking to the owners. Hopefully, they are open and honest with you about the home. When we purchased our first home, the owners took us through the entire home and pointed out every problem they had every had. It was wonderful to know the little details of the home. When we sold it, we did the same thing when we showed the potential buyer the home.

What should you ask the current owners? It is easy to forget what you really want to say, so take a notebook with your questions prewritten with you. They are a guideline, ask anything you wish as the conversation goes on. Listen and write down the answers. If you are silent, you may find that the owner will keep talking.

Ask the owner:

• Is there any structural damage, like loose floor boards, cracks in the walls, foundation or concrete basement floor?
• If there is a basement -- Has there ever been any moisture issues? What was your solution to any problems? Have there ever been repairs?
• What is the condition of the roof? Has it ever leaked? How was the leak repaired? Was the roof replaced or repaired? How old is the roof?
• Have you ever seen or experienced problems with termites? How about other pests? Do you currently use a pest control service?
• How do you clean and maintain the outside of the house? For example, a rock or brick home could have been kept in good condition by the use of a power washer.
• How old are the air conditioning and heating systems? What are your utility bills like? Do you have them serviced annually? Have you ever had the ducts cleaned?
• Have you ever had the carpets cleaned?
• What have you repaired yourself? Have you done any home improvement projects? If you've worked with a contractor -- what was his name? Did you like his work?

You can out a lot of inf to know the little details of the home. When we sold it, we did the same thing when we showed the potential buyer the home.

What should you ask the current owners? It is easy to forget what you really want to say, so take a notebook with your questions prewritten with you. They are a guideline, ask anything you wish as the conversation goes on. Listen and write down the answers. If you are silent, you may find that the owner will keep talking.

Ask the owner:

• Is there any structural damage, like loose floor boards, cracks in the walls, foundation or concrete basement floor?
• If there is a basement -- Has there ever been any moisture issues? What was your solution to any problems? Have there ever been repairs?
• What is the condition of the roof? Has it ever leaked? How was the leak repaired? Was the roof replaced or repaired? How old is the roof?
• Have you ever seen or experienced problems with termites? How about other pests? Do you currently use a pest control service?
• How do you clean and maintain the outside of the house? For example, a rock or brick home could have been kept in good condition by the use of a power washer.
• How old are the air conditioning and heating systems? What are your utility bills like? Do you have them serviced annually? Have you ever had the ducts cleaned?
• Have you ever had the carpets cleaned?
• What have you repaired yourself? Have you done any home improvement projects? If you've worked with a contractor -- what was his name? Did you like his work?

You can out a lot of infards, cracks in the walls, foundation or concrete basement floor?

If there is a basement -- Has there ever been any moisture issues? What was your solution to any problems? Have there ever been repairs?

What is the condition of the roof? Has it ever leaked? How was the leak repaired? Was the roof replaced or repaired? How old is the roof?

Have you ever seen or experienced problems with termites? How about other pests? Do you currently use a pest control service?

How do you clean and maintain the outside of the house? For example, a rock or brick home could have been kept in good condition by the use of a power washer.

How old are the air conditioning and heating systems? What are your utility bills like? Do you have them serviced annually? Have you ever had the ducts cleaned?

Have you ever had the carpets cleaned?

What have you repaired yourself? Have you done any home improvement projects? If you've worked with a contractor -- what was his name? Did you like his work?

You can out a lot of infside of the house? For example, a rock or brick home could have been kept in good condition by the use of a power washer.

How old are the air conditioning and heating systems? What are your utility bills like? Do you have them serviced annually? Have you ever had the ducts cleaned?

Have you ever had the carpets cleaned?

What have you repaired yourself? Have you done any home improvement projects? If you've worked with a contractor -- what was his name? Did you like his work?

You can out a lot of information about a home by simply asking questions. If your agent won't allow you access to the sellers, ask that the questions be answered through the agent. You need to know this information before you buy the home. It will help you be prepared for what you are purchasing.