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Property Decision Desk · Buy

Should I Buy This Property?

The listing tells you what they're selling. This is what you're actually buying: the property, the paper trail behind it, and everything worth checking before you put an offer on the table.

The Framework

What to Actually Look At

Nine categories, not a hundred. This is what separates an informed buyer from someone who just liked the kitchen.

01
Property Characteristics
Square footage on the listing versus square footage on record. Bedroom count versus what's actually legal, a room without a closet and an egress window isn't a bedroom on paper, whatever the listing calls it. Lot size versus buildable area.
02
Ownership Information
Who actually owns it, and has that changed recently. Multiple transfers in a short window is worth understanding before you're the next one.
03
Sales History
What it sold for last time, and when. A property that's changed hands three times in five years has a story. Find out what it is before you become part of it.
04
Market Context & Comparables
What similar properties nearby actually sold for, not what they're listed at. Asking price is a negotiating position. Comparable sales are the market talking.
05
Neighborhood Considerations
Trajectory matters more than a snapshot. Is the area building, holding, or declining, and what's actually driving that.
06
Zoning
Does the zoning match how the property is actually being used. A garage apartment that isn't zoned for one is a future problem wearing a rental income disguise.
07
Available Public Records
Permits, tax history, liens. What's on file publicly versus what the seller has told you, and whether those two stories match.
08
Condition Concerns
What you can see, what's been disclosed, and what's neither, that gap is exactly what an inspection exists to close.
09
Contract Considerations
Contingencies, deadlines, earnest money terms. The property is only half the deal. The paper is the other half.

Worth a Closer Look

Potential Red Flags

None of these mean walk away automatically. They mean ask a specific question before you go further.

Priced well below comparablesEither there's a reason that's disclosed, or there's a reason that isn't. Find out which.
Repeated relistingsA property that's been on and off the market multiple times has usually already told other buyers something. Ask what.
Unpermitted workThat finished basement or converted garage might not be legal square footage, which affects both value and insurance.
Zoning mismatchCurrent use doesn't always match what the zoning actually allows. Worth confirming before you plan around it.
Vague seller disclosures"Unknown" and "not aware of any issues" are not the same as a clean history. Read what's actually written, not what's implied.
Short ownership windowA quick flip isn't automatically a problem, but it's worth knowing what changed in that short window.

Before You Talk to Anyone

Questions to Ask

Organized by who actually has the answer.

Your Agent
  • How many days has this actually been on market, including any relistings under a different MLS number?
  • Has the price changed, and how many times?
  • Are there other offers, and what's actually driving that, not just what I'm told?
  • Why is the seller selling, if that's known?
Your Inspector
  • What's the real age of the roof, HVAC, water heater, and electrical panel, not the age the listing implies?
  • What's deferred maintenance versus what's an active problem right now?
  • What would you personally want fixed before closing if this were your purchase?
Your Attorney (when appropriate)
  • Is the title clean, and what contingencies actually protect me if it isn't?
  • What happens to my earnest money in every default scenario, not just the standard one?
  • Are there any easements, liens, or encroachments on record?
Your Lender (when appropriate)
  • Does the property's condition affect financing or insurability?
  • What does the appraisal gap look like in this specific market right now?
  • What's my actual all-in monthly number, not just principal and interest?

What Now

Suggested Next Steps

Pull the property's public record history, ownership, sales, tax, and permits, before you get emotionally attached to it.
Compare it against actual recent sales nearby, not just what's currently listed.
Identify anything on this page that applies to your specific situation and get it answered before you write an offer.
Schedule a professional inspection, don't skip it to compete on timeline unless you fully understand what you're waiving.
Have the contract itself reviewed before you sign, not after.

Know Before You Close

Run the Numbers Before You Run Out of Time

This framework is the free version. WHOOTC Real Estate Intelligence does the actual digging, comps, ownership, zoning, red flags, organized into one report before you make an offer.

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