Over multiple days, over weekends if possible, investigate, observe, educate yourself about your potential new home.

One of the favorite and most-referenced-in-conversation posts I have written since 2005 is “You’re Buying your Monday Mornings.”

You’re not buying your home just on the Tuesday afternoon between 3 and 3:30 when the neighbors are at work. You’re not buying your home just on the Friday morning from 9 to 1 when the home inspection is done. And you’re not buying your new home just for the thirty minutes when we’re doing the final walkthrough on the morning of closing.

You’re buying your home every day of the week, month and year.

Finding out that the neighbors have a yappy dog, loud parties, boisterous truck, a rooster, proclivities towards parking every which way on their yards, or that traffic really, really sucks on Wednesday mornings when the bus stops to get the kids.

My advice:

When you like a home or a neighborhood or area, spend time investigating that home. Ask your friends who live there, yes, but spend time walking around, walk your dog or kids, talk to the neighbors (you’d probably do that after you buy, why not before?)

You’re buying a home in a neighborhood/community – you owe it to yourself and your family to figure out before you buy if you like it.

One of the most common questions buyers ask me:

Does a seller have to disclose a bad neighbor?

Short answer: NO. The Residential Property Disclosure statement doesn’t cover neighbors, and generally not much of anything beyond the four corners of the property they own.

(there’s more to evaluating a house when evaluating its value)

Do your due diligence; no one is going to do it for you. (I’ll guide and advise from my capacity as a buyer’s agent, but ultimately, you need to do your homework)