Tarrant County Texas Foundation Issues or Not.....information for the buyer and seller

Have you ever been in a home that seemed to have a slight slope in a floor?  Maybe you can't see it, but you feel it...........This is a little information that may help you when you own or may be looking to purchase a home.

Here in Tarrant County, we live with soils that expand and contract with the seasons.  The soil conditions change with the amount of moisture or lack of moisture in a given season.  Most experts recommend that owners keep a level amount of moisture around their foundations if possible.

So....what if your home or the home you are considering to purchase has this "tell-tale" sign of a slight slope?
First, it is a LAW that a seller disclose any reports that they have concerning a problem such as this.  There is a space on the Texas Seller's Disclosure that gives the seller the opportunity to note such problems.  Second, I always recommend, in fact, insist that my sellers get a new foundation report and offer it up front so that a buyer can see what an expert says about the situation.

Having a new report shows that the seller is aware of a 3rd party opinion, the buyer can see it, and then everyone is working with the same current information.  A buyer can always hire their own structural engineer to assess and report their findings.  If the buyer has sufficient interest in the home, they may want to negotitate for repairs, or they may want to have their own repairs made after their purchase.  The main thing to note is that in older pier and beam homes, the sloping is usually easily improved, if not totally correctable.  In a slab foundation, the issue is a bit more tricky....and I normally DO recommend an engineers report.

Vintage homes have normal sloping very often.............when a home has been there for 50+ years....even with a slight slope ....most likely it is not going to do a lot more shifting.  It is up the buyer and seller to negotiate how they will handle it...if anything is done at all.

This is information for you, and your friends if you ever need it.  Fort more information, please give me a call or contact me anytime.

DiAnne Arnette, Keller Williams Realty, Fort Worth
817 920-7700

dianne@diannearnette.com

END OF SUMMER AND THE REAL ESTATE IS BLAZING!

Here in Fort Worth at my Keller Williams office, we are all amazed at the calls that we are getting this week!  People who just noticed a new listing in Fort Worth, or folks who want to lease a home near a certain school.  ....Just as sure as the school calendar, when the tides turn to the beginning of school, people decide they need to move.........to or from the area!

Coincidentally, the end of Summer marks the time when motivated Sellers will be sure to consider a negotiated sales price, rather than the prospect of still having their home on the market in November!

My advise to BUYERS:  Get busy..........look, and make offers.  Your agent should be advising you on market values that are current.  Those values are your map to an offer.  MY advise to SELLERS:  Encourage your showings.  Don't be picky about the time notice of your appointment.........remember, unless they see it, they are not going to buy it!  When an offer comes in expect it to be low..........BUT just negotiate.  It is not a price or a deal until everyone has agreed.    If you do not have an offer within 10 showings, you need to step back and revisit the price of your home!  What is your exterior saying about your home........check the front door.  When you open the door, does it look inviting......lights on, ....as in the stage.....lights, camera, action!

We want the action on your home to result in an offer.  So get busy, and get aggressive about your home and what it says to your potential buyer!

Remember if you have real estate questions for Fort Worth, Texas area (Keller, Colleyville, Southlake etc.)
give me a call..........I want to help!