12 red flags to beware of when shopping for a home

Friday, January 23rd, 2015 Issue 04, Volume 19.

More than 40 percent of the previously-owned homes on the market have at least one serious defect, according to HouseMaster, a major home inspection company with offices in more than 390 cities in the United States and Canada.

"Virtually every used home needs some repair or improvement," said Kathleen Kuhn, CEO and president of HouseMaster. "Thats to be expected. But with todays high prices, you want to make sure that you are aware of any major problems in a house you are considering purchasing, and what it will take to remedy the situation."

Drawing from their own findings from more than one million home inspections, HouseMaster says the most serious home defects to be on the lookout for are:

Cracked heater exchange

Failing air-conditioning compressor

Environmental hazards including radon, water contamination, asbestos, lead paint, and underground storage tanks

Moisture in the basement

Defective roofing and/or flashings

Insect infestation - termites or carpenter ants

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12 red flags to beware of when shopping for a home