ONONDAGA COUNTY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The housing market in Central New York continues to be hot and sellers are juggling multiple offers.
“In my 23 years, I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Meghan Dabulewicz, a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker with Hunt Real Estate. “We’re seeing a very strong seller’s market, very lopsided for the buyers. About 32% of all our sales right now are 100% cash. That number normally is eight,”
To improve their chances of moving in, potential buyers are choosing to skip getting a home inspection – which can be risky.
“It’s like buying a car without test driving it,” said Brian Dietrich, President, and CEO of Inspection Services CNY.
Dietrich said an inspection, which can take about two to three hours, can tell you a lot about a potential home and any issues there may be.
“We check to make sure that the roof is good; the attic space is ventilated properly, there’s enough insulation. The foundation isn’t bowing or cracking,” he explained.
A home inspection can also help a buyer negotiate with the seller if there are repairs that need to be made. If buyers feel like they need to skip that step, Dietrich said consider doing one after you close.
Dabulewicz shares some other options.
“They can bring their home inspector with them and pay them hourly or per visit. Or they can even have a friend that’s a contractor come with them and just point things out that we might not look for normally like the age of the roof, the age of the hot water tank, check for dates,” Dabulewicz said.
Although this is a stressful time for buyers, her best advice is to be patient and flexible. The buyer can also purchase a home warranty which can provide some protection.
