[aigel]

A good home inspector is worth every penny. The way to get a good inspector is by working with a good buyer's agent which will have the right contacts. This of course is something that starts after the offer is in / accepted.

What you can do beyond the inspector is to check out the neighborhood. Go there in the evening, take a stroll on the street and see how many cars are in front of every home? Are there a lot? That means houses are being shared by many people - undesirable area. How old are the vehicles? 80s beaters? Not good ...

When you look at the house, check over the top of every fence to the next over neighbors. Make sure they are reasonably clean. Pass on the house for things like: Unkept dogs (will bark, their crap will attract flies and if you have a pet, it will get their fleas), dead cars, tall weeds, green swimming pool ...

I have turned down several homes because I did not like the neighbors. Remember that you will have to be next to these people during your valuable spare time. Also, other people will look over as well and a messy neighbor can seriously harm the home's value.

George