First Purchase in the Dayton Area: Inspections

[Daniel Fridrij]

Hello everybody, I am getting close to my firsts purchase in the Dayton area. Two questions for the experts there:

1. What things you think I shoul give especial atention in the Inspection of the Property? 

2. Any good (profesional and reasonable priced) inspector to suggest?

Thank you very much!

[Will Fraser]

I'll default to a savvy local like @Remington Lyman to illuminate Ohio specifics, but in general I'd pay attention to the following on investment properties:

• Sewer line -- these are hidden and I want to make sure they are healthy OR I have a budget for replacement right away
• HVAC - have the heating and air units been well maintained?  How old are they?  How soon might I need to replace them?
• Windows - is it likely I'll need to replace them during my ownership?
• Roof - How much life do we have left on the roof?
• Appliances - (assuming these are the landlords and stay with the property) - how soon might I need to replace them?
• Foundation - any major issues that need to be addressed?
• Electrical - when is the last major update to the electrical system?  Are there any major deficiencies?   
• Termites - Have there been termite treatment done?  Any active termites?

There are certainly more things you can care about, but I find this list to be fairly sufficient for my personal buying.  I don't consider issues on this list to be deal breakers, but rather guides as to what my replacement budget needs to be built to handle.  

Also, I'm starting to heavily favor negotiating for a home warranty coverage during the sale for investment properties since the warranty company covers (to some degree) many of the highest value systems of the house during the first year or two after purchase, leaving time to build up reserves.