Look Past the Glitz and Glamour!

Hello Real Estate Buyers! Believe it or not, you can still look for homes/investment properties to buy during the pandemic, albeit virtually. Here in Pittsburgh, PA we are all under a "shelter in place" order, meaning no one can tour homes to buy or sell. So here we sit looking at homes and investment properties online. But how does one interpret the trick photography and the flowery wording that sometimes comes with listings? Here are some tips:

I took this next section from a realtor.com article that provides good tips when looking at online listings:

• "Are there more photos of the exterior than the interior? The inside might need work.
• Closed curtains and blinds in a photo may be hiding a bad view.
• If a picture of a bathroom focuses on a sink, it might mean the bathroom is painfully small.
• If photos look stretched out, this may make a room appear larger than it really is, so look for the actual dimensions from the listing.
• Some listing terms can be red flags as well. A "fixer-upper" can mean a great investment or a money pit, and "cozy" generally means the home is small."

Now with that said, most listings don't use "smoke and mirrors" and "creative writing". But some do and here are my personal findings regarding.

We typically spend way more time INside than OUTside. So when the listing has 15 exterior photos and only 4 interior, even the photographer or listing agent may have felt there was nothing really good to show inside. Ask more questions, read between the lines in the narratives about the property, and maybe wait to do a physical tour before deciding. The home may only need some cosmetic work, but what if everything else is so dated? Maybe the tenants are real sloppy housekeepers...red flag? Maybe, maybe not. Nothing beats an actual visit of which at present we cannot do but we can surely take good notes. A good listing photo is shot on a bright sunny day when possible with all the curtains open and the blinds raised. If you're seeing this online, the carpets may be stained or missing. There may be ceiling stains, or appliances that have to be replaced. Hmmm.....Was the bath upgraded or will that be an added expense for you? Ok, a new sink was installed, but the shower is moldy or missing tiles, the floor may be buckling or there may not be room for you to even turn around in there. Wow! Beware of the wide angle lens photos. That master bedroom may actually be the size of a nursery. Or that expansive backyard may only be the size of the patio in the foreground. Yikes! And what about those really cool aerial drone videos?? We've all seen them... a small home may look like an estate and a duplex may look huge from above (when its butted up against the building next door).

Photos and videos are your first view of most any property when you start your online searching. Try to look closely. Also viewing on a phone may not disclose the details you need to see. Word!!

And speaking of words, keep in mind that the job of a property listing agent is to sell the property. Photos AND descriptions are a good start, but use of words like "cute", "cozy", "usable", "great investment opportunity", or "needs work" can be misleading. Cute and cozy usually implies small. Usable may mean the bath room plumbing works, but the drains leak like sieves. Great investment may mean after you invest a ton of work or cash, you'll have a great investment. Depending on how you interpret "needs work", may mean to you painting and new carpet, but it may actually mean the foundation needs to be rebuilt.

Granted, listing agents want to be honest, but you may want to read between the lines and compare to the photos offered. Hopefully you will be encouraged to ultimately see the property in person to make your final decision.

By now you can see I'm not a fan of buying property sight unseen. In this difficult time, it's best to be sure and the only way to truly evaluate real estate is by you and/or your agent's tour of the property. We will get past this glitch in the real estate industry. I encourage you to be careful and if you absolutely feel you must offer on a property. Ensure that your offer provides you with strong contingencies, allowing you to take the necessary steps to properly evaluate and inspect a property at a later date. 

Yes, we're all frustrated these days as we really don't know what the future will hold for own finances, the country's economy and most importantly our health. I've seen some great stories of individuals/communities coming together, within social distancing guidelines, to help others. Stay strong and we will overcome this. The real estate industry will bounce back and before you know it, you will be back to realizing your home or investment goals. Until then, you can still prepare from a safe distance and look past the glitz and glamour!