![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/real-estate-listing-red-flags-2.png\")
<\/a>General listing red flags<\/b><\/h2>\n1. There are no interior photos<\/b><\/h3>\n
Real estate photos are supposed to capture and intrigue the viewer. Heather Kerstetter<\/a>, a top-rated real estate agent in York County, Pennsylvania, says a listing lacking in interior photos is a real estate listing red flag, especially when the listing has already been live for a week or more, or when the listing doesn\u2019t mention that the home is tenant-occupied.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the listing doesn\u2019t say why there are no photos, I do tend to ask the other agents what state the home is in,\u201d says Kerstetter. \u201cFifty percent of the time, pictures are coming soon, and the other fifty percent of the time, there are no photos because it\u2019s bad inside.\u201d<\/p>\n If a listing is chock-full of images of the neighborhood, community, land, or views \u2014 but is weak on images of the actual home itself \u2014 you can assume the home may not be in the best condition.<\/p>\n Real estate photos can be magical, making a fixer-upper<\/a> look move-in ready<\/a>, or a small home look much larger than it really is. To combat being tricked into believing the latter, look at the outlets and switch plates along the walls, or the windowsills, to see if they appear wider than they should, proportionately.<\/p>\n If they do, the room probably isn\u2019t really as big as it looks in the image.<\/p>\n Most real estate photos will show the curtains open to take advantage of the natural light. If the listing you\u2019re looking at has photos with the curtains closed, the house probably does not have an amazing view and may look out on something unsightly.<\/p>\n Major red flag alert! If there aren\u2019t any photos of the listed home at all, this could indicate that the place is a real dump or that the seller isn\u2019t even motivated enough to take the time to add pictures.<\/p>\n A short sale<\/a> happens when the homeowner is about to foreclose<\/a> and needs the outstanding balance on the mortgage<\/a> paid.<\/p>\n Properties up for short sale may not have been well-maintained. That\u2019s because if the owner couldn\u2019t afford to pay the mortgage, there\u2019s a good chance they weren\u2019t spending the money to keep the house in good working order, either.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been house-hunting for a while, you\u2019ve likely been scouting real estate listings night and day. If you come across a home with an asking price well below comparable homes<\/a> you\u2019ve been viewing, it could be an indication that there\u2019s a major (and costly) problem with the home.<\/p>\n Living in a flood zone is not only a signal that your home could experience some major damage in the future, but it\u2019s also an indication that your monthly costs could be much higher than anticipated.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have an FHA loan<\/a>, it requires FEMA flood insurance<\/a>,\u201d explains Kerstetter.<\/p>\n \u201cFEMA flood insurance is higher than private flood insurance. If you have a home that requires flood insurance, you have to get it, and your price per month goes way up.\u201d<\/p>\n Most homeowners are trying to stick with a budget and keep the total cost of their mortgage within a certain range. If a real estate listing notes that the property you\u2019re interested in has an HOA fee<\/a>, that\u2019s a red flag that the monthly cost of living in the home could be a lot higher than your mortgage calculator<\/a> says it will be.<\/p>\n HOAs also usually come with restrictions, so if you were hoping to rent the apartment above the garage on Airbnb or put up a fence to keep Fido from wandering away, you\u2019ll definitely want to check the covenants, conditions, and restrictions before signing on the dotted line.<\/p>\n If there are a high percentage of homes for sale in a particular neighborhood, it may indicate that people are leaving instead of staying\u2026 which begs the question: Why?<\/p>\n If you encounter this situation, do some digging. Has crime spiked in the area? Is there some kind of development going in that will change the feel of the neighborhood? Ask around before you make an offer on the home.<\/p>\n Everyone likes a good novel, but real estate listings shouldn\u2019t read like fiction. If the listing is filled with overly flowery language, it could indicate that there aren\u2019t too many great things to highlight about the home, so the agent is using filler.<\/p>\n Listing descriptions riddled with typos is a pretty clear indication that the home is far down on the priority list of the listing agent.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never seen a listing with any typos worth caring about,\u201d says Kerstetter, adding that the typos she does see are usually insignificant. So if you do see a listing with a higher-than-average number of pretty significant typos, consider it a red flag.<\/p>\n Tiny houses<\/a> are all the rage these days, but if you\u2019re looking for something a bit bigger, the words \u201ccozy\u201d or \u201cquaint\u201d may indicate that the home you\u2019re eyeing isn\u2019t as big as you want it to be.<\/p>\n Only you know the amount of money and elbow grease you\u2019re willing to invest in your new home. If you come across a listing that says it \u201cneeds TLC<\/a>,\u201d is a \u201cfixer-upper,\u201d or is sold \u201cas-is,\u201d that may mean that the home needs more work than you\u2019re willing to put into it.<\/p>\n Any home listed as an \u201cinvestor opportunity\u201d is most likely a rental home with a tenant<\/a> in it. While this isn\u2019t fundamentally a red flag, Kerstetter warns that it could mean the home may not be in the best shape.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s not owner-occupied, the house is normally trashed inside.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If a house is listed as kid-friendly, it could mean a bunch of good things, like it has a large yard or bonus room that would make a great playroom. Take heed, however, because this simple phrase may also indicate that the house is a mess.<\/p>\n This is another description that could go two ways. A home described as \u201cunique\u201d or \u201ccustom\u201d could be a great find… if those custom touches were done by a master carpenter. On the other hand, if the \u201cunique\u201d features include quirky construction or wacky design features, the words \u201cunique\u201d and \u201ccustom\u201d may just be code for \u201cnobody could love this house but the current owner.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a house that is frozen in time, \u201cvintage\u201d may be the word you want to see. Otherwise, be aware that \u201ccharming\u201d or \u201cvintage\u201d may just mean that the home has never been updated.<\/p>\n Many buyers are looking for an updated home, but keep in mind that the terms \u201cupdated\u201d and \u201cfacelift\u201d don\u2019t really mean anything concrete. The owner could slap a fresh coat of paint on the walls and call the home \u201cupdated<\/a>,\u201d so make sure you ask about specific updates that have been done to the home (and ask to see permits, too).<\/p>\n While buying a home in an up-and-coming neighborhood may mean you\u2019re making a great investment, it may also mean that you\u2019ll be dealing with a lot of development and other inconveniences about living in the area.<\/p>\n Solitude sounds glorious, but it may start to get old when you have to drive twenty miles just to reach a grocery store. Check the amenities around your \u201csecluded\u201d or \u201cquiet\u201d home before you commit.<\/p>\n Kerstetter considers a home listed as \u201cback on the market\u201d to be a yellow flag. \u201cSometimes the buyer\u2019s mortgage falls through,\u201d she explains. \u201cOnce in a while it can be the inspections \u2014 the buyer didn\u2019t like what they saw, so they walk. Have your agent contact the seller\u2019s agent and they will tell you why it fell through,\u201d Kerstetter advises.<\/p>\n The benefits of FSBO<\/a> can be great, but you never really know what you\u2019re going to get. If you\u2019re interested in purchasing a \u201cfor sale by owner\u201d home, make sure you do your due diligence. Home inspections<\/a> are always a good idea, but in this case, they are a must.<\/p>\n While none of these real estate red flags necessarily mean there are hidden problems with a home, staying aware of them will help you approach the homebuying process with eyes wide open. Happy house-hunting!<\/p>\n Header Image Source: (Paolo Bendandi \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Browsing through homes for sale, you see one that looks absolutely perfect. But don\u2019t forget these real estate listing red flags that might signal a bad deal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":14614,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,638,639],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-house-hunting","category-homes-online"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n2. There are more images of the community or land than the home<\/b><\/h3>\n
3. The photos look \u2018stretched\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a>4. The windows or curtains are all closed<\/b><\/h3>\n
5. There aren\u2019t any pictures at all<\/b><\/h3>\n
6. It\u2019s a short sale<\/b><\/h3>\n
7. The asking price is well below <\/b>fair-market value<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>8. It\u2019s in a <\/b>flood zone<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n
9. There\u2019s an <\/b>HOA<\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n
10. There are a lot of homes for sale in the neighborhood<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Language-specific red flags<\/b><\/h2>\n
11. There is overly flowery language<\/b><\/h3>\n
12. There\u2019s a typo-ridden listing description<\/b><\/h3>\n
13. The home is \u2018cozy\u2019 or \u2018quaint\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a>14. The listing says the house \u2018needs TLC,\u2019 is a \u2018fixer-upper,\u2019 or is being sold \u2018as-is\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
15. It\u2019s described as a \u2018<\/b>great investor opportunity<\/b><\/a>\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
16. The listing says the home is \u2018kid-friendly\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
17. The home or property is described as \u2018unique\u2019 or \u2018custom\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
18. The house is described as \u2018charming\u2019 or \u2018vintage\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
19. The home has been \u2018updated\u2019 or had a \u2018facelift\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a>20. It\u2019s in an \u2018up-and-coming neighborhood\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
21. The location is \u2018secluded\u2019 or \u2018quiet\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
22. The house is \u2018back on the market\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n
23. The home is listed as \u2018for sale by owner\u2019<\/b><\/h3>\n