Look at the Hawaii location: Is it in the Hawaii school district you want? Is the neighborhood safe? Is there easy access to freeways or rapid transit? Look at the size: Are there enough bed­rooms and are they big enough? Are the kitchen and the family room big enough for you? Is the garage big enough, with enough storage space? Look at the condi­tion: Are the bathrooms and kitchen modern or remod­eled? Look at the floor plan: Will it work for you? Avoid looking at the furniture.

 

You need to exercise your imagination, something sorely lacking in too many buyers. You need to see the home, as it will look when you're living in it with your furniture, not as it is now with the seller’s things. That may mean overlooking the green wallpaper and the purple car­pets—perhaps you'll repaint and re-carpet (and price your offer accordingly!). Look for items that appeal to you in a home—an eating area in the kitchen, a fireplace in the master bedroom, a large or small back yard.

 

Be very careful when judging size. Too often a large room can be made to look small by being cluttered with furniture. Conversely, a truly small area can appear larger than it is when it is empty and when floor-to-ceiling mir­rors are installed on one or more walls.

 

My suggestion is that the first time through you spend your efforts looking for the positive. Try to find a reason why you would want to live in this house.

 

Don't be hesitant about poking around. If there are throw rugs on the floor, feel free to lift up a corner to see what the flooring underneath is like. If there's a pantry off the kitchen, open the door and walk into it to judge its size. If there's a separate area in the master bath for a toi­let, shower or other fixture, walk into the area and see whether it's truly big enough or whether it's cramped. Try the garage door opener. Walk to the back of the lot. See the whole property.

 

Then, after you leave, if you really like the property, go back and see it a second time. Never make an offer on a prop­erty you haven't seen at least twice. On the second visit look for the negatives. Is the front door loose on its hinges? What about the paint inside and out—is it in good, fair, or poor condition? What about the roof and the carpeting? Are the appliances new and in good, clean shape? Do the air conditioning and heating work? (Don't hesitate to try them out.) Are the windows adequate (double pane, well located in rooms to let in lots of light)? Are there screens on all windows and outside doors? Is the basement wet or damp?

 

If there are obvious defects, you may want to pass or lower your offer accordingly. If you decide to buy, be sure to add a contingency in the sales agreement that allows you a certain number of days (usually 10 days) to have the property inspected by a professional. If more defects turn up, you can ask the seller to fix them or reduce the price.