Forever Home Inspection began and continues to be headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Even as we expand across Oklahoma and Iowa, Tulsa is still close to our heart. As we’ve watched the city grow in the past few years, one of the most exciting developments has been the creation of the Gathering Place, a 66-acre city park (100 acres when fully finished) alongside the bank of the Arkansas River.

Even in 2016, when the park was still only under construction, prices in houses among Brookside (a neighborhood near the park) were surging, the area already anticipating the opportunities the park would bring. In 2018, two months before the Gathering Place opened, News Channel 8 reported that house prices in midtown near the park had increased 18 to 20 percent in the past three years. The construction of the Gathering Place brought along other improvements to the neighborhoods, including repaved roads, new sidewalks, and new landscaping alongside the street and river. Along with the already robust Brookside and Midtown scene, with restaurants, boutiques, walkability, and a Trader Joe’s, the Gathering Place offers an even more family-friendly addition to the area.

When you prepare to buy a house, you must also consider whether or not you want to be apart of a neighborhood with a homeowners association (HOA). As of 2018, there were an estimated “347,000 community associations in the U.S. and 26% of the population resided in areas where there were community associations” (“Homeowner Association (HOA)”). HOAs differ by neighborhood, meaning there’s no way to fully judge whether your prospective HOA will fit the following stereotypes. But, it’s worth considering the general pros and cons:

During a home inspection, a home inspector will go through every area of a property to do a visual inspection. One place they’ll spend a good amount of time is the place we often think of as “the heart of the home”: the kitchen. The kitchen is where you’ll spend a majority of your time and a crucial (and complex) part of any house, so a thorough inspection is invaluable. So what should you expect for an inspection of the kitchen?

A neighborhood is just as, if not more, important to consider when buying a home than the house itself. After all, homes can be renovated and are under your control. Neighbors and neighborhoods are not. Therefore it’s critical to take location seriously. After you’ve done the basic research on a neighborhood, such as seeing its proximity to the important places in your life (schools, work, family, places of worship, stores, parks, favorite restaurants, etc.) it’s time to do a deeper dive. Here are 4 tips on how to research a neighborhood before purchasing a home.

Before getting a home inspection, the client must look over and sign off on a home inspection agreement. What is a home inspection agreement? Why is it important, and why should you be sure to read it? Especially if this is your first home inspection, or you’re using a new home inspector, the agreement is key to you understanding what you are getting when you get a home inspection. There are many misconceptions about a home inspection. It’s not an appraisal. It’s not required by law, but it is incredibly valuable. A home inspector won’t go busting down doors or breaking up walls to inspect. A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination of a home. Inspectors won’t go anywhere that doesn’t have an access point. They also can’t give you specialized advice. Instead, they can identify areas that need further professional attention. A home inspection can tell you a lot, but they can’t predict every issue a house may have, nor can they be held liable for what they find or don’t find.

Why should my home inspector have a copy of my property disclosure? To recap: a property disclosure is a statement given by the seller of a house to the potential buyer after the buyer has made an offer. The property disclosure, which has specific state and county requirements, is filled out by the seller, who must disclose everything they know about the house. This informs the buyer of potential hazards and issues with the property, along with its history, so the buyer can be better informed.

Electricity is something we take for granted in our homes, and for most of us, it’s as omnipresent as the air we breathe! We use it for everything, yet rarely take electrical safety seriously or think about how our daily habits could negatively be affecting the electrical use in the home. We’re going to look at seven tips for homeowners to show you how to better protect you and your family!

Homeownership is a wonderful blessing, but like most things, it takes a lot of work! Even if you’re not planning to sell your house in the near future, keeping it in good condition not only is an investment that will literally pay off down the road when you do sell, but maintaining your home is critical for your own health, safety, and peace of mind. And luckily, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming! The important thing is to stay organized and not let yourself procrastinate on important tasks. One way to stay on top of regular home maintenance is to create a maintenance schedule. We’re going to take a look at a few general suggestions and ideas on how to get started, but what’s key is figuring out a system that works for you. Many of the ideas below are from HomeLight- check out this article to download a home maintenance schedule to your own personal calendar.

Property disclosures are an essential part of the homebuying process. Property disclosures are a statement the home seller gives to the buyer that discloses everything they know about a house that could be problematic for the buyer. Property disclosures give the buyer a clearer idea of the true condition of the house, and they prevent the buyer from suing the seller further down the line if they discover problems with the house they weren’t aware of.

A home inspection is a visual, non-invasive examination of the accessible areas of a house and property. The home inspection is done by a professional home inspector. The inspector uses their expertise and knowledge to gain a perspective of the house that is unbiased and neutral. This can be very beneficial to any homeowner and is especially important in a home buying transaction where the buyer and seller have naturally different opinions and perspectives on the house. The home inspection gives the buyer a clearer idea of the true condition of the home so they can decide if they want to continue with the purchase, negotiate repairs with the seller, and be more knowledgeable homeowners if they do buy the house. While home inspections are not required by law, they are invaluable when it comes to empowering yourself and deciding whether to invest in a property.

TRR, or, “treatment, repairs, and replacements,” is an important phase of the homebuying process. TRR comes after TRD, or, “time reference date.” TRD is the beginning of a prescribed time span where the home buyer can do all of the inspections and investigations towards the property they intend to buy. This time is 10 days (unless otherwise specified) after the TRD date.

Forever Home Inspection serves both Oklahoma and Iowa, two states that can both get pretty humid. The wind brings humidity up from the Gulf Coast into Oklahoma, and Iowa was ranked the #6 state with the highest humidity in 2018 (Forbes). While you’ll feel it more in the summer, humidity also occurs in the winter, and any kind of humidity can cause problems for homeowners, besides just plain discomfort. Since humidity is moisture, humidity can lead to water damage in the home. Wood absorbs water, meaning wet wood will warp. Moisture on wood also breeds mildew, which in turn can grow mold. Mold weakens the wood until it collapses, which leads to serious structural damage to your home. This is more likely to happen in areas like crawlspaces, attics, and basements. Mold also is a health risk for immunocompromised people or people with allergies, often irritating the throat and eyes. Moisture from humidity that rests on metal appliances can create rust and make them faulty, including important home equipment like pipes and HVAC systems. Humidity and dampness also create musty smells in clothes and in cabinets and pantries. Clearly, humidity is no joke, so how can homeowners in humid climates be proactive?

If you are a homebuyer, and especially if it is your first time, it can be easy to be reactive during the buying process. After all, buying a home is a long, detailed, expensive, and often confusing ordeal. Many people get tripped up and frazzled and stumble along without clarity or vision. It’s only in hindsight, after the process is over, that they see ways they could have gotten a better deal, or what they should have done differently, or how they could have been more proactive.

Blacksmith Roofing is one of Forever Home Inspection’s preferred vendors for customers in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. The professionals at Blacksmith know how important- yet how difficult- it can be to find trustworthy roofing contractors. To help customers, they’ve created this video below. At Forever Home Inspection, we value all of these same traits in real estate professionals, and these values are instilled in our entire team of home inspectors: integrity, expertise, thoroughness, kindness, and drive. We hope these tips will help you in your search!

During the home buying process, the buyer is seeking to figure out what is the true condition of a home. Even if the seller is 100% transparent, there are just some things they might not even know. This is why a home inspection is so important. A home inspection provides a knowledgeable, professional, and neutral opinion. But there are other steps the buyer and seller can take together that will help both reach the agreement to sell- which is the goal of both parties!