Say I saw it in The Shopper
May 31, 2023
page 11
Real Estate Specialists
Real Estate Questions & Answers CATHY & JIM HIGGINS Question: My wife and I are planning on purchasing a home. We were told a seller has to fill out a property disclosure form on the home. My friend told us that he received a property disclosure statement saying that the roof was new, the A/C was five years old and the furnace was a year old. He was in the home three months and he had to have an HVAC company in to check out a problem with the furnace. They checked the serial number and found out the unit is over 12 years old which puts it near the end of its predictable life. The disclosure clearly stated that the furnace was only one-year old. What can I do to protect ourselves from this same potential problem? Answer: You should never rely on a seller disclosure. Why? The most-honest seller on the planet may not have sufficient information or understanding to complete such a form. For instance, if a form asks “does the roof leak” it may be that to the owner the roof does not leak because he has no information to the contrary. Of course, it may also be true that the owner has never
been in the attic. The owner in this situation can honestly answer “no” because to him that’s the way it is. Or “does the furnace work properly”? The owner says yes because he doesn’t hear any strange noises and the home heats up well. But What if there is a crack in the heat exchanger? The owner may not know about the crack, but can honestly state that the furnace does what it is supposed to do…. heat the home. As a buyer, you want information about the condition of the property and the only way to get that information on a reliable basis is to have a professional home inspection. When you make an offer to purchase property be sure that it’s “subject to” a home inspection which is “satisfactory” to you. E-mail us your Real Estate questions at Cathyah@aol.com. Thinking of selling your home? Call Cathy & Jim Higgins, Licensed Broker/Realtors in Indiana & Illinois. IN: 219-865-4361 IL: 708-828-3304. McColly Real Estate. Website: www.Cathyhiggins. com. Personal Real Estate Journal: www. Higginshousechat.blogspot.com
Harris votes to support workforce development, violence prevention funding State Senator Napoleon Harris, III joined members of the Illinois State Senate to support a Fiscal Year 2024 budget to support workforce development, small business assistance and vital funding for violence prevention programs for communities across the South Suburbs. Harris (D-Harvey) released the following statement in response: “Illinois’ has continued its commitment to revitalize and rejuvenate our business community – this year’s budget will aid in spurring economic development and create good-paying jobs in our communities. Investing in the Southland will further incentivize new businesses to make our communities their home. “The budget ensures that equitable
opportunities are available to help uplift Brown and Black business owners to provide them resources to be successful. “Our workforce is the backbone of our economy – we are prioritizing efforts to connect our residents with the essential training opportunities to meet the demands of Illinois businesses. “We continued our commitment to supporting our children by continuing investments for violence prevention programs for disadvantaged communities. These much needed grants will support vital after-school programs to improve students’ educational outcomes and learning opportunities.”