If you are looking at different homes for sale, the last thing that you probably want to do is buy a home that has a lot of unknown problems. Luckily, there are a few things that you can watch out for that can help prevent you from buying the wrong house.

1. It's Advertised as a "Handyman's Special"

First of all, check out the wording in the listing. Statements like, "handyman's special," "fixer-upper," "needs the right owner" or "just needs a little TLC" can all be red flags that there might be various problems with the home. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; in some cases, buying a fixer-upper can be a good way to get more home for your money, especially if you are able to do some of the work yourself. However, it is important to know what you are getting yourself into when buying a fixer-upper, so you'll want to deal with an honest seller and make sure that you do plenty of research about the work that will need to be done and how much it will cost you.

2. The Price is Significantly Lower Than Other Similar Homes

Another thing that you can look out for is the pricing of the home. Some sellers do price their homes a little bit lower, such as if they are in a big hurry to sell their home so that they can move or so that they can avoid foreclosure. However, if the price of a home is significantly cheaper than similar homes in the same area, it might be a red flag that there is something wrong with the home.

3. The Seller Tries to Rush You

It's understandable when a home seller wants to sell a house relatively quickly. However, an honest seller should never try to discourage you from doing a title search on the home to make sure that there are no liens or judgments against the property, nor should he or she try to tell you to avoid the home inspection. If you feel as if you are being rushed beyond what is reasonable, there's a chance that there is something wrong with the home that the seller does not want you to find out about, so you'll generally want to either proceed with extreme caution or pass and look for another home.

As you can see, there are a few different signs that you can watch out for if you want to avoid buying a house that has a lot of problems. If you work with a good real estate agent, he or she can help provide you with some guidance during the home buying process as well.

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