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Wayne Turner - (12 MISTAKES) When Buying A Home...

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Author: Wayne Turner
Categories: Real Estate
Tags: real-estate
Views: 1 · Last viewed: 2026-10-13 11:24 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Before buying a home, verify the property's condition, boundaries, title, disclosures, insurance history, and what conveys with the sale, rather than relying on the seller's word or the "as is" label. Wayne Turner presents this as a 12-item checklist of common buyer mistakes, drawn from nearly 30 years of real estate experience. He stresses that these checks can save money, time, and stress for buyers at any stage.

Key Points

  • The 12 mistakes to avoid when buying a home:
    1. Buying a house "as is" without inspecting it
    2. Not getting a survey of the property
    3. Not checking the well and septic system
    4. Not getting a title policy
    5. Not reviewing the seller's disclosures
    6. Trusting the seller's word on flood zone status
    7. Not checking the property's insurance claim history
    8. Refusing to cover closing costs and limiting your buyer pool
    9. Skipping a home warranty
    10. Overlooking mineral and water rights
    11. Not choosing the right mortgage program
    12. Not putting in writing what stays with the property
  • Get things in writing: anything not in the contract may not convey, and an unlisted item can be lost.
  • Verify seller claims independently instead of accepting them at face value.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions:
    • Ask the seller for permission to inspect the property, even if it is listed "as is." Ask whether it is okay to inspect for your own well-being; the speaker says sellers often agree to repairs after an inspection.
    • Get a survey by visiting the county register of deeds (or parish equivalent), where a copy costs about $2, even if the seller says they have none. Use it to locate property pins (a metal detector can be rented or bought for about $150), confirm the flood zone, and identify encroachments such as fences, pools, or sheds.
    • For a septic system, obtain a septic certificate from the county or parish confirming it works; the utility company requires this certificate before power can be turned on.
    • Buy your own title policy if the seller won't pay for one, and check for mortgage liens, back taxes, IRS debts, encumbrances, and mechanic's liens.
    • Request the seller's disclosure form, which is required by law for most sellers and reports roof and HVAC age, fire, water, and insurance claim history, and lead-based paint for homes built before 1978.
    • Verify flood zone status on the government flood maps using the property address, rather than relying on the disclosure. The speaker names zones A, X, and C as the riskiest among those he mentions.
    • Ask how many insurance claims have been filed on the property and what they involved, since many claims can make coverage difficult and expensive.
    • Consider offering to pay buyer closing costs, which run about 3.5% of the loan amount, to attract more buyers.
    • Purchase a home warranty, which the speaker says is often about $800 and sometimes paid by the seller, to cover failures such as a compressor replacement for about $100 instead of $6,700.
    • Confirm in the contract whether mineral rights are included; a contract can be enforced through specific performance, and the deposit may be lost if you back out.
    • Ask the lender which loan programs fit (FHA, VA, conventional), and do not let seller hesitation rule out FHA or VA financing without understanding the reason.
    • List in the written contract every item to stay with the property, such as washer, dryer, refrigerator, light fixtures, chandeliers, pool equipment, and speakers.
  • The speaker notes that his home-warranty experience covers rental and personal homes, and that he uses warranties even as an experienced buyer.
  • Specific details matter: the disclosure rules he describes began in 1996, and lead-based paint disclosures apply to homes built before 1978.
  • Legal and financial points come from the speaker's experience and are not professional advice; consult a real estate attorney, title company, or lender for your situation.

Bottom Line

Buyers protect themselves most by verifying everything independently, from the survey and flood zone to title, insurance history, and what conveys, and by putting every agreed term in writing.