10 Home Buying RED Flags in El Paso You Can’t AFFORD to Ignore

10 Home Buying Red Flags in El Paso You Can't Afford to Ignore (Part 2)

Welcome Back to Part Two

Welcome to part two of the 10 red flags home buyers should watch out for. If you missed the first episode, we covered weird floor plans, the age of big ticket items, evaporative coolers, roof issues with flat roofs, and homes that are over or underpriced. Let's jump into red flags six through ten.

Red Flag #6: Bad Photos

This one isn't always a red flag, but it certainly can be. Bad photos typically look like the agent or homeowner took the pictures themselves. The rooms are super dark, the angles are off-center and not symmetrical. It's obvious that they're not professional photographs.

This could be problematic. It might mean the agent doesn't care, which speaks to the homeowner's choice in hiring that agent. Maybe it means the homeowner doesn't care or just didn't have time to prep things. Or it could mean there are potentially hidden things that aren't good. If there's only like six photos total, that's not normal. Typically, there are going to be at least 30 to 50 photos. So if there's only a handful and they look bad, that could potentially be a red flag.

Red Flag #7: Super Cheap Flips

This is a huge flag in our opinion. A lot of these homes are in pretty bad shape. The only thing done is new paint and new flooring-that's about it. The roof is still old. The HVAC is still typically an evaporative cooler. They never change those. The windows are older. We call this "lipstick flips"-they just put paint on, take nice pictures, and call it a day.

These cheap flips often target VA buyers. Why? Because they're typically not in town. They're rushed. They have a short time for closing. That's why it's really important to have a real estate agent who can guide you in the right direction and make sure to look at these homes in person. We can spot problems. A home might look gorgeous in pictures and be affordable, but when you look at it in person, you can tell. Watch for mismatched finishes, sloppy paint lines, and outlets painted over. These are very common with flipped homes, and you'd be surprised how many of those houses are actually on the market.

Red Flag #8: "As-Is" Properties

When you see in the description that a property will be sold "as-is," this isn't the normal way homes get purchased. Normally, within the first 7 to 10 days of getting under contract on a property, you do a home inspection and then submit an amendment for repairs. That's what typically happens with every resale home, because no resale home is perfect.

An "as-is" listing may not be a red flag by itself. For instance, maybe the seller is distressed and just needs to get the property off their hands. If it's priced accordingly, it could be a great deal because you could get a decent property for a good price. In that case, it's cool.

But sometimes "as-is" could indicate there's an issue with the foundation, plumbing or electrical problems, an unpermitted addition, or other things the seller doesn't want to deal with. This can be especially problematic if you pair it with long days on the market, price drops, or if you can't get the seller's disclosure notice from your agent. That could definitely be a red flag.

Red Flag #9: Long Days on the Market

Homes that have been on the market for 100 plus days aren't automatically a red flag, but it's pretty obvious that something's going on. There are many different reasons why a home has been on the market for over 100 days: weird neighbors, weird location, the seller refuses to do any repairs, poor marketing, or structural issues.

But honestly, the main thing is usually that the home is overpriced. So if a home has been on the market for 100 days, there's probably something wrong with it. If there's nothing wrong with the house itself, it's probably overpriced. That's basically it. Do a little research to see if the home is overpriced, what the location is like-that will give you a good idea of whether it's even worth going to look at the house.

Red Flag #10: Location Mismatch

Most of the previous red flags are issues with the home itself, but this one can be a mistake you make as the buyer. Location mismatch typically happens with out-of-state buyers and relocating buyers coming to El Paso who don't have time to visit in person. A location mismatch means you end up in the wrong part of town that just doesn't make sense for you.

For military members coming to Fort Bliss, they typically want to be 20 to 30 minutes from base. If you end up way over on the west side, it's going to be a stretch to get to base. If you end up in the newer area south of Horizon Sakoro, you're going to be pushing it, especially with traffic.

Other location mismatches could include putting yourself right on or very close to a busy street like Eastlake or Horizon, which makes your commute a nightmare. If you work in person on the west side and you put yourself way over on the far east, that's a location mismatch. If you work in person anywhere and the commute becomes unreasonable, that's a problem.

It's not your fault if you can't come to El Paso to visit in person. Check out our videos-we have a whole playlist about different areas of El Paso with a map. Reach out to us and we'll send you the map, or hire us as your agent so we can understand where you're working, what time you'll be traveling, what things you like to do, and what your hobbies are. We'll make sure you avoid a location mismatch.

Final Thoughts

We hope this video has been useful for you. These 10 red flags are all important to watch out for. Be smart, do your research, and hire great real estate agents who know the El Paso market.