Expert: Lori Frankfort - 10/8/2010

Question
There's a house I was once interested in but it seems to be bought and sold a lot.  Is that a red flag?  Is there a way to find why this one house in this neighborhood is always the one that is bought and sold almost every year?

Answer
Hi Pat,

Is it a small house? Perhaps it gets outgrown? Have you checked the crime stats in the neighborhood? What about driving by at 1am? It's important to visit a neighborhood at different times.

Short of contacting the old owners, the best way to get info is to knock on the neighbors' doors. I recommend doing that in every purchase. You'll not only learn about your potential house and its history, you will find out what kind of people your neighbors are. Perhaps they are the problem!!

One last bit of advice - google the address and spend some time on the Internet. Make sure there aren't bad things that have happened there. Also check with the police department for that info.

Good luck,
Lori Frankfort