Excellent advice. Buying a house sight unseen is never a good idea.
Also for me, the neighborhood is just as important as the house. Before putting down an offer, I like to drive around the entire neighborhood to get a lay of the land. Then make sure you drive by there on a Friday or Saturday night.
Years ago, I thought I had a great bargain on a house in a Boston suburb by a train station but driving by on a hot summer Saturday night, the strip mall a few blocks away featured a very "rough" crowd that was noisy and boisterous. I also saw some "police activity" about a block away with what looked like a domestic disturbance in progress. Shirtless young males were sitting out on their front steps playing loud music and sipping out of solo cups. What looked like a decent neighborhood by day got very "sketchy" after dark."
Now I understood why the house was such a deal, the currant occupants were probably desperate to get out of there.
Saved me a lot of hassle, I'm sure.
That was undoubtedly the real raisin the house was such a deal.
Regards,
Yes...I’ve brought properties abroad, and even with those, I always inspected the properties and surroundings in person prior to offering. Location, location, location!