1.  The home you are buying cannot not have any health or safety issues. Such as mold which is common with plumbing leaks.

2.  There must be a terminate report and clearance.

3.  The home must be structurally sound and on a good foundation or slab.

4.  The roof needs to be water tight and have a least two or more years of life left.

5.  All the plumbing and electrical must be in good working order. If a house has fuses it will need to be update with new breakers.

6.  Hot water heaters in California must be safety strap for earthquakes. If the hot water heater is in the garage it must be raised 18 inches of the ground.

7.  All sleeping areas must have a smoke detectors and one carbon monoxide sensor for the home.

8.  If a pool is empty it must be filled and operational.

9.  Anything broken or non working items needs to be replaced.

10.  This not a complete list but a general over view of the major guidelines for the VA to approve the home. If you have an item in question ask your realtor or loan officer.

Many home buyers are under the false impression that an appraisal is the same as a home inspection. The appraiser may spent 15 minutes looking at a home, but a home inspector will spend as much as three hours inspecting the home.

It is always recommended that you have a home inspection done on the home to determine if there are any hidden defects or maintenance issues that are not obvious to an appraiser. The home inspection usually cost About $400.00 and is well worth the money. They will issue you a report which can be used to negotiate repairs with the seller.

If you have any questions please contact us.

If you are looking at a condo all of the above applies plus the condo must be on VA approved condo list.