Own Luxury Homes®
20 Questions to Ask Before Buying a House 2026
20 questions organized by category: Property (8): flood zone; insurance cost BEFORE offer (FAIR Plan ≈ $14K vs $3K standard — must check before offer); permit history; CLUE report; system ages; water/mold/foundation; utility bills. HOA (3): reserve fund (30% = special assessment risk; 70%+ healthy); pending assessments; rules. Agent (4): dual agency; vendor referral fees; list-to-sale ratio; capacity. Contract (3): contingencies; appraisal gap; seller net. Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™ — every specialist uses this checklist.
20 Questions to Ask Before Buying a House: The Complete Buyer’s Checklist for 2026
Every real estate guide tells buyers to ask about the neighborhood and the schools. Those aren’t the questions that protect you financially. The questions that protect you — about insurance, flood zones, permits, HOA health, and agent conflicts — are the ones most buyers never know to ask until something goes wrong after closing. This checklist is built from the 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit{TM}: the questions OLH specialists ask before every offer is written.
Questions About the Property
| # | Question | Why It Matters | Where to Get the Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What is the home’s flood zone designation and FEMA map version? | Required flood insurance can cost $2,000–8,000+/year; FEMA flood maps update regularly; a new map can change requirements after closing | FEMA Flood Map Service Center; your insurance agent; check with your lender |
| 2 | Can I get homeowner’s insurance on this property — and at what cost? | In CA, FL, LA, TX, and coastal markets, some properties can only get FAIR Plan insurance at 2–5x the cost of conventional; verify BEFORE making an offer | Call an independent insurance broker with the property address; get a quote before submitting any offer |
| 3 | What is the full permit history for this home? | Unpermitted additions reduce value, complicate financing, and can require expensive removal or retroactive permitting; some issues only appear after purchase | County building department records; ask your agent to pull the permit history; inspect the property for additions that may not match plans |
| 4 | What was the asking price vs the most recent comparable sales? | Overpaying creates an appraisal gap and anchors your equity at a level above market; your agent’s CMA answers this and determines your offer strategy | Your buyer’s agent CMA using actual MLS closed sales |
| 5 | What is the home’s CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report? | The CLUE report shows all insurance claims filed on the property in the last 7 years; water damage, fire, and mold claims reveal history the seller may not disclose | Request via LexisNexis after going under contract; some states require seller to provide |
| 6 | When were the roof, HVAC, water heater, and electrical panel last replaced? | These four systems represent $15,000–45,000+ in replacement costs; knowing their age tells you when you’ll face those expenses | Seller’s disclosure; your home inspector; ask for any service records |
| 7 | Has the home ever had water intrusion, mold, or foundation issues? | These are the three most expensive and most concealed defects; seller disclosure is legally required in most states but sometimes incomplete | Seller’s disclosure + home inspection + foundation specialist if any concerns |
| 8 | What are the actual utility costs? (Request 12 months of bills) | Utility costs are a significant part of real monthly housing costs; older homes and poorly insulated ones can have bills 30–50% higher than average | Request directly from the seller or their agent; most cooperative sellers provide this |
Questions About the HOA (If Applicable)
| # | Question | Why It Matters | Where to Get the Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | What is the HOA’s reserve fund balance and recommended level? | An HOA with reserves at 30% of recommended level is a special assessment waiting to happen ($5,000–30,000+ per unit); a healthy HOA has 70%+ of recommended reserves | Request HOA financials, reserve study, and meeting minutes for the last 2–3 years; your agent or title company can help request these |
| 10 | Are there any pending or planned special assessments? | A special assessment can appear after closing for an expense the HOA board already knew about but hadn’t yet levied; request written disclosure from the HOA | Ask the HOA management directly in writing; request the last 3 years of board meeting minutes |
| 11 | What do HOA rules prohibit? (rentals, pets, parking, renovations) | Some HOAs prohibit short-term rentals (Airbnb), large pets, exterior changes, or parking of commercial vehicles; rules that conflict with your plans can be expensive to violate | Request the CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules and regulations from the HOA or title company |
Questions About the Agent
| # | Question | Why It Matters | When to Ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Are you representing both the buyer and the seller in this transaction? (dual agency) | Dual agency creates a direct conflict: the agent cannot negotiate aggressively for you while also representing the seller; illegal in some states, legal in others | Before signing any buyer representation agreement; ask directly |
| 13 | Do you receive any referral fees, kickbacks, or compensation from vendors you recommend? | Some agents receive fees from title companies, inspectors, mortgage lenders, or contractors they refer; these payments create conflicts of interest | Ask before they recommend any vendor; the 12-Point Integrity Audit ensures your agent discloses all compensation |
| 14 | What is your list-price-to-sale-price ratio for buyers you’ve represented? | An agent who consistently helps buyers close below list price is a better negotiator than average; this metric reflects negotiating effectiveness | Ask for their stats; or ask the question and observe whether they have the data ready |
| 15 | How many active buyers are you currently representing? | An agent with 15 active buyers has limited time for each; if your search requires intensive attention, know their capacity before committing | Ask directly at your first meeting |
Questions About the Offer and Contract
| # | Question | Why It Matters | Critical Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | What contingencies are included and what are the deadlines? | Inspection, financing, appraisal, and sale-of-home contingencies each have specific deadlines; missing a deadline waives the contingency and can cost your earnest money | Review with your agent before signing the contract; understand every deadline in the purchase agreement |
| 17 | What is the appraisal gap risk if I offer over asking price? | If you offer $430,000 and the appraisal comes in at $400,000, you must pay the $30,000 gap in cash (if no appraisal contingency) or renegotiate; know your exposure before you escalate | Before submitting any offer above the list price; ask your agent to model the scenario |
| 18 | What does the seller’s net sheet look like? (for negotiating purposes) | Understanding what the seller nets after costs helps you calibrate your offer; a seller with high equity is more flexible on price; a seller with low equity may need a specific number to walk away | Your buyer’s agent can model this; understanding seller motivation is key to effective negotiation |
Questions Before Closing
| # | Question | Why It Matters | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | What large purchases or financial changes should I avoid before closing? | New credit accounts, large purchases on credit, job changes, or large undocumented deposits in the 30–45 days before closing can delay or kill your loan at final verification | Ask your lender at contract signing; follow their instructions precisely through closing |
| 20 | Is my title insurance owner’s policy covering me? (vs just the lender) | Lender’s title insurance protects the bank, not you; owner’s title insurance protects you from title defects discovered after purchase; it is optional but strongly recommended | At closing or during title review; confirm you are purchasing an owner’s policy, not just the lender-required policy |
“The two questions that save buyers the most money: The insurance question (#2) and the HOA reserve fund question (#9). Insurance: "In a Florida coastal property I was showing, the asking price was $485,000. We called an insurance broker before writing the offer. Only FAIR Plan available. Premium: $14,200/year. On a comparable property one mile inland: $3,100/year. The $11,100 difference in annual insurance was not in the buyer’s affordability calculation. If they hadn’t asked before the offer: they would have discovered it after going under contract, faced a financing gap, and either paid far more than they planned or lost their earnest money." HOA reserves: "A $320,000 condo we were evaluating for a buyer. We requested the HOA meeting minutes. Board discussion from 6 months prior: the parking garage needs $2.1M in repairs. HOA reserve fund: $180,000. They hadn’t levied the assessment yet. Our buyer would have received a $12,000 special assessment notice 8 months after closing. We asked. We found out. We passed on the property. Questions 2 and 9 save buyers more money than any amount of price negotiation."”
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes®
What questions should I ask before buying a house?
The 20 most important, organized by category: Property (8 questions): flood zone and insurance availability; permit history; CLUE report; comparable sales CMA; major system ages; water/mold/foundation history; utility bills. HOA (3 questions): reserve fund balance; pending special assessments; rule restrictions. Agent (4 questions): dual agency disclosure; vendor referral fees; list-to-sale ratio for buyers; capacity. Contract (3 questions): contingencies and deadlines; appraisal gap exposure; seller’s net. Pre-closing (2 questions): financial stability rules; owner’s title insurance. The two highest-ROI questions: insurance cost before submitting any offer; HOA reserve fund health before buying any attached property.
Own Luxury Homes® — every specialist uses this checklist before every offer. 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™. Work with a specialist who asks all 20 questions ›
"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)