The Importance and Benefit of Home and Condo Development Property Inspection in the Baja, Mexico Real Estate Market
A sale is a lengthy, if not grueling, process. You have to sit around, sift through clients over clients, analyze the market, consider deals, reach agreements (hopefully), engage in lengthy back-to-backs on the phone, and invest lots of time. It’s an effort-reward deal through and through, no way around it—unless taking the unethical route, which I sincerely hope you’re not.
And, pray tell, what’s typical amongst lengthy, complicated processes, like the sale (or presale if such applies) of a beachfront, luxury property (home or condo) in the BCS, Mexico real estate market? Complications, fittingly enough, and no, I’m not talking about significant issues here—though those are also reasons for worry. You don’t have to think big to ruin a deal, for even the slightest hiccups can squander what once seemed like a promising Friday meet-up.
How so, exactly? Picture this.
In Baja California Sur, you’re a homeowner. No, let’s make it even more specific for immersion’s sake. You’re a beachfront property owner looking to find the right buyer for your high-end oceanfront real estate on sale, located in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, Todos Santos, or Palmilla beach.
It’s luxury and quality at its finest and utmost high-end, an inversion to call home and brag about, and you went through the list as mentioned earlier and back to find that special someone. That special somebody might finally give you some tempting return-on investments, courtesy of the Baja location and its flourishing beachfront real estate market.
And, eventually, you did!
Except, it didn’t go through. Terrible thing, I know, something went wrong with the payment method, something about construction projects being more that person’s speed rather than buying a dream oceanfront home near—
But wait, what’s this? There, the phone is buzzing. The person, the miracle, doesn’t even seem to think twice. They love it, love the location, and don’t mind the cost. They even loved that paint job you bragged about when uploading those low-resolution pictures to your social media feed.
They’re so in love with the property that they’re ready to hand you over the money—they may probably even buy the whole thing cash up-front, for hyperbole, but only after a tour of the place.
You make the appointment, and you wait for the best. The day comes, the miracle looks around, and, suddenly, things stop looking as bright as that smile you shook hands with minutes ago.
They stared too much where you never thought of staring, they asked too much of things you never even thought about thinking, and then, they left with a smile not quite as genuine, nor a handshake as lively. You try calling back for updates and feedback, even mentioning how the cost is thoroughly negotiable, but eventually, they stop answering your calls and disappear off the face of the earth.
Maybe you didn’t hit it off. Perhaps the potential buyers made business with another, cheaper, beachfront real estate owner around the Los Cabos, La Paz, Todos Santos location, or wherever.
They’re gone, and you’re back to square one, whatever the case may be.
What was the reason strictly for this horrifying—albeit hyperbolic, hypothetical scenario, you say? Simple, you didn’t give your property a proper inspection! You didn’t bother to hire someone to double-check for any faults because you never bothered to double-check. After all, everybody’s home (or property) is flawless—or at least “good enough,” and said perception could cost you significant time—again, hypothetically.
So, how to prevent this real estate nightmare and not turn all your well-invested Los Cabos/San Jose del Cabo/La Paz money into waste? Easy, by following the three steps below.
Hire the Service of a Licensed, Quality House Inspector to Double-Check your BCS House or Condo Development Property
As with hiring the service of any quality realtor agent in BCS, Mexico, you should always verify your would-be house inspector holds up to industry standards—and regulations. After all, the main job of the inspector is to point out adverse living conditions and technical flaws. It’s a service and position of trust, and you can’t trust everybody.
As to what these standards, or quality checks, imply, generally speaking, they encompass training, adherence to a code of ethics, high education levels, and, last but not least, a certified living space inspector designation.
Additionally, you can funnel yourself up by asking friends and co-workers about local living area inspectors with a good word-of-mouth-advertisement flow, something relatively common around the Baja, Mexico area due to its booming popularity as an investment zone for homeowners. These popular picks will, most of the time, check out the requirements mentioned above and have the experience to prove it—the best of both worlds.
Remember, the Inspector Knows Not of Style, but the Function of your Baja Real Estate Property
The job of a house inspector is daunting. The number of hiccups and flaws a living space can hold can range from upwards of hundreds to thousands of items on a long list of questionable conditions and safety hazards. That is why you shouldn’t have it against them for not giving feedback on the feel and look of the place, solely the technical quality.
If you want feedback on aesthetics, that’s what your real estate agent is there for—and an architect, too, if you’re going to be thorough about it.
What you get with the service of a property inspector is instead a written report that concisely packages every detail, inch, and corner of your development. You’ll be thankful for that information when you’ve successfully ironed them out before presenting your high-end, luxury beach home to an interested party.
Trustworthy Property Inspectors Work for the Benefit of the Paying Party and are Strictly Confidential
Here in the Baja, and almost everywhere else, inspectors should be unbiased third parties within the real estate property transaction. In practice, this means that they cannot divulge their findings on the conditions of your property development, thanks to their code of confidentiality for the client’s benefit. Think doctors, but without much health insurance involved, hopefully anyway.
Why am I telling you this when it’s honestly more of step 1 on a list? Because this is a fact best verified after you’ve made contact and secured a possible deal. Suppose an inspector, for whatever reason, refuses to elaborate on this tiny little detail. In that case, that’s most likely code for you to reconsider the deal and look elsewhere—hopefully without the need to apply legal action.
With all that said, if you followed these instructions correctly, you should get the benefit of an excellent, complete to-fix report after a few weeks, condensing every tiny detail of your luxury, oceanfront beach house. With it, you’ll be able to tie up loose ends and hit it big during your next sale/presale presentation, no hypothetical nightmare scenarios included.
It’s true what they say; a second (quality) opinion goes a long way.
