Answers by Stephanie Mason

Here are some questions to ask your Realtor when purchasing a new home. What are the current days on market in the area you are looking to buy? When you find a house, ask how long the house has been on the market. Has the property gone under contract and came back on since it's been on the market - if so, why, and can we see the home inspection? What are the ages of the roof, hot water heater, furnace and ac unit.

Personally, I never recommend any of my clients to waive the home inspections. There are too many unknowns that we cannot uncover in the 20-30 minutes we have to look at a property. The inspector will be there for 2-3 hours, evaluating the home from foundation to chimney top. Ask your Realtor how you can remain competitive with an offer while still getting inspections.