Mike Holmes' 5 questions to ask your real estate agent

4 Are there building permits or inspection reports for any work done on this house?
Most renovations require building permits from your local building authority (City Hall is a good starting point for locating them). Those permits, along with the inspection reports that are made at various stages of the work, are important records of what's been done. It's ideal if the vendor has kept the permits and makes them available to prospective buyers. For structural, plumbing, and electrical work, it's safest if you have hard evidence that the work was inspected and approved by building authorities.

5 Was this house ever a grow op?
Believe it or not, no one is required to disclose that a home was previously used for a marijuana-grow operation -- unless you ask. If the agent doesn't know for sure, he or she should find out for you by seeing full disclosure from the seller's agent; an experienced realtor might even be able to spot the telltale signs. What does it matter? Grow ops usually involve some dangerous "retrofitting" of the structure and electrical systems. There may be outstanding remedies ordered by the local building authority. Very high moisture levels throughout the house can also lead to serious mould problems.

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From The Holmes Inspection: Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy or Sell Your Home. Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. copyright © 2008 by Mike Holmes. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

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