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Health & Fitness

Buying a Home and Septic Systems

Buying a home on a septic field can be tricky.  If you live in Macomb county, the seller must have the county come out to do a well and septic test.  If the systems pass the test, you will get a Macomb county certification.  But what about when the home is bank owned?  The bank is exempt from having this test because the county cannot properly test the system  if the home hasn’t been lived in for a few weeks.  So what does a buyer do?

The buyer is now in a position where they are buying at their own risk.  The buyer can have a private inspector do preliminary tests to give them an idea if the system is sound, but there is no guarantee.  There are a few things on my end that I do for my buyers, to insure the system is okay.  I will call the county and get the previous records of the system.  Sometimes you will find that the home was purchased just a few years ago, and there is a record of the systems condition.  It's no guarantee, but it certainly helps.  The scary part is when the home hasn't been lived in for 10 plus years, and there are no current records of inspection.

The average lifespan of a septic system is about 20 years.  However, in areas like Shelby Twp that contain a lot of sand you find they last quite a bit longer.  Septic systems can be expensive.  When considering buying a home on a septic system, it makes a big difference if its a private owned or bank owned home.  With a privately owned home, you know exactly what you’re getting.  When it’s bank owned, its a crap shoot!

If you’re looking to sell a home…..buy a home…...invest in real estate…….or Start a career in real estate contact me today.  GoTigers!!!!

Chris Taylor
Keller Williams 
586-524-1095 
Chris.taylor@kw.com

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