Four Essential Tips For Your Woodbridge Virginia Foreclosure House Hunt
When you go inside foreclosed homes in Woodbridge, Virginia, follow these three tips and you'll stay safe.
1. Beware. Most foreclosed homes around the Woodbridge area don't have working utilities. The banks typically "winterize" the plumbing, so the water is shut off and the potties don't work.
So if you gotta "go", make a pit stop between houses at a fast food shop, or gas station. McDonald's and Sheetz are everywhere. If you are a neat-freak like me, and you prefer tidy restrooms, I've found Panera Bread stores and Target stores typically offer sparkling clean facilities.
2. Homes without electricity may have dark basements, dark utility rooms, and dark bathrooms. I've seen the occasional toy or record player, and other hazards on a stair step down into a dark basement. Take a flashlight for each person in your group. I keep three working flashlights in my car, one for me, and two for a couple.
Remember, the dictionary defines a flashlight as "A cylindrical container where dead batteries are stored until discarded". So check your flashlights before you go, or you could end up groping around a dark basement.
3. Some foreclosed houses around Woodbridge may be dirty... filthy... germ kennels... bacterial breeding grounds. The water is off. No chance of rinsing your hands. Simply touching a kitchen counter could trigger an infection that will make your arm fall off before you get to a working sink and soap.
Take a bottle of hand sanitizer, and some paper towels with you to get the sticky stuff you picked up from a doorknob off your hands. If you forget paper towels, grab a few paper napkins from Micky-D's or Panera when you make a pit stop.
4. Some foreclosed houses smell bad.... stink... reek. If the water has been shut off for a few months, the water in the sink traps and potties has long ago evaporated, allowing sewer odors into the house. If nasty odors don't bother you, proceed. However, if nasty odors make you gag, wretch, or vomit, I suggest one of the following:
I one saw (smelled) a house that had a chest-style freezer in the basement that was filled to the brim with frozen meat when the bank ordered the power company to shut off the power. Someone long ago opened the top of the freezer, and left it open. The stench of rotting meat knocked us off the front porch when I opened the front door.
There you are. Your essential tips for visiting foreclosed houses in Woodbridge Virginia, or anywhere else.
Call me at 703-590-2252 for a customized list of foreclosed properties in the area.
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I am a Soldier in the Army and I will be deploying to Iraq in February. I bought a 2001 Stanley Martin built townhome from the original owner, in Belmont Bay (Woodbridge, VA) the summer of 2006. Since I moved in, rainwater has been leaking into the house causing thousands of dollars in water intrusion damage, mold, and mildew. Only after I discovered the leak did I learn that the home had been leaking since it was built and the previous owner knew it, but did not disclose it to me. In fact, the previous owner is now the President of our Homeowner's Association. My entire community has been enduring this problem with over 15 other Stanley Martin built homes that leaked when it rained. Stanley Martin attempted to band-aid-fix the problems - sometimes three or four times, many have been successful but some have not. It's only a matter of time. My home has been "repaired" by Stanley Martin at least four times over the last five years, and it still leaks. Unfortunately Stanley Martin takes the quick, cheap easy way out rather than really fixing the problems. They don't hire professional independent engineers who specialize in residential water intrusion, they use poor building materials, they hire unqualified laborers to do the work of professionals, they do not build to the International Residential Code standards, they do not inspect the work and they do not stand by their work. Stanley Martin Corp should not be allowed to build any more homes or buildings in Virginia (or anywhere else in the United States) until they repair the homes they have already built. I know of at least five other Stanley Martin homes that still leak, including mine. I developed pneumonia shortly after discovering the leaks even though I am very fit and healthy. My dog Lucy mysteriously became anemic and would have died if I hadn't spent $1,500 on a blood transfusion and medication. Anyone buying or renting a home in Belmont Bay must demand the owners pay for an independent water test (test the home for water leaks) and a professional mold and mildew test. DO NOT SIGN A DISCLAIMER. DEMAND A DISCLOSURE STATEMENT from the owner as a condition of the sale or rental agreement. INSIST THEY ANSWER, IN WRITING, IF THE HOME HAS EVER LEAKED. This applies even if the home is brand new and you're buying directly from Stanley Martin. DEMAND A WATER TEST and explicit water intrusion coverage in your warranty! Marvin Iavecchia mil06@msn.com