Tuesday, March 2, 2010 finds Fairhaven Realty in Bellingham, WA bustling with activity. Our morning meeting was topped off with an agent tour of new listings. Some are busy finalizing sales, others are working to complete listings, closings are happening and the list goes on….

Ericka Pizzillo Cohen, a writer for The Bellingham Herald, has compiled a list of tips gathered from local real estate agents and inspectors and included them in her July 23, 2009 article, Dealing in Details. These tips will prove valuable for buyers who want to look beyond the surface of a home and for sellers who want the best sales price.

• Don’t be embarrassed to bring binoculars, since you won’t be able to bring a ladder and get up on a roof during a home showing. Or, bring a digital camera, take pictures at a good angle and blow them up on your computer at home to get a view of the shingles. 
• Walk down or across the street to get a good view of the roof shingles. Look for curling, uneven or missing roof tiles as well as the number of roof layers. A roof should have no more than two layers.  
• If the shingles look new, but the flashings are still rusted and bent, the work might not have been professionally done. 
• Look for roof vents. Typically you should see one vent for every 300 square feet of roof surface.

 TIPS FOR SELLERS:

• Remove all moss from the roof. Roofs are designed to remove water, but moss acts as a sponge, keeping water on the roof all the time. 
• If there is a problem with a newer roof, check if the roof’s warranty will save the cost of repair.
• Use a stiff broom or chemical product to remove moss.
• Remove and replace cupping or curling shingles.
• If you can’t afford to replace a roof before a sale, get an estimate and consider a deal with the buyer to pay for the roof after sale. It’s usually in your interest to get your own estimates for a new roof.

“The most important parts of a house are the roof and the foundation,” said Dennis Louthan, owner of WIN Home Inspection in Lynden.  

“Most homeowners will use black tar at the drop of a hat,” said Aaron Long, owner of Aaron Long Roofing in Maple Falls. “Tar around penetrations is usually a good indication of previous leaking and future problems.”