Most Buyers Assume Someone Else Is Checking Everything That Matters
They're not. Your agent is focused on the transaction. Your inspector is focused on the structure. The seller only discloses what they know. That leaves a gap — and if you don't close it before closing day, you own every problem that slips through.
What's Inside the Before You Close Guide
Part One: Permits & Compliance Unpermitted work becomes your problem after closing. Learn how to find permit records, understand permit status, and what to do when something doesn't add up.
Part Two: Zoning What you're legally allowed to do with a property isn't always what the seller has been doing. Learn how to verify zoning and confirm your intended use is allowed.
Part Three: Title & Legal Easements, deed restrictions, flood zones, and legal access issues can all restrict how you use and develop the property you're buying.
Part Four: Water & Drainage Water is the most destructive force in residential property. Learn what to look for outside and inside that most buyers walk right past on a walkthrough.
Part Five: The Inspection Report How to read your report like a financial document, what patterns to look for, and how to use the findings to negotiate effectively before closing.
Part Six: True Cost of Ownership Property taxes, insurance gaps, utilities, and repair costs that most buyers never calculate before closing. Know the real number before you sign.
Developed From Both Sides of the Process
Before You Close was developed by a practicing Zoning Administrator, Building Official, and licensed home inspector with more than 20 years of experience on both sides of the transaction — the counter where permits are filed and the crawl spaces where problems hide. This is insider knowledge that most buyers never have access to until it's too late.
This guide is not a complete home buying guide. It does not cover financing, making offers, or negotiating contracts. What it covers is the gap that exists in every home buying transaction — the property risk information that your lender, your agent, your inspector, and the seller's disclosures don't fully address. Nobody in the home buying process is specifically responsible for your complete financial risk picture. This guide fills that gap.
Learn More on YouTube
Before You Close has a growing library of free videos covering permits, zoning, water issues, inspection red flags, and more. Each video goes deeper on the topics covered in the guide and gives you real examples of what to look for before you buy. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.