Hey guys, this is Kay Cordell your Insurance Ninja Today I just wanted to talk to you about a few things that you need to ask your realtor when you're int he process of buying a house

It actually matters because it can impact your insurance rate So these are the 3 things I think that you really need to know First of all, the biggest thing is: ask what the age of the roof is The insurance companies will give you a discount based off how new your roof is Also, it's a good idea to know because, obviously, your roof is going to be one of your biggest investments in your home

And you need to be saving up for that So if you're getting a house and the roof is older and it may need to be replaced in 5 years, then you need to put that in the back of your head that in 5 years you're probably going to need to have the money to replace that And I know that a lot of people are going to say, "Well your insurance company can pay for that" Well, let me just tell you your insurance company will not pay for the maintenance of your house or wear-and-tear of your roof So, the insurance company won't pay for your roof just because it's old

So it's your responsibility as a homeowner to keep up with the maintenance of your home and replace the things that need to be replaced when it's time Now it's a different story if a windstorm or a hailstorm come and take out your roof Those are the perils that your policy will protect against But for normal wear-and-tear, no, your insurance company will not pay for that That is the beauty of becoming a homeowner

Saving up for the things that will happen as your house ages So, first question: always ask the age of your roof The next question that I think is kind of costly is: what's the age of your heating and air-conditioning unit? And you can get a discount with some companies based off of that being new And also you want to tuck that in the back of your brain If it's going to have to be replaced in a couple years, then maybe you need to save up for that or maybe you can bargain with the person that you're buying the house from

Have you realtor to talk to them about accounting for the fact that that may need to be replaced soon Maybe you'll get a better deal on the house So that's something else that you need to ask Third question that I think is maybe a little bit less costly but it's a good idea to know, because the damage can be great if you're not aware of when that needs to be replaced is your hot water heater Especially if it's on the second floor

Once that starts to leak it can go through your floor and cause a lot of damage And it's also a good idea just to keep in mind when it's time to replace that so that you can keep an eye on preventing future damage So the hot water heater, I think, can usually range between 5 and 10 years I think you can probably ask the previous homeowner or look at the tag on the hot water heater to see when that was replaced and tuck that in your brain to know when that needs to be switched out Because, like I said, the damage that can be caused by a hot water heater leaking or about to burst could be pretty bad

So you need to have a handle on that Those are the 3 things that I would suggest that you make sure your realtor asks before you buy a house I hope you guys have a great day! Thanks for watching!