Due-diligence checklist

34 Helmsman Ct · Essex, MD 21221

Townhouse · 3 bd / 1.5 ba · 1,560 sqft · built 1977 · listed $250,000 · MLS CFR-CMJXNDDKKRN4HT

• Title & lien report

  Confirm clear title; flag mechanics' liens, easements, or active suits.
• Seller disclosure

  Pull the seller's written disclosure for material defects + work done without permits.
• Survey & boundary

  Recent survey verifying lot lines, easements, encroachments.
• Inspection contingency

  General home inspection within 7–10 days; right to renegotiate / cancel.
• Insurance binder

  Get a written insurance quote BEFORE waiving the financing/inspection contingency.
• Roof age + condition

  Look at roof age, last replacement, hail/storm history. Replacement is $10–40k.
• HVAC age + condition

  Furnace + AC age; expect ~15–20 yr life. Replacement is $6–12k per system.
• Electrical panel

  Knob-and-tube, aluminum, or undersized panel? Re-wire / upgrade = $4–15k.
• Plumbing material

  Polybutylene / galvanized pipes fail. Repipe = $8–20k.
• Sewer scope

  Camera the lateral — root intrusion / collapsed lines = $5–20k.
• Foundation

  Vertical cracks, basement moisture, settling. Structural fixes = $5–50k+.
• Permits on record

  Pull permit history — finished space without permits can be a tax/insurance trap.