What to check before you buy a house or a lot

Before you make an offer, check what the public record says about the property, what the zoning lets you do with it, and what could cost you later: the flood zone, easements and HOA rules, the taxes after the sale. Then leave to professionals the checks no record can make: the inspection, the survey, the title search and the appraisal.

Updated October 14, 2026. General information, not legal advice: the city’s code and its planning staff decide for your lot.

The record

• The county appraisal record: year built, size and rooms against the listing, assessed values, other buildings on the lot. See How to look up a house’s history.
• Permits for past work: an addition or a conversion without one may have to be brought up to code.
• The legal description and the lot’s area on the deed, which can differ from the area on a map.

What the zoning allows

• The zoning district, and whether the house meets its rules today. A building older than the rules may be legally nonconforming: it may stay, but rebuilding or enlarging it can be limited.
• Room to add on, build a second unit or split the lot, if those are part of your plans. See What can I build on my lot? and Can I build an ADU?

What could cost you later

• The flood zone: inside a Special Flood Hazard Area, a federally backed mortgage requires flood insurance.
• Easements and deed restrictions: the title search lists them; ask for the subdivision plat too.
• HOA rules, dues and any special assessment already planned.
• Taxes after the sale: exemptions belong to the seller and end with the sale, and some states reassess at the sale. In California the assessed value is reset to the market value when ownership changes.
• The age of the roof, heating and cooling, water heater and windows: the inspection tells you their condition, the year of each tells you when to budget for it.

The neighborhood

• Schools: which schools serve the address (the attendance zone can differ from the nearest school) and the state’s official ratings.
• Daily errands on foot: see How walkable is your neighborhood?
• Home values and rents in the ZIP code, and how they moved: see Home values and rents by ZIP code.
• A visit at different times of day: noise, traffic and parking show only then.
• More on this: How to research a neighborhood.

Checks only professionals make

• A home inspection, plus a sewer scope or a termite inspection where they are common.
• A survey, which shows where the lot lines and the buildings really are.
• A title search and title insurance.
• An appraisal, which your lender orders; for your own sense of value, ask a local agent for comparable sales.

How the Lot Report helps

The Lot Report covers the record, the zoning, the flood zone where FEMA’s map answers, the nearest schools, walkability and the ZIP’s market figures for one address, with the source of each number. It is a first look before you pay for the professional checks, not a replacement for them: it does not inspect the house, search the title or estimate a value.