Tulsa Home Buyers - don't skip the final walk-through before closing!
I encourage all my Tulsa Home Buyers to do a final walk-through of the property they're purchasing prior to closing. You haven't seen the home since we did inspections or perhaps re-inspections. 
If the house flooded since then and the carpet is covered in mud, that will be YOUR mud after closing. If something was SUPPOSE to be painted that didn't get painted, YOU'RE going to be responsible for getting that done. Your ONLY chance of rectifying a problem is BEFORE you hand over a large money order at closing. Once you've closed on your Tulsa home purchase, all of that property's problems will be yours.
Yesterday my Tulsa home buyers Robert and Michelle and I did our final walk-through two hours prior to closing. When we scheduled this appointment through the Listing Realtor, we discovered that the Seller has taken a very nice chandelier from the dining room and replaced it with something much cheaper. If you aren't aware, that's not permitted.
The Oklahoma Real Estate Contract specifically states what remains with the property. It lists items that remain with the property unless specifically excluded or reserved by the Seller - including, but not limited to - light fixtures, window treatments, bathroom mirrors, etc. 
Already aware that the Seller had switched out a light fixture, we were going to walk through the home a little more scrupulously than normal. But it didn't take long at all to discover that the home Seller had removed every single window covering!!
Thankfully my Buyers are calm and reasonable people. I contacted the Listing Realtor to let her know our findings, and we were able to work out a solution. The Sellers agreed to return all of the window treatments and related hardware. The gracious and professional Listing Realtor agreed to reimburse my Buyers a dollar amount for the switched light fixture.
Had my Tulsa home Buyers NOT done a final walk-through, they would have been out the expense to purchase all new window treatments - not an expense they would comfortably bear right after closing. And what a disappointment to enter your new home with champagne in hand, only to find unexpected and distressing surprises.
Tulsa home Buyers have no recourse AFTER closing - or at least nothing short of hiring an attorney. So, don't skip that last, crucial step in your home buying process.
And Tulsa home Sellers, if you want to keep a bathroom mirror that has sentimental value, please EXCLUDE it from the sale of your home at the time of listing!
Copyright 2011-2012 Lori Cain All Rights Reserved - Originally Posted at: Midtown Tulsa Real Estate - Lori Cain
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Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area and specializing in downtown Tulsa and midtown Tulsa real estate.
This is such good advice for buyers (and sellers). Finding out about changes to the home after closing makes a successful resolution SO much more difficult...and sometimes impossible. Whether it's something the seller has removed that should remain, damage done in the course of moving (or revealed after that furniture comes out) or piles of "junk" that the seller hasn't removed - it's always better to know sooner rather than later so it can be worked out.
The thought of any buyer even considering missing this is insanity. Especially here in Illinois, we have to make sure all those promised remedies were carried out.
One of my first time buyers in my early days was astounded to find on her rehabbed condo the electric no longer worked. It was all perfectly fine on the inspection. We insisted on $4000 held back at closing, which the contractor was not happy about, so we waited while he drove to his little condo rehab because he thought we were mad. In the end the electric board sent an inspector and found he had all his new wiring in reverse order.
She refused to let him fix it, the $4000 which ended up in the hands of an electrician from the electric board and I provided candles and flashlights for the few days she had to wait.
So folks, do your walk though!
Corinne - that's an amazing story!! Thank goodness this Buyer had you on her side!
Nancy, after this experience, I won't ever let a Buyer skip a final walk-through again!