You need to be very careful before committing to the purchase of a house in . If the house has wood and brick on the exterior, you need to consider the following issues.

Wood Issues

Wood is a beautiful material, particularly when it is used on the exterior of a home in . Compared to stucco and other materials, it is a wonder wood isn't used more often. The reason, of course, is wood simply doesn't hold up as well as man made materials, even in places like . If you are looking at a home with a heavy emphasis on exterior wood siding, trim and so on, here are some things to watch out for when evaluating the opportunity.

1. The first thing to realize is the appearance of wood has almost no relevance to the condition. A perfectly good looking piece of wood trim may be infested with termites or rotting and you will never know by just glancing at it. When inspecting wood exteriors, never trust your eyes.

2. One of the biggest issues with wood in is degradation. When looking at particular areas, make absolutely sure you physically touch the wood. In fact, you are probably best off giving it a fairly good poke with a finger. In doing so, you should be looking for soft areas. Soft areas are indicative of rot in one form or another. Finding rot in one area should make you very concerned about finding rot throughout the structure. Put another way, you may want to start looking at other homes on your list.

3. Finding soft spots in wood can be troubling, but there is something worse. If you poke or squeeze a piece of wood and dust or bits fall off, run for the care. This type of degradation is often a sign of termite problems. Termite problems should be a huge red flag for any prospective home in . If you buy the house, you are going to have to tent it to kill the bugs and pay to inspect and repair the damage done by the evil little bugs. In short, you are buying a minor, but expensive, nightmare.

Make no mistake, wood can be very attractive on the exterior of a home in . Just make sure you don't rely solely on a visual inspection of it when deciding on the merits of the house.

Let me help you find the right home in . I can help you, in the home buying process as well as make sure that the wood in you future home is safe, secure, and termite free. If you need more free information about selling, buying or investing in Columbia South Carolina real estate feel free to contact . For complete information about the real estate market, including the most recent homes for sale, current property values and more, please visit the most complete online website dedicated to meeting all of your real estate needs at . Do not hesitate to contact me anytime with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be happy to answer your them for you. Call me on my cell at or email me at .