Because of the pandemic, we chose not to fly out before moving and bought our home sight unseen. We also paid for a detailed home inspection report, and hired an electrician to do some follow-up investigation after the inspection revealed problems with our home's wiring. A realtor who had experience with out-of-town buyersIt was more difficult than I expected to find the right realtor for our cross-country move. Her brokerage firm charges a fairly typical 2.5-3% commission (paid, in our case, by the seller) plus a $495 fee paid by us. The electrician's report cost us $150, and it helped us negotiate a significant amount from the seller towards the cost of rewiring the house.

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